Travel Information RIMS workshop and Sakae 60

Travel Information RIMS workshop and Sakae 60
November 10-13 and November 17-19, 2014
1
1.1
General info about public transport in Japan
Trains (including subways etc.)
(1) Train tickets are usually bought from ticket machines near the entrance gates: ﬁrst look at
the map above the ticket machines, ﬁnd the station you are heading for and read oﬀ the fare. Then
insert at least the fare into the machine (inserting more is possible because the machine gives change),
press the button with the fare and get your ticket (and your change). This is all very simple and
straightforward.
(2) Train tickets in Japan always have to be kept till the end of the trip. They are needed for
getting out of the train system, and then disappear automatically in the exit gate. Thus, if you
need proof of your trip for later refund, please insist on obtaining a separate receipt
when buying the ticket.
(3) Express trains in Japan (= trains for which seat reservation is possible), like the Shinkansen
superexpress etc., have cars with reserved seats (shiteiseki, 指定席) and cars with non-reserved seats
(jiy¯
useki, 自由席). This is simple if you buy a ticket with seat reservation because the ticket says the
car number. If you have a ticket without seat reservation, make sure you get on one of the cars with
non-reserved seats.
Express train tickets are more diﬃcult to buy from machines, and I recommend buying them at
the counter.
(4) For train schedules in Japan, see the following webpage.
http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/
1.2
Buses
(1) In Japan, one usually enters the bus at the back and exits in front next to the driver. One pays
the driver when getting oﬀ. If you don’t have exact change, coins and 1000 yen bills can be changed at
the machine next to the driver. (It’s usually not possible to change larger bills, so please be careful!)
(2) Buses which operate within city limits usually have one ﬁxed fare. For K¯obe it is 210 yen and
for Ky¯oto, 230 yen.
(3) For buses outside the center of big cities, the fare depends on the distance traveled and you
need to get a small ticket with a number when getting on the bus (as proof of where you entered).
When you exit, look at the table above the driver (in front) and read oﬀ the fare from below the
number which is printed on your small ticket.
(4) Limousine buses from and to airports: buy the ticket beforehand at the ticket machine.
¯
(5) Long-distance buses (e.g. Kansai (Osaka,
K¯obe, Ky¯oto) to T¯oky¯o): typically a reservation is
needed. This can be done either by internet or directly in the bus station. Notice that such rapid
services are much cheaper than trains, about half the price.
1
1.3
A recommendation
If you often use the public transport system, I recommend that you buy either
• an ICOCA Card or
• a Surutto Kansai Card (スルッと KANSAI).
The ICOCA Card is a smart card issued by JR West, but can also be used on local private railway
¯
lines (Hanky¯
u (阪急), Keihan (京阪), Kintetsu (近鉄) etc.), subway lines (Ky¯oto, Osaka,
and K¯
obe),
and some buses (e.g., on buses in K¯obe, but neither on buses in Ky¯oto nor on airport buses). Since
2013 it is also valid in other parts of Japan, e.g., the T¯oky¯o area (Kant¯o). It can even be used for
shopping in some stores. It can be bought at ticket vending machines or ticket counters of JR stations.
The card costs 2,000 yen, which includes a deposit of 500 yen that will be refunded when you return
the card. The remaining 1,500 yen can be used immediately. It can be recharged at ticket vending
machines or fare adjustment machines (乗り越し清算). You have to do the latter before exiting if you
entered the system with insuﬃcient balance for your trip. To use the card, simply pass the card over
the reader at the entrance and exit gates. The fare is automatically deducted.
NB: If you take the Haruka train (see below) from Kansai airport to Ky¯
oto, you may want to get
the ICOCA & HARUKA. This is a set containing a discounted ticket for the Haruka express and an
ICOCA card for 2,000 yen (i.e., precharged with 1,500 yen + the 500 yen deposit). The one way type
costs 3,030 yen, and the round trip type (valid for two weeks), 4,060 yen. This special oﬀer is only
available to foreigners at Kansai airport who come to Japan for short-term; you need to present your
passport and return ﬂight.
The Surutto Kansai Card is valid on all train systems in the Kansai area except for the JR train
(e.g., it’s valid on Hanky¯
u (阪急), Keihan (京阪), Kintetsu (近鉄) etc.), on the subway systems in
¯
Ky¯oto, Osaka,
and K¯obe, and on local buses (both in K¯obe and Ky¯oto), but not on the airport buses.
Cards are sold at ticket machines in train stations or at small kiosks, and can usually also be obtained
from the station attendants at the entrance gates. Typically, you can get cards for 1,000 yen, 2,000
yen, and 3,000 yen. On the Hanky¯
u (阪急) train system (but not elsewhere!), this card is called
Lagare Card (ラガールカード). No deposit is required, and the card is not rechargeable.
