Cablegate: Country Clearance for Assistant Secretary

VZCZCXYZ0002
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKO #2714 2740213
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 300213Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7588
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 5582
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 1575

UNCLAS TOKYO 002714

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OTRA AMGT KNNP PREL MNUC KN CH JA
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR ASSISTANT SECRETARY
CHRISTOPHER HILL AND DELEGATION

REF: STATE 104017

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.

1. (U) Embassy welcomes and grants country clearance for the
October 4, 2008, visit to Japan by Assistant Secretary
Christopher Hill, Special Assistant Yuri Kim, Director EAP/K
Sung Y. Kim, NSC Director of Chinese Affairs Paul Haenle, and
ISN DAS C.S. Eliot Kang.

2. (U) Control Officer for the visit will be Political
Deputy Marc Knapper. He can be reached at:

Office phone: (81-3)3224-5334
Home phone: (81-3)3224-6958
Mobile phone: 81-90-2210-8570
Fax: (81-3)3224-5322
E-mail: KnapperME@state.gov (unclassified)

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Visa
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3. (U) Holders of U.S. diplomatic or official passports must
have a Japanese visa to enter Japan. Travelers on a U.S.
tourist (blue cover) passport may enter Japan as a tourist
without a Japanese visa for up to 90 days. As of November
20, 2007, all foreign nationals entering Japan, with the
exemption of certain categories, are required to provide
fingerprints and a facial photograph at the port of entry.
This requirement does not replace any existing visa or
passport requirements. Official U.S. travelers will have to
submit to the photograph and fingerprinting requirement
unless they travel with a valid diplomatic or official visa
or a Note Verbale. The nature of the passport onto which the
visa is pasted is not relevant, i.e. a tourist passport
holder with a diplomatic or official visa will not have to
submit to the biometrics collection process. SOFA personnel
are exempt under SOFA Article 9 (2) from the new biometrics
entry requirements.

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Threat Assessment
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4. (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).
SCHIEFFER

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