The University of Hawaii is helping students who wish to leave Japan make arrangements to do so in light of a State Department advisory, UH said today.

The State Department on Wednesday said it “strongly urges U.S. citizens to defer travel to Japan at this time” and says those in Japan should consider departing.

Twenty-seven students from UH-Manoa and eight from UH-Hilo are in Japan on study abroad and exchange programs or graduate studies, UH said.

“None of them is in the vicinity of the most seriously damaged areas; they are all in other parts of the country and, based on our most current information, indicate they are safe and not in any immediate danger,” said a news release from UH.

UH “is in the process of helping our students follow this recommendation from the State Department,” UH said.

Go to http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5390.html for more information on the Travel Warning.