INFORMATION FILE FOR JAPAN VISITORS October 17, 1996 mod. October 25, 1996 mod. November 3, 1996 mod. August 17, 1999 0. TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. ISAS Telephone A) Infrared Astronomy Group B) YOHKOH Team C) ASCA Team 2. ISAS Mailing Address 3. Arriving at Narita A) Immigration B) Luggage Collection C) Customs D) Money Exchange E) Luggage Transportation Service 4. From Narita to Hotel 4.1. Route 1 4.2. Route 2 4.3. Sagami-Ono: From Station to Hotel 4.4. Beween Hotel and ISAS 5. Return to your home A) Flight Confirmation B) Train Tickets 1. ISAS TELEPHONE: A) Infrared Astronomy Group FAX Number: int. access + 81 (country code Japan) + 42-786-7202 from Japan 042-786-7202 Telephone Numbers Dr. Matsuoto: 042-759-8163 Dr. Murakami: 042-759-8159 Dr. Nakagawa: 042-759-8370 2. ISAS MAILING ADDRESS: c/o ????????????? Institute of Space and Astronautical Science Yoshinodai 3-1-1, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510 JAPAN Infrared Astronomy Group Make sure to include Matsumoto's name! c/o Prof. Toshio Matsumoto YOHKOH Team Make sure to include Ogawara's name! c/o Prof. Yoshiaki Ogawara ASCA Team Make sure to include ASCA team professor's name! Example: c/o Prof. Fumiyoshi Makino 3. ARRIVING AT NARITA: A) Immigration: different lines for Japanese and foreigners, have your immigration form filled out. B) Luggage Collection: After immigration go down the stairs and pick up a luggage cart immediately to the right, if needed. Signs for collection belts are in English. You can keep your cart all the way to the railway station. The carts are able to travel up and down the escalators to the station, which is one level down from the arrival hall. C) Customs: In the next hall, show passport again. Only rarely must one open a suitcase. D) Money Exchange: Small counter directly after customs, in the SAME hall. Takes cash, Travellers Checks, and major credit cards (check). Rates are as good as anywhere else. It is advisable to exchange a fairly large amount of money as credit cards are not widely accepted in Japan. It is also safe to carry large amounts of cash in Japan. E) Luggage Transportation Service: After leaving customs hall one enters a hall with several desks: one Information Desk for English speakers, and another for Luggage Transportation, with a big sign "ANA", and something like "baggage service". You need the hotel address written out (like under MAIL), English is OK, Japanese is better. Cost is about $16 per bag. Delivery takes about 24 hours, so be sure to handcarry immediate necessities. Neverthelesss this service is recommended, because it is really cumbersome to ride the trains and subway with a lot of luggage. 4. FROM NARITA TO HOTEL It takes more than 3 hours from the Narita Int. Airport to ISAS or to the hotel. Route-1 and Route-2 are almost the same except for the transportation from Narita to Shinjyuku. 4.1. ROUTE-1: Narita - (NEX) -> Shinjuku -> Hotel Century Sagami Ono A) NARITA EXPRESS TRAIN (NEX). From the arrival hall go directly down the stairs near the information booth. The luggage card goes on the rolling stairs, a wonder of ingenuity. Down in the station directly to the left is a ticket office. Get a ticket to SHINJYUKU with the NEX, 6400 yen first ("green car") or 4100 yen second class. Free drinks, coffee, and tea in green car have been discontinued, so make sure you buy refreshments at the platform Kiosk. There is a dispensing machine on board. Trains leave about every hour, and seats are reserved. If all seats are sold, you may be issued a standing room ticket. There are no-smoking cars. This train may stop once or twice on the way, in Tokyo station and usually Shinagawa. The ride is smooth and comfortable and takes less than two hours, a good time to nap. TIP: pick up a handy free booklet in English inside the NEX train, which details the NEX schedule and route, and gives a map with English