Chinese parents seek refunds for Japan trip, citing radiation concerns

HONG KONG — Parents of a children’s choir in southern China are seeking refunds for a trip to a singing competition in Japan that they cancelled over concerns of radiation leaks.

Their requests to refund the training, travel and accommodation fees, which add up to 19,800 yuan (S$4,009) for each child, have been denied by the singing training centre of the Guangzhou Opera House, with which the choir is affiliated, Television Southern of Guangdong reported.

The concerned parents said each family paid fees to the training centre in January for training, visas, insurance and accommodation for the trip to Japan for an international choir competition in August.

Forty students signed up for the trip, the report said.

Many parents became worried a month later when the Chinese embassy in Tokyo issued a reminder of record-high radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant, which has been leaking radioactivity since being badly damaged by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

The embassy statement cited a spokesperson from the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing and urged Chinese tourists in Japan to make appropriate arrangements.

The request for refunds was denied by the training centre, who insisted that parents would have to pay 20 per cent of costs, or about 4,000 yuan, to cancel the trip.

Many parents said that was unacceptable as health concerns should be of priority to the training centre as well as the families.

Some parents rallied in front of the training centre to raise attention to the issue, the report said.

The head of the choir said in a statement that the group was non-profit and he would personally ask for a full refund from the Opera House.

He said he had arranged a meeting to negotiate for the parents on Thursday.

Japan has become a popular travel destination for Chinese tourists in recent years after it eased visa rules for mainland tourists, who have flooded to their near neighbour where they spend up large on items that range from luxury watches to toilet seats. SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST