Travel Information

• VISA for entering Japan
• About Osaka
• Air transportation
• Conference Site
• Hotels
• Ground Transportation
• Railway Pass
• Climate
• Money
• Currency Exchange
• Telephone Calls
• Medical help
• Power outage at KEK
• Travel tips for ICHEP2000 participants
• Useful Links

VISA for Entering Japan

All foreign participants must carry a valid passport, and in many cases a visa also. Since the Japanese visa application system is very strict anyone who needs a visa should apply early, leaving enough time for processing and any possible corrections. In some cases, it may take over four months to get a visa after submitting an application. There have been many cases where conference participants could NOT come because they applied for a visa too late.

You can find out whether you need a visa or not, and how to apply for it, from the home page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
If you are not sure please check with the Japanese Consulate, Embassy or a travel agent. Please also check what documents are necessary.

We closed VISA Application Request.
If you need a visa, some documents in Japanese may be required. In that case, please register yourself for the Conference first and then fax the "Form for Requesting Visa Application Documents" attached in the bulletin#1( a pink sheet) to +81-6-6850-5561.
If fax is not available, send a blank e-mail with the subject "visa" to ichepform@hep.sci.osaka-u.ac.jp and follow the instructions returned to you by E-mail. The deadline for this request is March 31, 2000.
 

About Osaka

As Japan's oldest city with a history of 1,500 years, Osaka has much to offer to today's visitors; the lively Kita and Minami amusement districts, a rich variety of sporting and cultural facilities, abundant shopping and dining opportunities.  Osaka is a commercial center in the west part of Japan and also a convenient stepping off point for visiting Kobe, Kyoto and Nara.

Air Transportation

The most convenient way to come to Osaka is to fly to Kansai International Airport (KIX ). There are many international carriers which fly directly to the airport from major cities all over the world. There are limousine buses and trains which go directly to downtown Osaka in 1 hour.

Other possibilities are to fly to Narita Airport ( NRT ) or Fukuoka ( FUK ), and then fly to Osaka Itami Airport ( OSA/ITA ) or Kansai International Airport. There are also limousine buses available from Itami Airport to downtown Osaka. However, it should be noted that the number of domestic flights between Narita and Osaka are limited.

• Map of airports in Japan (pdf)

Conference Site

The Conference Site is the "International House, Osaka" which is situated in the central region of Osaka City on Uemachi-Daichi Hill.

Hotels

You can find a wide variety of accommodation to be available in downtown Osaka. Please make your reservation for you by the internet.
Please see Hotel Guide ( services, location, transportation etc.) on hotels

• Hotel and railway map (pdf)

Ground Transportation

From Kansai International Airport it takes about 60 minutes to downtown Osaka by train or limousine bus. The Conference hotels in downtown Osaka are within at most a 10 minute subway ride plus approximately a 10 minute walk from the International House, where the Conference is held. It is strongly recommended to use the subway due to heavy surface traffic.
No arrangement is made for a shuttle service between the Conference site and the hotels.
 
• How to get to the International House

Railway Pass

 The JAPAN RAIL PASS is a special ticket that is available only to travelers visiting Japan from foreign countries for sight-seeing. With the JAPAN RAIL PASS, you can freely board almost any train on Japan Railways Group (JR Group) Lines throughout the country.

Money

Currency

The unit of currency is the "yen".
Coins are 1 yen, 5 yen, 10 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen and 500 yen. Bank notes are 1,000 yen, 5,000 yen, and 10,000 yen.*
Over the last year the exchange rate has been US$ 1.00 =105 ~110 JPY.

*2000yen bank note will be introduced in July 2000.

Cash

Cash is still the most popular form of payment in Japan. It is generally safe to carry cash in Japan. Small amounts of cash are needed for most forms of transportation, for dining spots that do not accept credit cards or traveler's checks, and for other small purchases.

Tipping

In Japan, tips are not necessary anywhere, even at hotels and restaurants.

Checks and Cards

Credit cards are gaining popularity in Japan. VISA, Master Card, Diners Club, and American Express are widely accepted at hotels, major stores and department stores. Shops and restaurants that accept credit cards have stickers at the entrance or signs posted elsewhere to designate which cards are accepted. You can also use your credit card to pay for registration, excursions and extra banquet tickets.
However, ATM cashing service for credit cards is not generally available in Japan. Also, most of the ATM machines at banks are NOT compatible with PLUS, CIRRUS, or CASH STATION.

Traveler's checks in Japanese Yen or US Dollars can be exchanged for cash at most banks with exchange services, and at major hotels. The hotels may charge a handling fee, and offer a slightly less favorable exchange rate. Note however that you will need your passport in either case. The use of traveler's checks is limited to only a few stores. Personal checks are not in general use.