annotations of the Tokyo subway system, and the Tokyo/Yokohama rail system. B} SHINJYUKU STATION TO SAGAMI ONO: NEX is operated by JR (Japan Railway Corporaton). Now, you need to take "Odakyu Line" (operated by Odaky Dentetsu, a different company) from Shinjyuku to Sagami Ono. When you exit the NEX train, go downstairs, then walk to Odaky-line Shinjyuku-station following indications. The Shinjyuku station is one of the biggest and busiest stations in Japan. If you find it difficult, ask people "Oda-kyuu-sen wa doko desuka ?" (Where is Odakyu line?). At Odakyu Shinjuku station, buy a ticket of 350 yen for Sagami-Ono. Take express train (called "kyu-ko") which runs around every 15 min. Do not take limited express ("Tokkyu") which obviously looks different in design. The journey to Sagami-Ohno by express takes 40 min, and it is the 8th stop from Shinjuku. All the "kyu-ko" (express) trains stop at Sagami-Ono. 4.2. ROUTE-2: Narita - (Bus) -> Shinjuku -> Hotel Century Sagami Ono A) LIMOUSINE BUS: Take Limousine bus from Narita to Shinjuku. The bus runs from 6:40 in the morning till 22:30 at night with an interval of 30 min during day time. The cost is 2900 yen and it takes about 2 hours to Shinjuku. B) SHINJUKU STATION TO SAGAMI OHNO: The bus stops at the west gate of Shinjuku station, and then visits several expensive hotels in this area. You need to take Odakyu line to Sagami Ohno. The Limousine bus arrives in front of Keio Department Store, and on the left side (when you face the department) you will find Odakyu department store just next to Keio one. The station is undeaneath. If you find it difficult, ask people "Oda-kyuu-sen wa doko desuka ?" (Where is Odakyu line?) At Odakyu Shinjuku station, buy a ticket of 350 yen for Sagami-Ohno. Take express train (called "kyu-ko") which runs around every 15 min. Do not take special express ("Tokkyu") which obviously looks different in design. The journey to Sagami-Ohno by express takes 40 min, and it is the 8th stop from Shinjuku. All the "kyu-ko" trains stop at Sagami-Ohno. 4.3. Sagami-Ono: From Station to Hotel When you get off the train at the Sagami-Ono station, go upstairs. Go through the largest ticket gate, and you will find yourself in the midst of a wide corridor in a busy shopping complex. Walk straight along the corridor, and you will meet another wide corridor with high ceiling. Turn right, and walk along the second corridor to the noth exit. Next, turn left, walk along the wall of the buiding about 20 m, and you will find the entrance of the hotel at your left side. Take an elevator to the front desk of the hotel at the 7th floor. Hotel Century Sagami-Ono 4007 Kamituruma, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 228, Japan Phone : 81-427-65-6610 (in Japan, 0427-65-6610) FAX : 81-427-65-6609 (in Japan, 0427-65-6609) 4.4. Between ISAS and Hotel Shuttle bus from the Hotel to ISAS is available in the morning and evening during the symposium (Nov.11-14). It takes about 30 min. Detailed schedule is given at the registration. Public bus services are also available between the hotel and the ISAS. Please ask hotel staff for details. 5. RETURN TO YOUR HOME A) FLIGHT CONFIRMATION: It is absolutely necessary to confirm the return flight at least 72 hours in advance. The United confirmation telephone # is: 03 (Tokyo City Code, only outside Tokyo) -3817-4411. Your respondent will speak English. Be prepared to leave a telephone number for changes in flight schedule, etc. See your ticket for other airline numbers. B) TRAIN TICKETS: A ticket all the way from Sagami-Ono (or Fuchinobe near ISAS) to Narita can be bought up to a month. Advance buying is advisable to secure a reservation on the sometimes fully booked NEX train. It is helpful to write your request out in English, since the attendant probably does not speak English very well. Example: Fuchinobe - Narita, 7/3/1992, Dep. Yokohama 12:28. Have a nice trip.