EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO CONSTITUENTS IN JAPAN

An 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Japan on Friday, shaking office buildings in Tokyo and setting off a devastating tsunami that swept away cars and boats.  Tokyo airports (Narita and Haneda) are currently closed and possibly damaged.  Trains and subways are down in the Tokyo metropolitan region, and train service may be sporadic throughout the rest of the country.  Okinawa and Sapporo report no damage from the earthquake.  South Hokkaido has reported flooding along the shore.  Aftershocks can be expected and may be severe.  U.S. citizens should take basic earthquake safety precautions.

The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. embassy and consulates in Japan are working to obtain information on the status of U.S. citizens and to provide emergency assistance to U.S. citizens.  At this time, we have no reports of U.S. citizens killed or injured in the earthquake.  Although telephone lines are disrupted, relatives may want to try contacting loved ones in Japan by e-mail, text (SMS) message, or other social media.

We will post updates to our Congressional website (travel.state.gov/congress ) as additional information becomes available.  The links below contain information to update you on the situation and to help you respond to inquiries from your constituents.

 CONSULAR ASSISTANCE TO U.S. CITIZENS IN JAPAN

Online Information: Monitor travel.state.gov and the Embassy Tokyo websites for the latest updates.

Public and Congressional Inquiries:

If you have concerns about a specific U.S. citizen in Japan, please send us an e-mail at JapanEmergencyUSC@state.gov
·         If you have concerns about a specific U.S. citizen in the Tsunami zone outside of Japan, please send us an e-mail at PacificTsunamiUSC@state.gov

·         E-mail inquiries are strongly preferred, but constituents may call the Department's emergency assistance center at 1-888-407-4747 (Calling from outside the U.S. + 1-202-501-4444) if they are unable to use e-mail.

 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PERSONNEL INQUIRIES

U.S. Forces Japan reports that all personnel have been accounted for, and there are no reports of injuries.
The Department of Defense instructs that family members of Department of Defense personnel should call 1-800-342-9647 to inquire about their loved ones or contact the individual unit command directly for more specific information.
 JAPANESE AND OTHER CITIZENS

·         If you are calling regarding a Japanese citizen, please contact the nearest Japanese Embassy (Washington - 202-238-6700) or Consulate.

·         If you are calling regarding a citizen of a third country, please contact that country’s Embassy or Consulate. Contact information for foreign Embassies and Consulates in the United States is available in the Country Specific Information links at www.travel.state.gov.