Press releases, 30.3.2011

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will reopen the Embassy in Tokyo

Press release 115/2011
30 March 2011

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs updated its travel bulletin for Japan on 30 March. The Ministry no longer advises Finns to leave the Greater Tokyo area and transfer to Southern Japan. However, the Ministry still recommends people to avoid unnecessary travel in the Greater Tokyo area and the regions north of the metropolitan area (Tokyo-Yokohama, Tohoku and Kanto regions). Finnish people residing in this area are urged to follow closely any directions issued by Japanese authorities. People within a radius of 80 kilometres from the Fukushima nuclear power plant are still advised to leave the area.

The Finnish Embassy in Tokyo will be reopened as from 30 March. The Embassy in Tokyo will be opened since the number of Finns returning to Tokyo is expected to rise, which increases the need for customer service. The ambassador and the consul transferred back to Tokyo on 29 March. Therefore, it will be possible to organise the advance voting in the parliamentary elections in Tokyo too on 6-9 April. The number of staff in Tokyo will be increased gradually as the safety situation improves.

The Embassy operations in the Hiroshima office will also continue for the time being. With the aid of the Hiroshima office, the Ministry ensures that the Embassy will be able to perform its tasks in Japan under any circumstances.

The Embassy in Tokyo will be open as from 30 March. The telephone exchange will be open from 9:00 am to 5:15 pm and the opening hours for customer service are from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Additional information: Counsellor Teemu Turunen, tel. +358 9 1605 5745