InsideJapan says it does not expect “any significant impact on travel” for any of its customers following the earthquakes which struck Japan on New Year’s Day.
The specialist operator said it has just over 300 customers travelling in Japan, with just 15 customers in the affected region.
“Thankfully, all InsideJapan customers have been contacted by our customer support team on the ground, and all are safe and well and continuing with their travels,” said the operator.
“We do not envision any significant impact on travel to Japan for any of our customers although our team on the ground are continuing to monitor the situation as earthquake aftershocks may be possible.”
More: Earthquakes and tsunami prompt Japan travel alert
At least 48 people are reported to have been killed by the quake, which had an estimated magnitude of 7.6 and struck central Japan’s western coastline on the Noto peninsula.
The UK Foreign Office issued a travel alert for Japan, warning that aftershocks are a possibility and transport links are disrupted.
InsideJapan has set up a page on its website (pictured) with updates about the earthquake.
It said: “Despite the earthquake being felt in Tokyo, 190 miles from the epicentre, there was no disruption in the capital or in other major cities on the eastern seaboard such as Nagoya, Osaka and Kyoto.”
It added: “If you are planning to travel to travel to Noto peninsula in the next couple of weeks then you should potentially consider changing your plans or at the very least, checking in with your tour operator, travel agent or the accommodation where you are booked to stay. For everywhere else in Japan no changes to your plans will be necessary.”
InsideJapan director Alastair Donnelly said: “Our first and foremost priority is the safety of all our customers, particularly during emergencies and natural disasters of any kind.
“We have a 24-hour customer support team who are equipped to ensure our travellers receive effective and timely on-the-ground support.
“Our team are also contacting other customers currently in Japan to provide reassurance and updates if their travel plans require any adjustments.
“It’s an extremely difficult time for many impacted by the earthquake in the western regions of Japan, particularly those who have lost loved ones.
“We express our deepest sympathies and urge all travellers to follow government advice and stay safe.
“Japan is very well geared to manage these kinds of incidents and our expert operators have advised that beyond the areas specifically impacted on the western coastal regions, travellers shouldn’t need to change their plans.
“The closest major city to the epicentre is Kanazawa and although some damage has been sustained, our team are not receiving reports of anything major in this location.”
The website update concluded: “Some of the headlines in the media can be quite worrying and perhaps a bit misleading without a bit of wider context. We always try to make sure we are a source of reliable information, and with our base in the country and over 50 staff on the ground, we are well positioned to do that.”
A spokesperson for InsideJapan also noted that the operator’s 24/7 customer support team was able to establish “very quickly” that it did not have any clients on a Japan Airlines aircraft that was on fire at Haneda airport in Tokyo on Tuesday (January 2).