Asia advice

I’m writing in regarding the letter from Bruce Jenkins in the November issue of Group Leisure, concerning travel to Japan. I feel the editorial response gave the impression that Japan is a no-go zone, which of course it is in some very specific areas in the north east of the country. These areas are clearly defined on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website map which states ‘the situation in Japan outside of these specific areas has largely returned to normal and most visits are trouble free’. The most popular tourist destinations such as Tokyo, Kyoto, Miyajima, Hiroshima etc are to the south / south west of the country, and well away from the exclusion zones and areas affected by the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear explosion in March 2011.

Minor earthquakes and tremors are an almost daily occurrence throughout Japan but cause no disruption to daily life, where everything runs like clockwork and the people are extremely polite. I have visited privately and found it to be an amazing and interesting place.

I know many people in my group would love to undertake a tour of the country, and I look forward to seeing what the Japan Tourism Agency has to offer.

Sandra Hill
Tansley, Derbyshire