Travel Insurance

There is a risk of being delayed, detained or quarantined upon arrival in Japan due to the Japanese Government policies in response to the new influenza A (H1N1) virus outbreak. If you came in close contact with someone who was infected or were infected yourself, you could be detained and quarantined for 7-10 days at a medical facility near the airport.

Class members may wish to consider purchasing trip insurance to cover losses such associated with risks like this. Go to http://www.squaremouth.com/ for more information. You may purchase trip insurance from various insurers directly from this website.

Please note that the information above is provided only to inform you of the current situation, which is subject to change. This is not an endorsement of the vendor named, nor is it a recommendation to purchase insurance.

CDC: H1N1 (Swine Flu)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides updated information about the novel influenza A (H1N1), also known as "swine flu" on the following website:
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/ The information includes statistics on the cases in the U.S.A., background information on the virus, what you can do to stay healthy, and guidelines and advice for various sectors.

H1N1 Information from U.S. State Department and Government of Japan

The following U.S. State Department web sites provide information about traveling to/in Japan. It includes recent bulletins about Japan's policies regarding the H1N1 flu outbreak; as well as useful information on entry and exit; safety and security; and health concerns.

• http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1148.html
• http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-swine-flu.html
• Possible International Travel Delays Due to Novel H1N1 Flu Screening Procedures
  

The Government of Japan has issued the document "Screening of Arriving International Air Passengers for H1N1 Flu" which details the procedures followed. See page 4 of the following document:

• http://www.mhlw.go.jp/bunya/kenkou/kekkaku-kansenshou04/pdf/09-e02.pdf
  

HealthMap: Global Disease Alert Map

The HealthMap: Global Disease Alert Map combines a database of worldwide alerts for swine flu (H1N1) and an their locations on a world map. See: http://healthmap.org/swineflu Click on the county name in the left panel to see the alerts for each county.

First Case of 'New-Flu' in Japan

The Associated Press reports (May 9 2009) on the first case of the "new flu" in Japan. Three Japanese males, including a high school teacher and two of his students, returning from a high school trip to Canada were confirmed to have been infected with the new flu.

For the full article, see: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D982C11G1&show_article=1

Comparing the U.S. and Japanese Financial Crises: "The Lost Decade"

In July 2008, Money Morning published an article, "The Lost Decade: How the U.S. Financial Crisis Resembles Japan’s Ten Years of Misery - And How to Play it" a 2-part story by Executive Editor William Patalon III. The author describes the parallels between Japan's economic collapse of the 1990s and the looming U.S. economic crises (in mid 2008), when many experts were fearful that the U.S. version of the "Lost Decade" that was looming would be much worse.

• Part I -- See: http://www.moneymorning.com/2008/07/17/the-lost-decade/
• Part II-- See: http://www.moneymorning.com/2008/07/18/lost-decade/

Book Resources on "The Lost Decade"

Callen T. and Ostry, J. (Eds.) (2003). Japan's Lost Decade: Policies for Economic Revival; International Monetary Fund.

Koo, R. C. (2009) The Holy Grail of Macroeconomics: Lessons from Japan's Great Recession. Wiley

Saxonhouse, G. and Stern, R. (2004) Japan's Lost Decade: Origins, Consequences and Prospects for Recovery (World Economy Special Issues); Wiley-Blackwell

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Resources on Yumi Kikuchi

Journalist, author, environmentalist, and activist Yumi Kikuchi will be a guest lecturer for the Global Issues: Japan course on June 3, 2009 in Tokyo. Here are some resources on Yumi Kikuchi:

• きくちゆみのブログ http://kikuchiyumi.blogspot.com
• 911真相究明国際会議　http://2nd911.globalpeace.jp/
• 平和省プロジェクト　http://ministryofpeace.jp
• 平和の書店　http://ministryofpeace.jp/bookstore/bookstore-menu.html
• 東京平和映画祭　http://www.peacefilm.net
• 911ボーイングを探せ http://www.wa3w.com/911
• テロリストは誰? http://www.wa3w.com
• 911の嘘をくずせ ルース・チェンジ http://www.wa3w.com/LC2J/
• グローバルピースキャンペーン http://globalpeace.jp
• グローバルピースキャンペーン・ストア http://store.globalpeace.jp
• Harmonics Lifeセンター http://harmonicslife.net
• Global Peace Campaign (English) http://english.globalpeace.jp
• Yumi's English Blog http://yumikikuchi.blogspot.com