Travellers headed to Japan may have heightened safety concerns after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck off the coast of the Miyagi region on Friday.
Although no tsunami warnings have been issued, the UK Foreign Office (FCDO) tells tourists to “follow the advice of local authorities” in the event of a disaster in the major earthquake zone.
Here is the latest travel advice for Japan, plus all the key questions and answers, following the earthquake.
Is it safe to travel to Japan?
As of Friday afternoon, the FCDO has not issued any new advice for travellers in Japan.
General FCDO safety advice for Japan warns that the country sits “in a major earthquake zone”.
Travellers are told to “take note of instructions in hotel rooms and at train stations and follow the advice of local authorities” in the event of a disaster.
Earthquake, tsunami and aftershock warnings can be monitored on the Japan Meteorological Agency website.
What have local authorities said?
The Japanese government has issued emergency warnings to people in five prefectures, but said there was no immediate risk of a tsunami.
Japan’s meteorological agency said the quake had a relatively large depth of around 50 kilometres.
Where did the earthquake hit?
The earthquake struck off the coast of the Japanese region of Miyagi, north of Tokyo, at 8.22pm local time.
The quake registered a magnitude of 6.7 with a seismic intensity recorded as 5 on Japan’s seismic scale, which goes up to 7.
In the cities of Tome, Osaki and Ishinomaki in Miyagi prefecture, the earthquake also registered a lower 5 on the Japanese scale, Japan Times reported.
Are flights going to Japan?
Per FlightRadar24, hundreds of flights to and from Japan are currently delayed following the earthquake, including at Sendai airport in the Miyagi prefecture.
A high-speed railway line between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori stations was suspended following the quake, said operator JR East, but there have been no immediate reports of injuries or damage, according to reports in the Japan Times.
Can I cancel my Japan holiday?
As the FCDO has not warned against non-essential travel to Japan, there will be no special circumstances in place to be able to cancel a trip for a full refund. The conditions for cancelling your trip will be dependent on your holiday provider, so it’s best to contact them if you’re looking to postpone due to earthquake concerns. There is no obligation for companies to refund bookings if you want to cancel, and you will not be able to claim on your travel insurance due to safety concerns unless government advice changes.
