VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHKO #2741/01 2750809
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 010809Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
INFO RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7640
RUALSFJ/COMUSJAPAN COMMAND CENTER YOKOTA AB JA PRIORITY
RUEHKO/USDAO TOKYO JA PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA PRIORITY
UNCLAS TOKYO 002741
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OTRA PREL JA
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR DASD DAVID SEDNEY TO VISIT
JAPAN 5-8 OCTOBER
REF: 301901Z
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.
1. (U) Embassy warmly welcomes and grants country clearance
for the October 5-8, 2008, visit to Japan by DASD David
Sedney, Mr. John C. Geis, LtCol Leonard J. Kosinski, and Mr.
Patrick W. Graff.
2. (U) Control Officer for the visit will be Political
Officer Sangmin "Simon" Lee. He can be reached at:
Office phone: (81-3)3224-5337
Home phone: (81-3)3224-6815
Mobile phone: (81-90)4837-5822
Fax: (81-3)3224-5322
E-mail: LeeS@state.gov (unclassified)
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Hotel Reservations
------------------
3. (U) Tokyo hotel reservations have been made at the Hotel
Okura 2-10-4 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8416, Tel:
(81-3) 3582-0111 Fax: (81-3) 3582-3707. Details as follows:
DASD Sedney
Arrive: October 5, 2008
Depart: October 8, 2008
Conf. No.: 645708
John Geis
Arrive: October 5, 2008
Depart: October 9, 2008
Conf. No.: 645707
LtCol Kosinski
Arrive: October 5, 2008
Depart: October 9, 2008
Conf. No.: 646022
Patrick Graff
ANA InterContinental Tokyo, 1-12-33 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
107-0052, Telephone 81-3-3505-1111; Fax 81-3-3505-1155
Arrive: October 5, 2008
Depart: October 10, 2008
Conf. No.: 2859238
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Airport to Hotel Transportation
-------------------------------
4. (U) Control Officer will meet and assist DASD Sedney and
travelling companion at the airport. All other visitors
should take the airport "limousine" bus directly to the hotel
or the Narita Express (NEX) train to Tokyo Station and then a
taxi to the hotel. The limousine bus counter is located in
the Tokyo Narita Airport Arrival lobby. Look for the orange
signs as you walk through the doors from the customs area to
the main lobby. The bus fare is 3,000 Yen. The NEX train is
located in the basement of the airport terminal. The train
fare is 2,900 Yen. Twenty-four hour currency exchange
facilities are available in the customs area and the arrival
lobby of the airport. Travel time from Tokyo Narita Airport
to downtown Tokyo is 90-120 minutes, depending on traffic.
----
Visa
----
5. (U) U.S. citizens entering or transiting Japan on
official business must obtain a diplomatic or official visa
for that purpose. U.S. citizens traveling with a valid U.S.
passport can enter Japan for business or pleasure for up to
90 days without a visa. All foreign nationals entering
Japan, with the exemption of certain categories, are required
to have their fingerprints scanned and a facial photograph
taken at the port of entry. This requirement does not
replace any existing visa or passport requirements. U.S.
travelers on official business must have a diplomatic or
official visa specifying the nature of travel as "AS
DIPLOMAT," "AS OFFICIAL," or "IN TRANSIT" to be exempt from
biometric collection. All other visa holders, including
those with diplomatic and official visas stating "AS
TEMPORARY VISITOR," are subject to this requirement.
Passport type is also irrelevant. In rare instances,
official travelers who bring a Note Verbale specifying they
are entering Japan in an official capacity may be exempted
from the biometric collection requirement, if otherwise
required. SOFA personnel are exempt under SOFA Article 9 (2)
from the new biometrics entry requirements.
----------------------
Embassy Laptop Policy
----------------------
6. (U) The Embassy's electronic device (i.e. laptop,
removable storage, video equipment, test equipment, etc.)
policy states that absolutely no personal, non-government
owned electronic devices may enter the Embassy. Absolutely
no equipment, even government-owned, may be connected to the
Embassy network in any way without prior approval. TDY
employees are reminded that even government-owned equipment
may not enter the Embassy without prior RSO approval.
Absolutely no electronic device, even government-owned, may
enter the CAA unless special pre-approval is given by the
RSO, based on a compelling business need. Please be advised
that if the traveler does not have one of the following
BlackBerry models and a service contract with one of the
telecommunications companies (listing follows), then his/her
BlackBerry will not work in Japan. Japan has the most
advanced cellular industry in the world and BlackBerry
protocols are not as advanced as what are being used in Japan
today. (BlackBerry models: 8707G, H, V or U.S.
Telecommunications Companies with a NTT/DoCoMo roaming
agreement: Sprint/Nextel, ATT/Cingular, and T-Mobile)If you
would like to bring a U.S. government-owned electronic device
into the Embassy, please contact the RSO office (provide
make, model, serial number, and purpose) prior to your visit
for a briefing and approval.
-----------------
Threat Assessment
-----------------
7. (U) U.S. Government facilities worldwide remain at a
heightened state of alert. As the U.S. Government has
reported in public announcements over the last several
months, U.S. citizens and interests abroad may be at
increased risk of terrorist actions from extremist groups,
which may target civilians and include suicide operations.
The Department maintains information about potential threats
to Americans overseas which is available to travelers on the
internet at the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page:
http://www.travel.state.gov. The Embassy takes all threats
seriously. U.S. Embassy Tokyo can be contacted 24 hours a
day at 03-3224-5000 (locally) or 81-3-3224-5000
(internationally).
8. (SBU) The general threat from crime in Tokyo and
throughout Japan is low. Crime is at levels well below the
U.S. national average. Violent crime is rare, but does
exist. The Japanese National Police report continued
problems with pick-pocketing of foreigners in crowded
shopping areas of Tokyo. Although street crime is low,
common sense security measures are advised for all American
citizens traveling in Japan.
9. (U) Also be advised that under no circumstances may
weapons be brought into Japan. Carrying a pocketknife
(including Swiss Army-style knife, craft or hunting knife,
box cutter, etc.) in public is forbidden. Under Japanese
law, carrying any such item in public, with a size exceeding
8 cm in length, 1.5 cm in width or 2 mm in thickness, can
subject the person to arrest or detention.
SCHIEFFER