Sept. 8, 2008 Fukuoka - Mr. Raymond Baca, the Minister-Counselor for Consular Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, provided a briefing on the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) program, a new travel security initiative that is administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). A capacity audience of more than 100 representatives from airlines and regional travel agents were in attendance.

Mr. Baca, the senior American consular official in Japan, outlined the key points of the ESTA program, which will require that citizens from the 27 countries world-wide, including Japan, who can travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (i.e. without a visa) for short-term tourism and business purposes, to register online with DHS before they commence travel. Registration under the ESTA program, which began on August 1st, is currently being conducted on a voluntary basis, but is scheduled to become mandatory as of January 12, 2009.