Currency Exchange

We strongly recommend that you exchange your cash or travelers' checks to Japanese Yen before departure from your country or upon arrival at Kansai International Airport (or any other international airport in Japan). It is rather difficult to exchange currency near the Conference center. Especially, banks and post offices are opened only on weekday (usually from 9 am to 3 pm).

As of now, some foreign currencies such as Korea Won, Taiwan Dollars, China Yuan Renmimbi, Philippines Pesos, and India Rupees are not accepted even at Kansai International Airport. People from those countries should get Japanese Yen or US Dollars before departing from their country.
 

At Kansai International Airport

Bank counters at Kansai International Airport accept the following currencies in cash for exchanging them for Japanese Yen:

Australia Dollar, Austria Schilling, Belgium Franc, Canada Dollar, France Franc, Great Britain Pound, Germany Mark, Hong Kong Dollar, Italy Lira, Netherlands Guilder, New Zealand Dollar, Norway Krone, Singapore Dollar, Spain Peseta, Switzerland Franc, Sweden Krone, Thailand Baht and US Dollar.

They also accept traveler's checks in the following currencies:

Australia Dollar, Canada Dollar, France Franc, Germany Mark, Great Britain Pound, Hong Kong Dollar, Japan Yen, New Zealand Dollar, Singapore Dollar, Switzerland Franc and US Dollar.

Korea Won, Taiwan Dollars, China Yuan Renmimbi, Philippines Pesos, and India Rupees are not accepted.

There are ATM machines which accept Cirrus, Plus and VISA cards.
 

At Osaka Itami Airport and JR Shin-Osaka station

A currency exchange service is not available at Osaka Itami Airport and JR Shin-Osaka station.
 

Near the Conference site

Tennoji Post Office ( 5 min walk from the Conference site ) accepts cash and traveler's checks for change, in Australia Dollar, Great Britain Pound, Canada Dollar, Germany Mark, Switzerland Franc and U.S. Dollar. In addition, they accept traveler's checks in European Euro. The post office is open from 9 AM to 4 PM Monday through Friday, and is closed on weekends.

There are a couple of ATM machines which accept VISA, Master Card, American Express, Diners Club, JCB, Plus, Cirrus and Maestro cards inside the Kintetsu Department store at Uehonmachi ( 7 min walk ).

Tokyo Mitsubishi Bank at Uehonmachi accepts all the currencies listed for the bank counters at Kansai International Airport. The bank is open from 9 AM to 3 PM, Monday through Friday, and is closed on weekends. You will need to show your passport when you ask for an exchange.

Some traveler's checks issued by minor banks may not be accepted.

Telephone Calls

• Area code

All the area codes in Japan start with 0, such as 06 for Osaka. If you are not sure about the area code of where you are, just dial the full number with the area code. To dial Japan from foreign countries, access your international carrier, dial 81 which is the country code for Japan, and the number without the first "0" in the area code. For example, if the listed number says ( 06 ) 6772-9950, dial +81-6-6772-9950. The first "0" signifies to reach outside the current area code. This is equivalent to "1" in the U.S.. )
 
• Public telephones

Public telephones can be found everywhere, in train stations, on sidewalks, in shops and restaurants, and just outside convenience stores. Green telephones accept 10 Yen and 100 Yen coins and magnetic telephone cards. Gray telephones accept 10 Yen and 100 Yen coins and magnetic telephone cards, and has ports for modular jacks. Orange telephones accept only new IC telephone cards and have an infrared port to connect computers, but the number is still limited.
To make a call using coins, lift the receiver, deposit some 10 Yen or 100 Yen coins, and dial. If you only use 100 Yen coins, the change less than 100 Yen will NOT be returned. To make a call by using a prepaid magnetic telephone card, lift the receiver, insert a magnetic telephone card ( NOT YOUR CREDIT CARD ! ) into the slot, and dial. The prepaid "telephone cards" are available at station kiosks, convenience stores, vending machines next to the telephones, etc.. The cards are available in values of 500 Yen and 1000 Yen. To make a collect call within Japan, dial 106. After a recorded message, an operator will assist you in English.
 
•  International call
• Paying by a prepaid telephone card or coins

Find a green or gray public telephone marked "International & Domestic Telephone". After inserting a prepaid telephone card or depositing a few ( 100 Yen ) coins, dial 001- country code - area code - number.
 
• Charging to your credit card or a calling card

This method works on almost all public telephones. If you are using a public telephone, deposit a 10 Yen coin. If you are calling from a hotel, dial 0. After getting a dial tone, dial 00539-111 to connect to AT&T. Follow the instructions and dial the phone number you want to call. If you are calling the U.S., dial the 7 digit phone number. If you are calling other countries, dial "01" followed by the country code and the number. You will then be asked to dial your calling card number or a credit card number + the expiration date.
If you prefer a carrier of your choice, call 0051 and ask a KDD operator.
 
