my Japan plans remain unchanged

[radhardened]

Many people have been asking me about this, so I thought a post might be appropriate: so far my plans to head to Japan at the end of this month for a year of study at Urasenke Gakuen remain unchanged since the Kansai region that includes Kyoto was essentially unaffected by Friday's massive earthquake and tsunamis. Technically I will be acting contrary to a U.S. State Department travel warning, but that warning is awfully broad, and it expires the day after I'll arrive anyway. I'll be flying to KIX via NRT, the current status of which I'm unsure but which I'm confident will have re-opened by the end of this month, barring further major earthquakes and tsunamis in the area.

Comments

[puzzlement]

I assume you have some alternative insurance that covers medical expenses while there? If it's a Japanese insurer they'd be much less likely to not insure you because the US advised you not to travel!

[radhardened]

Yes - along with the other incoming students I'll be enrolling in Japan's National Health Insurance plan. I'll be dropping my U.S. employer-based medical plan because it would just be too expensive without my employer paying part of the premium, and it would only reimburse me for costs incurred outside the U.S. if I can provide them with invoices in English and in U.S. dollars, which even in a large-ish city like Kyoto I don't expect to be feasible.

[puzzlement]

Ah. Typically Australian health insurance does not extend outside the country at all, so it's nice to know that the US insurance does to an extent. And Australia, I remembered after leaving my last comment, insists that international students here buy private health insurance as a condition of holding a visa; it's good that you also get access to Japanese insurance.