Is Japan safe to visit?

Hiroshi Mizohata is a charismatic gent given to exaggerated and comedic gestures – not at all the kind of man you'd expect to find running the Japan Tourism Agency. That said, there can't be many tourism commissioners that make fun interviewees, and so it was with a sense of amused curiosity that we set off to meet him at his headquarters earlier this month.

We'd been invited to join the commissioner as he gave his pronouncement on the key question so many travellers are currently asking: following the events of March 11, is Japan a safe country to visit? Keen to get his point across to potential visitors directly ('with smile'), Mizohata-san responded in English. Subtitles were added at the request of his office.

Oh, and if you do decide to come for a visit, you might make use of this.

Is Japan safe to visit?