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Access and Hotels
Following is a list of URLs where you can find and make reservation of your hotel room by yourself. (There must be many other URLs too.)
http://japantraveleronline.com/
Venue
The conference will take place at Science Seminar House (February 21 - 24) in the North Campus, and Raku-Yu Kaikan (February 25) in the main Yoshida campus of Kyoto University, which is located in the north-east part of the city. You can find them on a Google Map.
Kyoto is often called the "Japanese heartland", and it is said that it is impossible to know the real Japan without knowing Kyoto. For over 1,000 years, Kyoto was the capital of Japan, the heart of culture and politics. Furthermore, Kyoto is unique within Japan in that it was virtually untouched during World War II, leaving a myriad of temples, shrines and a castle intact. This legacy has been recognized by UNESCO, which has designated seventeen separate sites within Kyoto's borders as World Cultural Heritage sites. Natural scenery, temples, shrines, towns and houses intermingle with a poignant historical beauty in Kyoto. Tea ceremony, Japanese flower arrangement, Nishijin-brocade, and many other unique Japanese traditional cultures and industries continue to thrive in Kyoto.
Travel Information
Weather
Average temperatures in February in Kyoto range from a high of 10 degrees to a low of 1 degree in Centigrade. The average temperature is 5 degrees in Centigrade.Access to Kyoto
From Kansai International Airport (KIX) to Kyoto Station
- Take Kansai Airport Express train "Haruka" operated by West Japan Railway Company. The station is in the airport. It runs every 30 - 60 minutes and takes about 80 minutes to Kyoto station. The reserved seat ticket costs 3,170 to 3,570 Yen (variable by season), and the non-reserved seat ticket 2,850 Yen.
- Airport Limousine bus service to "Hachijo" Exit of Kyoto station is available. It runs about every 20-50 minutes. and takes about 90 min. The cost is 2,600 Yen.
- You can access directly to the venue and most of hotels in Kyoto city by Shuttle Omnibus service. The cost is 4,300 Yen. Please refer to the links below for more detailed information and reservation.
Kansai Airport website: http://www.kansai-airport.or.jp/en/index.asp
From Osaka International (Itami) Airport (ITM) to Kyoto Station
- There exists Airport Limousine bus service to "Hachijo" Exit of Kyoto station at every 20 minutes. The bus stop is in front of the airport exit. It takes about 55 min., and the cost is 1,340 Yen.
- You can access directly to the venue and most of hotels in Kyoto city by Shuttle Omnibus service. The cost is 3,000 Yen. Please refer to the link below for more detailed information and reservation.
Osaka Airport website: http://osaka-airport.co.jp/en/
Kansai Area Map
From Kyoto station to Kyoto University
- You can find an English guide for City Bus HERE. The bus terminal at Kyoto Station (Map including Japanese) is just outside of the north exit of the station. From bus stop "A2" of the terminal, you should get on City Bus of Route No.17 for "Ginkakuji Temple" (Timetable). It runs about every 15 minutes. You get off at "Kyodai Nogakubu-mae" bus stop, just after "Hyakumanben". It takes about 35-40 min., and the cost is 230 Yen which you pay on your getting off (visit How to Take the Bus for Other bus routes, not Raku Bus #100). The bus has an English voice/character guide, but you should not expect that the driver understands English.
- You can most easily come to Kyoto University Main Campus by taking taxi. Taxies are always waiting for passengers just outside of the both "Main" (called "Karasuma") and "Hachijo" Exits of the station. Please show the Google Map around Kyoto University to the taxi driver. It takes about 20 min. and the cost is about 2,500-3,000 Yen. No tipping is necessary in Japan.
Kyoto Area Map
Practical Information
Currency and Money Exchange
The unit of Japanese currency is "Yen". There are four kinds of bills (10,000 Yen, 5,000 Yen, 2,000 Yen, 1,000 Yen) and six kinds of coins (500 Yen, 100 Yen, 50 Yen, 10 Yen, 5 Yen, 1 Yen). Only Japanese Yen (JPY) is acceptable at ordinary stores and restaurants. The exchange rate of Japanese Yen is about 109 yen to one US dollar as of November 2019. You can buy Japanese Yen at international airport exchange centres or at authorized city banks in Japan.VAT
VAT (value added tax) of 10% is included in almost all goods purchased in Japan.Traveller's Checks and Credit Cards
Traveller's checks are accepted only by airport, leading banks, and major hotels; and the use of traveller's checks is not popular in Japan. VISA, MasterCard, Diners Club, and American Express are widely accepted at shops and restaurants in urban areas. Many ATMs in Japan do not accept foreign credit cards for cash advances. We recommend you to exchange your currency into Yen when you arrive at the Kansai (KIX) or Itami (ITM) airport or obtain Yen in your own country.Visa
A visa is required for citizens of countries that do not have visa-exempt agreements with Japan. Please contact the nearest Japanese Embassy or Consulate for visa requirements. Detailed information is available through the Web site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan:
https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html.
For those who need invitation letters for visa arrangements, please send an e-mail to SPARCjws2020@kugi.kyoto-u.ac.jp.Electricity
Electricity is supplied at 100 volts, 60 Hz AC in western Japan including Kyoto and Osaka.
