Subject:  American Community Security Update - March 2003

Welcome to the March newsletter!  Here are the topics for this month:

     -- Security Situation
     -- Upcoming Holidays
     -- Why Do Americans Have to Take a Driving Test?
     -- Converting to a Japanese License
     -- Disaster Preparedness Web Sites
     -- IRS Reporting Rates of Exchange for 2002
     -- Helping Our Children Cope with Terrorism
     -- Chance For 'Credit-Card Abusers' To Clear Up Tax Liabilities
     -- Unsubscribing from this List

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Security Situation
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The security situation in Japan remains the same with no new threat information reported from either the American or the Japanese side other than the February 6, 2003 Worldwide Caution we distributed via this channel.

We use this service to provide you the most up-to-date safety and security related information we have available on a monthly basis.  Should we receive any time-sensitive information of a security-related nature, we will use this channel to keep you informed immediately.

The Department of State issued safety information aimed specifically at students headed abroad for Spring Break, at http://travel.state.gov/spring_break.html

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Upcoming Holidays
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The Embassy will be closed for Vernal Equinox Day, a Japanese holiday, on March 21, 2003

As a reminder, workdays just before and just after a holiday are usually very busy times, so if you do come in to see us then your wait will likely be longer than on other days.  Generally speaking, Monday mornings, Wednesday mornings and Friday afternoons are our busiest times.  Visit us outside of those times and you should have a shorter wait.

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Why Do Americans Have to Take a Driving Test?
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The Embassy spoke recently with the Superintendent of the License Division, Traffic Bureau, of the National Police Agency (NPA) about complaints from American citizens with valid international driver licenses who have been told they have to take a practical or road test as well as a written examination in order to obtain a Japanese driver license.  The NPA confirmed that this was true.

Prior to June 2002, Japanese law had allowed foreigners bearing international driver licenses to drive indefinitely in Japan.  As of June 2002, however, foreigners are only able to drive on an international driver license for up to 12 months, then have to have applied for and received a Japanese driver license.  An additional requirement is that the foreigner has to have obtained the international driver license at least three months before first arriving in Japan.  We have also heard from a small number of Americans who were told by the police that they could not use international licenses for even 12 months because they were "resident" in Japan.

The driving test in Japan consists of hearing, eyesight, written and practical/road test components.  Citizens of 21 countries, not including the United States, are exempt from taking everything but the eye test.  Some of these countries met the exemption requirement because the NPA examined their domestic traffic safety record and determined that it was at least as good as Japan's.  The NPA stated that these  nations also exempt Japanese license holders from taking a driving test, while some states in the United States require Japanese license holders to take a written and/or a road test before acquiring a state driver license.

The Embassy has been in communication with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which acts as a liaison between the federal government and the states on driver licensing requirements and highway safety  issues.  While the federal government is unable to force individual states to change their driver licensing requirements, NHTSA is in communication with the state motor vehicle administrations regarding licensing requirements for Japanese citizens. 

We shared with the NPA statistics which showed that the United States had a risk value much lower than that of Japan's with respect to fatalities as a share of vehicle kilometers traveled, but were told that the Japanese police still needed to see the safety records of each individual state.

The total number of people applying for Japanese licenses who already had U.S. state driver licenses in 2001 was 5,698.  Of these, 4,821 were Japanese citizens returning from work, study or travel in the United States, and 879 were Americans or third country nationals.  The first-time pass rate for Americans was slightly higher than the 35 percent pass rate for Japanese returnees, but not much.  On the other hand, for those who take the regular test, they have to go through an intensive (and expensive) driver education program.  The first time pass rate for this group, even with the harder test, is 90 to 100 percent.

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Converting to a Japanese License
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For Americans resident in Japan, it is possible to convert a valid U.S. drivers license to a Japanese license, but does involve a driving test.  Note that the required translation of your U.S. license cannot be done at the Embassy.

Follow these links for information on converting your license, including sources to help with the translation of your U.S. license.  Please note that these links are to for-profit private organizations, and are provided here for your information only.  Inclusion of Non-U.S. Government links or information does not imply endorsement of contents.

