Japan Steps Up Safety Measures for FIFA World Cup Visitors

Tokyo, June 8 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Foreign Ministry is taking intensive measures to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals visiting Canada, Mexico and the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to kick off soon. For the first time, the ministry has opened a webpage dedicated to providing travel safety information during the international soccer competition. It will also open temporary offices in cities hosting matches of the Japanese national team, nicknamed Samurai Blue, and use an audio distribution platform to call on people to exercise caution. On June 1, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi recorded a video with Japan Football Association President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, calling on people to register with the Tabi-Regi safety information service provided by the ministry for overseas travel. “Please register with Tabi-Regi before departure,” Motegi said in the video, taken during his meeting with Miyamoto at the Foreign Ministry. “It will serve as a lifeline in an emergency.” Leaflets on the Tabi-Regi system were distributed and a promotional video was displayed on a screen at an exhibition match between Samurai Blue and the Icelandic national team in Tokyo on May 31. The World Cup will take place in the North and Central American countries from Thursday to July 19. Japan will have one match each with the Netherlands, Tunisia and Sweden in the group stage. The matches against the Netherlands and Sweden are set to be held in the U.S. city of Dallas, and that against Tunisia in Monterrey, Mexico, scheduled for Sunday, June 25 and June 20 local time, respectively. The ministry decided to implement the unprecedented safety measures due to anticipated confusion related to the tournament being hosted by as many as three countries for the first time. Many Samurai Blue supporters are expected to travel to watch the matches, with the current team widely believed to be the strongest ever for Japan. Also behind the decision are concerns about security in the host countries, particularly Mexico where gun violence by criminal organizations is prevalent. In addition to the special webpage, similar sections have been opened on the websites of Japanese diplomatic establishments concerned, providing information on local security conditions and terrorism, precautions for entering and leaving the host countries, and contact details for the diplomatic missions. The ministry is also slated to post weekly safety updates on the “Voicy” audio distribution platform. A temporary branch office of the Japanese Consulate-General in Houston will be opened in Dallas and a similar office of the Japanese Embassy in Mexico City in Monterrey. The makeshift offices will assist Japanese travelers experiencing unexpected events, such as losing passports, during the three-day periods–the day of and the days before and after a Samurai Blue match. The temporary office system may be implemented if Samurai Blue advances to the knockout stage, scheduled to start June 29 with the round of 32. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]