Guidance for the Y2K Preparations for the New Year Period

Considerable progress in Y2K readiness has been made in the form of comprehensive preventive measures and contingency plans by both the public and private sectors in fields subject to considerable potential risk, such as finance, energy, communications, transport, and medicine. We can therefore assume that there will be no major confusion as a result of Y2K problems, i.e., no serious impact on everyday life as a result of damage to the social infrastructure and consequent loss of services. It is important, however, for everyone in the country to be prepared in the event that problems do arise, including the kinds of minor difficulties that we all experience from time to time in everyday life. To assist in these preparations, we have compiled a list of important points, which we hope will help you to be ready in the event that Y2K problems do occur.

As the period concerned coincides with the New Year holidays, we recommend that every household make these preparations as part of their usual preparations for this time of year.
Please also take note of any information about the Y2K Problem provided by local government bodies or their relevant offices.

[Information chiefly for household use]

1. Food, drinking water etc. (National Land Agency; Ministry of Health and Welfare; Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Ministry of International Trade and Industry; Fire-Defense Agency)
   The level of Y2K readiness of businesses and organizations in this sector is advanced, and no major problems are expected with the supply of food or that of critical services such as electricity, gas, and water. Most households already keep on hand enough nonperishable food and water for two to three days, as well as a first-aid kit, torch, radio, and batteries for use in the event of an earthquake or storm damage, so please double-check you have all these items within easy reach.

2. Keeping records of bank deposits etc. (Financial Supervisory Agency, Economic Planning Agency, Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications)
   All financial institutions and post offices will be backing up their deposit data, so no major problems are expected. However, maintaining your own daily records of bank transfers, details of automatic payments etc., and balances is also of considerable benefit in terms of keeping precise track of your assets.
   To be on the safe side, we recommend that you retain any receipts etc. you receive up to the New Year period and check there are no mistakes on invoices received from January next year.

3. Withdrawing cash (Financial Supervisory Agency, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications)
   Financial institutions and post offices are taking care to implement systems to ensure there are no problems with the paying out of deposited funds. We recommend that you prepare as usual for the New Year holiday period when automatic teller machines are out of service.
   If you are going to be holding large amounts of cash, please also be aware of the risk of theft.

4. Supplies of kerosene, gasoline etc. (Ministry of International Trade and Industry)
   Companies in the petroleum sector are taking every possible step to ensure there are no problems with the supply of products such as kerosene and gasoline. The country also has oil reserves sufficient for approximately 166 days, so there should be no major problems in this area. We recommend that households ensure they have sufficient supplies in their tanks etc. as always for the time of year, taking into account the length of the holiday period and outside temperatures.

5. Medicines (Ministry of Health and Welfare)
   We recommend that you check the everyday medicines you generally keep on hand to ensure you have everything you may require. With regard to medicines prescribed by medical institutions, etc., these institutions and pharmacies will be ensuring that they secure the required stock, so there should be no problems in this respect. If you take medicines on a daily basis for a chronic condition and have any concerns, discuss these with your medical practitioner. If you use medical equipment at home as part of your treatment, be sure to talk to your medical practitioner before the end of the year.
   Investigations conducted so far indicate that there will be no problems with life-sustaining medical equipment such as pacemakers.

6. Home appliances (Ministry of International Trade and Industry)
   Difficulty may be experienced with erroneous date displays on some items with date or year functions, such as PCs, faxes, telephones and cellular phones, video cameras, and VTRs. You will be able to correct some of these malfunctions yourself after they occur - for example, by referring to product manuals. However, if you are unsure about any of your everyday appliances, we recommend that you check the manufacturer's advice on the Y2K issue in advance, via the manufacturer's customer service department or Website.
   Refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, microwave ovens, rice cookers, and air conditioning units, etc. are not expected to experience Y2K malfunctions.

[Information for both households and businesses]

7. Using telephone and Internet services over the New Year period (Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications)
   No major Y2K difficulties are expected with telephones or Internet services over the New Year period. However, concentrated telephone use in a particular area could result in overloading of lines and consequent difficulties in connecting calls. We therefore ask that you refrain, where possible, from using telephone and Internet services simply to check whether they are functioning, and from calls or transmissions of a non-urgent nature.

8. Travel during the New Year period (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Transport)
   It is unlikely that you will encounter serious problems due to y2k while you travel within Japan, but just to be on the safe side, we recommend that you build some flexibility into your itinerary. If you are planning to travel or be overseas during the New Year period, be aware that Y2K difficulties may arise overseas, and use your discretion when making travel plans. If you do decide to travel, we recommend that you build some flexibility into your schedule. We also recommend that you leave your family or others a detailed schedule of your trip before departing; check that your overseas travel insurance covers Y2K problems; obtain contact details for embassies and consulates general in the countries you are visiting; and check the latest Y2K information for your destination with your travel agent or airline.

9. Awareness of dubious business practices and fraud, etc. (National Police Agency, Economic Planning Agency, Ministry of International Trade and Industry)
   It has been suggested that from now on we will see an increase in dubious business practices, e.g. attempts to sell products by playing on consumer fears of the Y2K problem and engaging in exaggerated or fraudulent advertising, and an increase in fraud on the pretext of computer malfunctions, etc. Due care should be taken to avoid becoming a victim of these types of practice. If you suspect that this kind of activity is occurring, contact the police, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (local office), your local branch of the Japan Consumer Information Center, or your local consumer center promptly and discuss your concerns.

10. Awareness of computer viruses etc. (National Police Agency, Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications)
    We are already seeing the spread of computer viruses disguised as programs for solving Y2K problems. The best way to avoid becoming a victim of this type of problem is to examine your security measures, such as running virus checks before using programs or opening mail attachments, and management of passwords.

[Information for businesses]

11. Small and medium enterprises (Ministry of International Trade and Industry)
    We have continued to recommend to owners of small and medium enterprises that they formulate Y2K contingency plans. Please check again that you have backed up essential data via print-outs and put in place in-house emergency systems.
    For more detailed information refer to the "The countermeasure for the SMEs Y2K problem in the year-end and the new-year" to be published by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency. This will be available on the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency Website, or from local small and medium enterprise information centers in all regions. These centers are also willing to discuss any queries you may have concerning Y2K issues.

The parentheses indicate government ministries and agencies responsible.

* For safety purposes, avoid using candles close to flammable objects or briquettes in enclosed spaces, and do not store gasoline in plastic containers.
* For more information, please refer to the Website of the Official Residence of the Prime Minister: https://www.kantei.go.jp/