          Japan Automobile Federation at http://www.jaf.or.jp/e/switch.htm

          Japan Drivers License at http://www.japandriverslicense.com

          Follow this link for the locations of license bureaus in the Tokyo area:
          http://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.jp/foreign/esikumi/organize/people.htm

           Here is a link to our web site explaining how to get the "sign certificate" or "proof 
           of signature" often needed to buy or sell a car in Japan:
           http://usembassy.state.gov/tokyo/wwwh7126a.html#sign or
           http://usembassy.state.gov/tokyo/wwwh7126a.html and scroll down the page for
           details

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More Tips on Navigating Airport Security
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The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has online many tips for navigating airport security.  The theme is that there are preparations you can make before you arrive at the airport to help you move more quickly and efficiently through the new security processes. They offer suggestions on what to wear to the airport and how to pack for your trip. There is a pre-flight checklist to help you prepare for your trip.

Please visit the TSA website at http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=9 for all the details.

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Disaster Preparedness Web Sites
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The Department of Homeland Security has a new web site, filled with information on protecting yourself in the event of a nuclear, bio/chem or other terror act.  

While some of the information is very specific for say a nuclear attack, much of the advice is applicable to preparing for any type of calamity, including earthquakes or typhoons.  Visit the web site at http://www.ready.gov/

We also have information on line from the Embassy in Tokyo on how to prepare for an earthquake.  Follow this link please for the details: http://usembassy.state.gov/tokyo/wwwh7111.html

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Reporting Rates of Exchange for 2002
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The IRS advises that you should use the following Japanese Yen exchange rates for your 2002 year U.S. Federal income tax calculations:

03/02 = 133.84
06/02 = 124.32
09/02 = 118.67
12/02 = 118.77
Average = 123.90 

Exchange rates for China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines and South Korea are available at http://usembassy.state.gov/tokyo/wwwh7126b.html.

The IRS' phone number in Tokyo is 03-3224-5466, FAX 03-3224-5274.
Commonly-used, current year tax forms are also available by automated FAX from the IRS office in Tokyo at 81-3-3224-5465, or at http://www.irs.gov/.

The Embassy does not provide assistance with Japanese taxes.  You can find information in English, as well as many of the necessary forms, at http://www.taxanser.nta.go.jp.  Scroll down the page for the link to English language information.  You can also contact the Foreign Section of the Tokyo Regional Tax Bureau at 03-3216-6811.

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Helping Our Children Cope with Terrorism
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In November in Washington at the Department of State, a panel of experts shared their views on what really happens when a child is confronted with a violent event.  They offered guidance on how to be more effective in helping a child feel safe and learn needed coping skills.

Dr. Harlan Wadley, the Department of State's Director of Mental Health Services, underlined the most basic fact: children do not have the coping skills adults have. "Their ability to cope...is not going to be quite as good as ours. So they need...extra support." He said children respond to trauma in different ways at different ages and that some children are more resilient than others. While individualizing our approach, we must acknowledge each child's fear and make the child feel loved and cared about.

Pamela McCoy Ota, an experienced school psychologist on the panel who recently worked with staff and children at the Benjamin Tasker Middle School, where a student was shot by a sniper, highlighted behaviors parents might see in traumatized children at different ages. She said we must remember that even infants from birth to 2 years old can be traumatized, taking in alarming changes in the emotions of their caretakers and their routines, and that this age group has no language and no reference point. Infants need reassurance through physical contact, "more hugs, more kisses, more cooing, more speaking in a high voice."

Preschoolers and kindergartners perceive that what they thought was a safe world has suddenly become an unsafe world. They can feel insecure, helpless, powerless and unable to protect themselves. Out of fearfulness, they may show regressive behaviors: bed-wetting or thumb sucking may return or they may want to crawl into bed with you at night. What helps children this age is plenty of reassurance that their world is secure and that they are safe. We can say, "Yes, a terrible thing did happen. It's finished, and we're going to be moving on with it to the best of our [ability]. Mommy and Daddy are going to be safe, your brother, your aunt and uncle, your friends are going to be safe."