• Charging to your hotel room

In most hotels, dial 0, and then 001 - country code - area code - number.
• Emergency

The national emergency numbers are
    110 for calling the police,
and
    119 for calling an ambulance and for reporting a fire.
You do not need to insert any money into public telephones to call these numbers. In case of green public telephones, push a red button before dialing.
 
• What to do in an Emergency
• Useful telephone numbers for the conference

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Medical Help

The following organizations will hear your symptoms, and route you to a proper hospital. However, note that they are not available during the night and weekends.

AMDA (06-6636-2333)
• English and Spanish: Mon-Fri, 9-17
• Portuguese: Tue. 13-16
• Chinese: Tue. and Th., 13-16
Kokusai Iryo Jouhou Soudan Center (06-6309-7535)
English, German, French, Chinese, Spanish, Korean, Philippine: Mon-Fri, 9-17, and Sat 9-12
• Hospitals Where English/Other Languages Are Spoken
• Medical Terms in Japanese

Climate

Summer in the Osaka area is hot and humid. The temperature often goes up to 34 degree C( 90 degree F) at daytime. However, the Conference rooms and hotels, as well as buses and railway passenger coaches, are generally well air conditioned. Rainfall is unlikely during summer, but there is a slight chance of typhoons with heavy rain.

Shopping

Business hours for retail stores, including department stores, differ from store to store but most operate from 10 a.m. to 7 or 8 p.m., and are open on Sundays and national holidays.

Electrical Appliances

Power supplies for electrical appliances carry 100 volts. The frequency is 60 Hz in western Japan including Osaka and 50 Hz in eastern Japan including Tokyo. If you have to carry electric appliances, you may consider a voltage converter. See " Computing Environment " if you are bringing a laptop computer.

Site-wide Power Outage at KEK: Aug 4-6

There will be a site-wide power outage at KEK for 3 days from August 4th through 6th. If you are planning to visit KEK after the Conference, avoid this period, since the lab will be effectively closed.

Travel tips for ICHEP2000 participants

1. Use public transportation such as trains, subways, and busses. Driving a car is not recommended unless you are very familiar with the Osaka traffic. You lose more time in traffic jams and time to find a parking space than using public transportation.

2. Carry the bare minimum when you come. When traveling in Japan, railway and subway stations are not well equipped for wheel-chairs and for passengers with large luggage. In addition, luggage space in public transportation is minimal, except for the transportation directly connected to an airport. Most taxies can not take large suitcases either.

3. English may be understood only for a very simple communication. Always carry the name, address and phone number of your hotel with you.

4. Most toilets in train stations are not equipped with toilet paper. In most cases, there is a vending machine for a small toilet paper package. It is recommended, however, to purchase pocket size tissues beforehand at convenience stores.

5. Special diet for a religious reason is not a well known concept in Japan, hence finding a restaurant to fully conform to such a request is generally nearly impossible. Vegetarian diet is also hard to find if your requirement is strict.

7. It is a relative matter, but medical expense is rather high in Japan. Some kind of medical insurance in case of illness and accident is recommended during your stay in Japan.

• Survival Japanese

Useful Links

Traveling in Japan

• Information on Japan (Yahoo! Travel)
• Japan Travel Updates (Japan National Tourist Organization)
• Advice for traveling in Japan
• Hitchhiker's Guide to Tsukuba is written for people coming to KEK, but has useful language tips etc.

Guide to Osaka

• Introduction to Osaka - history, culture, food, etc.
• Osaka Tourist Guide
• A Guide For Living Osaka

Maps

• Osaka on excite
• Osaka on MS Expedia. Zoom in to see where Osaka is.
• Maps by Geological Survey Institute  View from a satellite
• 1:3,000,000 map
• 1:1,000,000 map showing Kansai area
• 1:500,000 map showing Osaka and around
• 1:200,000 map showing Osaka
• Railways in Osaka
• Map around the International House

Weather Forecast:

• by Yahoo
• by USA Today
• by wunderground.com.

Airports and Airlines

• Kansai Airport (KIX) is the best airport to use. There are many major airlines serving Kansai Airport.
 including:
• United Airlines
• Northwest Airlines
• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
• Lufthansa Airlines
• Tokyo/Narita Airport (NRT) is another choice, but not highly recommended, because you have to either
• take a bus to Tokyo/Haneda Airport (> 4h connection time required) and fly to Osaka/Itami Airport, or
• take a train to Tokyo (1h), and take the Shinkansen train (3h) to Shin Osaka, or
• take a rare flight from Narita to Osaka/Itami Airport.
There are many major airlines serving to Narita.