March / April: Delay Travel to Japan

[samokan]

Originally Posted by MMM

I am watching the live feeds from Japan (Now TV Japan is broadcasting for free) and getting around in Tokyo appears to be a waking hell. The trains seem to be shut down except during rush hours, and they are showing lines of hundreds and hundreds of people waiting hours to get on the limited train service.

If you are planning on travel to Tokyo very soon, I would consider delaying my trip.

I hope people in Japan can confirm what I am seeing and give more informed advice for those that might want to go to Tokyo or places further north... or are these issues also seen in other big cities?

Tokyo Electric is scheduling blackouts that is why some Train line did not operate for the whole day. I use Odakyu Line and it did not operate the whole day yesterday. I could not go to work. Today it seems that it will only operate on rush hour. Trains within Tokyo are operating but lots of them are late.

Yes I recommend postponing travel to Japan right now. Maybe in Kansai area is OK. But Kanto is a bit difficult. It is also difficult to find nice restaurant opening and getting some supplies now.

[samokan]

Originally Posted by MMM

We can see on the news here what life is like in Tokyo and the directly affected areas, but how are things in areas not physically affected. What is the mood? I understand all sporting events are cancelled. Is anything else affected?

I guess Kanto area specially Tokyo since everything uses electricity.
Transportation is the most affected. Accdg to JMA aftershock probability is up tp 40% now and no more Tsunami but Tokyo Electric has now problems with its nuclear power plant so I guess Kanto region is greatly affected by it.

I was in the station this morning, the atmosphere was solemn besides the usual train announcements I could not hear people talking happily. I don't like it. I just wish everything would be back to normal.

When I get to work this morning, ginza line was still crowded but peoples faces are really different . Even the atmosphere in the office is different, I guess everybody is still on the edge or maybe it is just me ..

[louise45]

We are due to go to Japan on the 12th of April through to the 21st of April with half our trip in Tokyo and the other in Kyoto. For now we have not cancelled our trip and are still going ahead as planned. We have e-mailed our hotels and they all said they are fuctioning pretty much as normal and with cancelling our trip we would loose all our money. We are prepared for some delays with trains and possible blackouts and of course we will be sensitive to the Japanese people and try and not be a burden (will concerve energy in our hotels etc). We had friends who arrived yesterday and they said Tokyo was doing ok, they did have a little trouble getting into the centre from the airport but they said that shops were open, restaurants were serving food and so on so that is reasurring, im glad we can still inject some of our money into the economy and help out that way

Of course we will reconsider our plans if more happens with the nuclea plans, but we are not going for another 4 weeks and as it stands as of today we are still heading over there, It breaks my heart that this has happened to the Japanese ppl (anyone for that matter), I pray nothing further happens and that everyone can stay safe.

Has anyone NOT cancelled their trip and still going over espite warnings??

Just thought I would add my thought

[foofy]

Originally Posted by louise45

We are due to go to Japan on the 12th of April through to the 21st of April with half our trip in Tokyo and the other in Kyoto. For now we have not cancelled our trip and are still going ahead as planned. We have e-mailed our hotels and they all said they are fuctioning pretty much as normal and with cancelling our trip we would loose all our money. We are prepared for some delays with trains and possible blackouts and of course we will be sensitive to the Japanese people and try and not be a burden (will concerve energy in our hotels etc). We had friends who arrived yesterday and they said Tokyo was doing ok, they did have a little trouble getting into the centre from the airport but they said that shops were open, restaurants were serving food and so on so that is reasurring, im glad we can still inject some of our money into the economy and help out that way

Of course we will reconsider our plans if more happens with the nuclea plans, but we are not going for another 4 weeks and as it stands as of today we are still heading over there, It breaks my heart that this has happened to the Japanese ppl (anyone for that matter), I pray nothing further happens and that everyone can stay safe.

Has anyone NOT cancelled their trip and still going over espite warnings??

Just thought I would add my thought

I'm going from the 27th april - 14th may and have no intention of cancelling. have heard alot of mixed opinions on whether or not travel to tokyo will be olay then, but I'm hoping it will be.
we're in tokyo and below the whole trip (hiroshima, kyoto, osaka) so as long as trains are back up and running (which im hoping is likely within the next 6 weeks) I'm hoping it'll be fine.

[Cath]

We're also supposed to go in April for about 4 weeks (April 11-May 5)- missed the JAL cancellation timeframe (set up as a result of the earthquake) by one day. My husband's family is in Yokohama and we have two young children. We're leaning towards paying the penalty and delaying the trip; w/ two kids it just seems too risky at this point. But we're going to see how things go over there for the next couple of weeks. I've also thought that if we do go, maybe we should spend a few days in Yokohama/Tokyo then head over to the Japan sea side, Shikoku or Kyushu (I've lived in these areas before so could catch up with old friends, too). All of these events are just crazy/frightening!

[siokan]

Attachment 11437

The Tokyo district is embarrassed because of the electric power shortage.
It is glad when refraining from the travel to the Tokyo district as much as possible.

decay heat
x2_5049921.jpg
The axis of abscissas is days

Radioactive decay - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cooling the nuclear reactor hangs for several years from several months.

[Flapperbol]

Originally Posted by louise45

We are due to go to Japan on the 12th of April through to the 21st of April with half our trip in Tokyo and the other in Kyoto. For now we have not cancelled our trip and are still going ahead as planned. We have e-mailed our hotels and they all said they are fuctioning pretty much as normal and with cancelling our trip we would loose all our money. We are prepared for some delays with trains and possible blackouts and of course we will be sensitive to the Japanese people and try and not be a burden (will concerve energy in our hotels etc). We had friends who arrived yesterday and they said Tokyo was doing ok, they did have a little trouble getting into the centre from the airport but they said that shops were open, restaurants were serving food and so on so that is reasurring, im glad we can still inject some of our money into the economy and help out that way

Of course we will reconsider our plans if more happens with the nuclea plans, but we are not going for another 4 weeks and as it stands as of today we are still heading over there, It breaks my heart that this has happened to the Japanese ppl (anyone for that matter), I pray nothing further happens and that everyone can stay safe.

Has anyone NOT cancelled their trip and still going over espite warnings??

Just thought I would add my thought

I'm still unsure if I should go, was going there on the 25th of March till the 15th of April. (Going to spend the first two weeks in the west of Japan, the last week in Tokyo)

As of now I'm still hoping that the situation doesn't get any worse, also there's no point in cancelling now since I would lose my money.
(There might be a chance I can reschedule for free, but I won't hear anything about that untill next week)

I must admit I'm having mixed feelings about this though, but I'm not sure what to believe. Some say it's chaos in Tokyo, some say everything is fine...

[kalcia]

One of my friends is supposed to fly to Japan this weekend, but she says she will delay her trip, untill situation in Fukushima is stabilized. I suppose it's rational thing to do at the moment. One can only know how long it will take...

[lalalaland]

I was wondering if there are any other students who were planning to move to Japan for april and how they're dealing with this?
I was planning to leave for Japan in 2 weeks to go to university in tokyo but now... I don't know if i should or not
I already payed a lot in tuition and dorm fees and don't know if it can get it back. I mean, its not like I'm planning to just go on vacation

either way I just hope everything turns out alright there

[mechagodzilla]

there are 11 of us going down from april 7-27 and we are going to wait till the end of this month to decide . If things start geting worst ( more reactor problems , earthquakes, etc ... ) then were bound to just refund the flight ...