On trains and subways, simply insert the card at the entrance and exit gates. The correct fare
will automatically be deducted. On buses with ﬁxed fare, insert the card in the machine next to the
driver when you get oﬀ. On buses whose fare depends on the distance traveled, you have to insert the
card once immediately after entering the bus in the machine at the rear, and then again when exiting,
in the machine next to the driver in front.
The trickiest part about the usage is when your card runs out of money. There are two ways to
deal with this. The simplest is: if there is not enough money to cover your next trip, ﬁrst buy a new
card. Then insert the old card at the entrance gate, and insert both cards simultaneously at the exit
gate. The old card will not have any money left, and the remainder of the fare is taken oﬀ from the
new card. An alternative is to pay the remainder of the fare – either by cash or with a new card –
before exiting at one of the fare adjustment machines (乗り越し清算).
2
From the Airport to K¯
obe (神戸) or Ky¯
oto (京都)
2.1
2.1.1
From Kansai Airport (KIX) to Ky¯
oto
By JR train (recommended)
Go to the JR station at Kansai International Airport and take the Haruka (はるか) express train
bound for JR Ky¯
oto station. Trains depart every 30 minutes in the morning and evening and once
2
an hour during the day, and the journey takes about 75 minutes. The fare is 3,370 yen with seat
reservation and 2,850 yen without.
NB: You get a much better deal with the ICOCA & HARUKA explained above. If you also go
back to the airport from Ky¯
oto, get the round trip type; if you go back from K¯
obe by bus, get the one
way type.
Alternatively, but still on the JR line, you can take the Kank¯
u Rapid (Kank¯
u Kaisoku, 関空快速)
¯
train to Osaka and change there to the Special Rapid Service (Shinkaisoku, 新快速) for Ky¯oto. This
is a bit more complicated, more time-consuming (about 2 hours), but much cheaper (1,880 yen).
NB: There are two train stations at Kansai Airport: the JR station and the Nankai (南海) station.
Please make sure you go to the JR station.
2.1.2
By bus
One can also get to Ky¯oto by bus from outside the terminal building on platform number 8. Buses
run roughly every 30 minutes. The fare is 2,550 yen (4,180 yen for a return ticket valid for 14 days),
and the journey takes about 100 minutes. Most buses go to the south entrance Hachij¯oguchi (八条口)
of JR Ky¯oto station, but some continue inside Ky¯oto, so be careful where to get oﬀ.
The bus may be a better option during the day when the Haruka train is rather infrequent. It is also
cheaper than Haruka, but you may still get a better deal with the ICOCA & HARUKA combination,
see above.
See below on how to get to the workshop hotel from JR Ky¯oto.
2.2
From Kansai Airport (KIX) to K¯
obe
The easiest connection from Kansai International Airport to K¯obe is by bus. Take the bus bound for
Sannomiya (三宮) outside the terminal building on platform number 6. Buses run roughly every 20
minutes. The fare is 1,950 yen for a one-way ticket, and 3,080 yen for a return ticket which is valid
for 30 days. Buy the ticket from the ticket machine in the wall of the terminal building next to the
bus stop. Simply insert the fare (or more), press the button K¯
obe Sannomiya (神戸三宮) and get your
ticket (and change). If you need a receipt for later refund, you have to press an additional
button which says Receipt because you will have to give the ticket to the driver.
Most buses go directly to Sannomiya (= downtown K¯obe), but some stop once in between at the
Sheraton Hotel on Rokk¯o Island. Do not get oﬀ there. Simply stay on the bus till the ﬁnal stop. The
journey takes about 65 minutes.
The workshop hotel T¯
oyoko Inn is in walking distance of the bus stop. See below and see also the
map on the webpage.
To get back to the airport, use the same algorithm backwards. Note, however, that the bus stop
for departure is at a diﬀerent location than the one for arrival, namely south of Hanky¯
u Sannomiya
(阪急三宮) station. Also notice that, from this bus stop, there are buses to Kansai Airport (関西空港)
¯
and buses to Osaka
(Itami) Airport (大阪空港). Please be sure you get on the right one.
2.3
Other airports
¯
If you arrive at Osaka
(Itami) Airport (ITM) (大阪空港), the most convenient way to go to Ky¯
oto
or K¯obe is by bus.
For Ky¯oto, take the bus to JR Ky¯oto station. Buses run roughly every 20 minutes. The fare is
1,310 yen, and the journey takes about 55 minutes.