School-age children have more language and more cognitive ability. By 8 or 9 they have a sense of empathy. They may be preoccupied with the details because they are trying very hard to understand what has happened.

To help them, we must be patient in answering their questions and explain the event using vocabulary they understand. This is an excellent age for using literature and stories to tell tales of how the dragons were beaten. Pre-adolescents and adolescents want to be viewed as adults and recognized for the skills that they do have. At the same time, they need to know they are not the only ones who are feeling bad. 

Ms. Ota also reminded her listeners that children with disabilities need special consideration. They take in what's going on around them and they need the same kind of extra care at stressful times as other children. Use common sense to figure out how to reach a disabled child who may lack language or experience physical contact differently.

Mary Livingston Azoy, an experienced counselor on the panel who was also a Foreign Service spouse for 20 years, said there are three basic ways to help children: talk with them, listen to them and be creative about inventing other opportunities to help. It is important not to hide your own fears or offer false reassurances. Talk to children about how you are coping with your own fears. Not being afraid to say, "I don't know the answer" can enhance the lines of communication. 

"Also, look for opportunities to offer your children your undivided attention. Encourage them to talk and be sensitive to a moment when your child is ready to talk, no matter how inconvenient it may be to you. If your child raises important issues at 11 p.m., be ready to listen. Brainstorm some rituals to make the child feel safer, especially at bedtime when the lights go out. Look for and emphasize the things that your child has control over, from dressing to eating favorite foods. Encourage play and the expressive arts. When children act things out with their action figures, that's important self expression. You can help them process what has happened by joining in such games. Finally, if symptoms that worry you persist over time, seek professional help.

"Most of all, take care of yourself, " Ms. Azoy emphasized. "If you don't feel strong, you can't be strong for your kids. Give yourself plenty of time to do whatever it is you do to cope with everyday stresses, and those same things will serve you well, whether it be exercise or taking time out for reading or whatever."

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Chance For 'Credit-Card Abusers' To Clear Up Tax Liabilities
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Internal Revenue Service officials have announced the launch of an initiative aimed at bringing taxpayers who used "offshore" payment cards or other offshore financial arrangements to hide their income back into compliance with tax law.

Under the Offshore Voluntary Compliance Initiative, eligible taxpayers who step forward will not face civil fraud and information return penalties. However, taxpayers will still have to pay back taxes, interest and certain accuracy or delinquency penalties.

The Initiative reflects an attempt to bring taxpayers back into compliance quickly while simultaneously gathering more information about the promoters of these offshore schemes.  As part of the request to participate, the taxpayer must provide full details on those who promoted or solicited the offshore financial arrangement. The IRS will use this information to pursue promoters.  

Under the Initiative, eligible taxpayers will have to file or amend their returns and pay interest and certain civil penalties, as well as the tax. For example, a taxpayer who understated his income to avoid $100,000 in taxes in 1999 would wind up paying $149,319 to the government.  This includes the tax liability plus $29,319 in interest and an additional accuracy-related penalty of $20,000.  If a taxpayer did not step forward, his tax liability generally would include the civil fraud penalty of $75,000, and therefore higher interest of $42,758. The total amount due would be $217,758, without considering probable additional civil penalties for failure to file certain information returns.  

To apply for the Initiative, taxpayers must notify the IRS in writing and provide their name, taxpayer identification number, current address, daytime phone number and certain promoter information.  The last day a taxpayer can apply is April 15, 2003.

Written requests for the Voluntary Compliance Initiative can be sent to:

          Regular mail to National Offshore Voluntary Compliance Initiative Coordinator,
          P.O. Box 480, Bensalem, PA, 19020

          Overnight/ Special Delivery mail to National Offshore Voluntary Compliance 
          Initiative Coordinator, 11601 Roosevelt Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19154, DP S6005

Those seeking information by telephone should call 215-516-3537 (not toll-free).  In addition, a special e-mail address, VCI@irs.gov, has been set up for taxpayer inquiries.  More information on the Initiative can be found on the IRS Web site at http://www.irs.gov.

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