|
Access and Hotels
1. Venue
The conference will be held within the Maskawa Building for Education and Research on the north campus of Kyoto University, which is located in the north-east part of the city. 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.
2. Travel Information
Weather
Average temperatures in October in Kyoto range from a high of 22.9 degrees to a low of 13.6 degrees with an average of 17.8 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 - 90 minutes to Kyoto station. The reserved seat ticket costs 3,080 Yen (may variable by season), and the non-reserved seat ticket 2,770 Yen.
- Airport Limousine bus service to "Hachijo" Exit of Kyoto station is available. It runs about every 30-50 minutes. and takes about 90 min. The cost is 2,550 Yen.
- You can access directly to the venue and most of hotels in Kyoto city by Shuttle Omnibus service. The cost is 4,200 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 50 min., and the cost is 1,310 Yen.
- You can access directly to the venue and most of hotels in Kyoto city by Shuttle Omnibus service. The cost is 2,900 Yen. Please refer to the link below for more detailed information and reservation.
Osaka Airport website: http://www.osaka-airport.co.jp/en/
Kansai Area Map
From Kyoto station to Kyoto University
- The official English guide for city bus and subway "Kyoto City Bus & Subway Information Guide" is available at
https://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/kotsu/webguide/en/index.html- The bus terminal ( Map (Select the Bus Stop "Kyoto Sta." at the bottom left window) including Japanese) is just outside of the north exit of the station. From bus stop No."A2" of the terminal, you should get on the city bus of Route No.17 for "Ginkakuji and Kinrin Shako" (Timetable in which gray, blue and red columns show the schedule on Weekdays, Saturdays and Holidays, respectively). It runs about every 15 minutes. You get off at the bus stop "Kyodai Nogakubu-mae" or "Kitashirakawa"(the nearst stop). It takes about 35 min., and the cost is 230 Yen which you should pay on your getting off. 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 "Kyoto University Area Map", which includes the destination name "Maskawa Building" both in English and Japanese, to the taxi driver. It takes about 20 min. and the cost is about 2,000 Yen. No tipping is necessary in Japan.
From your hotel to Kyoto University
- from your hotel along Kawaramachi Street:
You can take the city bus No.17 for "Ginkakuji and Kinrin Shako" at the nearest bus stop on Kawaramachi Street.- from your hotel along Karasuma Street:
You can take the city bus No.17 for "Ginkakuji and Kinrin Shako" after a walk (about 10 to 15 min.) to Kawaramachi Street.
Another option is Subway Karasuma Line to "Imadegawa" Station, and transfer to the city bus No.203 for "Ginkakuji and Kinrin Shako".- from your hotel around JR Kyoto station:
You can take the city bus No.17 for "Ginkakuji and Kinrin Shako", or
take Subway Karasuma Line to "Imadegawa" Station, and transfer to the city bus No.203 for "Ginkakuji and Kinrin Shako".- City buses:
No.17 runs on Kawaramachi Street about every 15 minutes, whereas No.203 runs on Imadegawa Street about every 10 minutes.
Either on No.17 or No.203, you get off at the bus stop "Kyodai Nogakubu-mae" or "Kitashirakawa"(the nearst stop). You should pay 230 Yen on your getting off. See Kyoto University Area Map (North Campus map) for the locations of these bus stops.Kyoto Area Transportation Map
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.)
http://japantraveleronline.com/
Some suggested hotels for the meeting participants are listed in five categories; (L) luxury, (S) standard, (B) budget, (C) capsule, and (H) hostel, in the areas of Kawaramachi street (bus), Karasuma street (bus, subway+bus), and around JR Kyoto station (bus, subway+bus). (Note that there are many other hotels with similar qualities.)
Kawaramachi street (Nijo, Sanjo, Shijo)
Karasuma street
(mostly in Japanese)
around JR Kyoto station
(only in Japanese, no reservation here)
4. 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 April 2017. You can buy Japanese Yen at international airport exchange centres or at authorized city banks (office hours is limited) in Japan.VAT
VAT (value added tax) of 8% is included in 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
http://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 the LOC.Electricity
Electricity is supplied at 100 volts, 60 Hz AC in western Japan including Kyoto and Osaka.
Kyoto Univ. Clock Tower in October