For K¯obe, take the bus to Sannomiya. Buses run roughly every 25 minutes. The fare is 1,050 yen,
and the journey takes about 40 minutes.
If you arrive at K¯
obe Airport (UKB) (神戸空港), take the Port Liner to Sannomiya Station in
downtown K¯obe. Trains are frequent. The fare is 330 yen, and the journey takes 18 minutes.
3
If you arrive at another international airport, take the Shinkansen (bullet train) (新幹線) either to
JR Ky¯oto or to Shink¯obe (新神戸) station. From Shink¯obe, take the subway to Sannomiya or a taxi
to your hotel.
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Accommodation
3.1
In Ky¯
oto
Most participants will stay either in Super Hotel Ky¯
oto Shij¯
o Kawaramachi (スーパーホテル京
都・四条河原町) or in Business Hotel Sh¯
usenkaku (ビジネスホテル秀仙閣).
To get to either of the hotels from JR Ky¯oto station, take city bus (市バス) No. 4, 5, 17 or 205,
and get oﬀ at bus stop Shij¯
o Kawaramachi (四条河原町). This bus stop is north of the intersection
of Kawaramachi and Shij¯o streets. The large department stores Takashimaya (高島屋) and Marui (マ
ルイ) are in the SW and SE corners of this intersection, respectively. Walk south along Kawaramachi
street (河原町通) to the NW corner of the intersection.
For the Super Hotel, turn right and continue walking west along Shij¯o street (四条通). Take the
ﬁrst small side street on your right. Walk for about 100 meters, keeping to your right at the ﬁrst fork.
The hotel is at your left-hand side. The lobby is on the third ﬂoor. Take the elevator.
For Sh¯
usenkaku Hotel, turn left, cross Kawaramachi street and walk east along Shij¯o street (四条
通) till you reach a small canal. Turn right (crossing Shij¯
o street) and walk south following the east
side of the canal. The hotel is at your left-hand side.
For more details, see the scanned map.
Alternatively, take the subway Karasuma line (烏丸線) bound for Kokusai Kaikan (国際会館) and
get oﬀ at Shij¯o (四条) station (this is the second stop). Get out of the underground at the northern end
of the subway station and walk east along Shij¯o street on the northern side of the street. Eventually
the Takashimaya department store will be on your right.
For the Super Hotel, take the small side street on your left right before you reach the intersection
of Shij¯o and Kawaramachi streets and continue as above.
For Sh¯
usenkaku Hotel, cross Kawaramachi street and continue as above, walking east along Shij¯
o
street.
(This involves a longer walk than the ﬁrst alternative.)
3.1.1
Super Hotel
京都市中京区新京極通り四条上る中之町 538 番地 1
スーパーホテル京都・四条河原町
Super Hotel Ky¯oto Shij¯o Kawaramachi
Nakano-ch¯o 538-1, Shij¯o Agaru, Shinky¯ogoku-d¯ori, Nakagy¯o-ku, Ky¯oto 604-8042
Tel. 075-255-9000
3.1.2
Sh¯
usenkaku Hotel
京都市下京区木屋町四条下る斎藤町１１９
ビジネスホテル秀仙閣
Business Hotel Sh¯
usenkaku
Sait¯o-ch¯o 119, Kiya-ch¯o Shij¯o-sagaru, Shimogy¯o-ku, Ky¯oto 600-8012
Tel. 075-341-4171
4
3.2
In K¯
obe
Most participants will stay in T¯
oyoko Inn K¯
obe Sannomiya II (東横イン神戸三ノ宮２). You can
walk to the hotel from the bus stop of the airport bus, and also from JR and Hanky¯
u Sannomiya
stations.
From the bus stop, walk east (=backwards) on the main street, till you see the Chuo Ward Oﬃce
(中央区役所) on the left-hand side. Turn left right after the ward oﬃce. The hotel is on your left-hand
side.
See the scanned map.
Here are the address and name of the hotel in Japanese (in case you take a taxi):
神戸市中央区雲井通 5-2-2
東横イン神戸三ノ宮２
The English version is:
T¯oyoko Inn K¯obe Sannomiya II
5-2-2 Kumoi-D¯ori, Ch¯
u¯o-Ku, K¯obe 651-0096
Tel. 078-232-1045
4
From downtown to the University
4.1
How to get to the RIMS meeting (Ky¯
oto University)
From either of the workshop hotels, take city bus (市バス) No. 17 bound for Ginkakuji/Kinrin
Shako-mae (銀閣寺・錦林車庫前) at the bus stop Shij¯
o Kawaramachi (四条河原町) on the western
side of Kawaramachi Street. Get oﬀ either at Ky¯
odai N¯
ogakubu-mae (京大農学部前) or at Kitashirakawa (北白川) bus stop and walk to RIMS. (From Ky¯odai N¯ogakubu-mae, continue east along
Imadegawa Street till you reach a small street turning left and leading to a gate of the university; pass
this gate. RIMS is the ﬁrst building on the right-hand side. From Kitashirakawa, walk backwards
along Imadegawa Street and turn right into the small street.) The workshop will take place in room
111 on the ﬁrst ﬂoor.
Buses run approximately every 15 minutes, and the bus ride should take between 15 and 20
minutes.
NB: There are other bus companies operating in Ky¯
oto, like Ky¯
oto bus, Keihan bus, Hanky¯
u bus
etc. Do not mix city bus No. 17 with bus No. 17 of other bus lines.
Alternatively you can take the subway Karasuma Line (烏丸線) bound for Kokusai Kaikan (国際
会館) at Shij¯
o (四条) station, change at Imadegawa (今出川) station to city bus No. 203 bound for
Ginkakuji-michi / Kinrin Shako-mae, and get oﬀ at either Ky¯odai N¯ogakubu-mae or Kitashirakawa.
This is more expensive because you have to pay separately for subway and bus.
A further alternative is the Keihan (京阪) train which runs underground east of the Kamo river
(and parallel to the river).
From JR Ky¯oto station, also take bus No. 17 at platform A 2 of the bus terminal.
If you take a taxi, here are the address of RIMS + a description of the way in Japanese:
京都市左京区北白川追分町
京都大学数理解析研究所
今出川通り農学部東入り口から入ってすぐ右手の建物
The English address is:
5
Research Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Ky¯oto University
Oiwake-Ch¯o, Kitashirakawa, Saky¯o-Ku, Ky¯oto
Tel. 075-753-7257
If you have time and leisure when going back to downtown from the meeting, you may also walk
down along the Kamo river instead of taking public transport.
4.2
4.2.1
How to get to K¯
obe University
Via Hanky¯
u (recommended)
From T¯
oyoko Inn or any other downtown hotel, go to Hanky¯
u Sannomiya station (阪急三宮駅):
¯
take either a Local (Futs¯
u, 普通) or an Express (Ky¯
uk¯o, 急行) bound for Umeda (梅田) (= Osaka).
Get oﬀ at Hanky¯
u Rokk¯
o station (阪急六甲駅). The fare for the train is 190 yen, and Rokk¯o is the
third station on the line.
Do not take the Limited Express (Tokky¯
u, 特急) train at Sannomiya because it won’t stop at
Rokk¯o.
Walk to the campus from the train station (about 15 minutes uphill). See the scanned map on
how to get to the university from Hanky¯
u Rokk¯o. The workshop will take place in room D1-201 on
the second ﬂoor of the Faculty of Engineering (工学研究科・工学部学舎). In the entrance hall of
the building, there is a map showing the location of this room.
Alternatively, take city bus (市バス) No. 36 bound for Tsurukabuto Danchi (鶴甲団地) at the bus
stop Hanky¯
u Rokk¯
o (阪急六甲). The bus stop for this bus is uphill from (= north of) the station.
Get oﬀ at Shindai-honbu-k¯
ogakubu-mae (神大本部工学部前) bus stop. The fare is 210 yen.
Walk a few meters in the direction the bus is going (uphill). The main street makes a left turn
in which a small downhill street (which doubles as a parking lot for motor bikes) branches oﬀ to the
right. Further to the right, there is a small downhill path going through a wood. Take this path and
walk downhill. After a few meters you will see a pedestrian bridge which goes directly to the third
ﬂoor of our building, Science and Technology Research Building 3 (自然科学総合研究棟３号館). (In
case you want to meet with a member of our group, cross this bridge and go up to the Eastern side of
the 4th ﬂoor.)
For going to the workshop, proceed downhill till you reach the bottom and cross over to the
building of the Faculty of Engineering (工学研究科・工学部学舎).
4.2.2
Via JR
Alternatively, go to JR Sannomiya station (JR 三ノ宮駅) and take a Local (Futs¯
u, 普通) or Rapid
¯
Service (Kaisoku, 快速) train bound for Osaka or Ky¯oto (= eastbound). Get oﬀ at JR Rokk¯
omichi
station (JR 六甲道駅). This is either the second stop (if you took the local) or the ﬁrst stop (if you
took the rapid service). The fare is 160 yen.
Do not take the Special Rapid Service (Shinkaisoku, 新快速) train at Sannomiya because it won’t
stop at Rokk¯omichi.
Then take city bus (市バス) No. 36 bound for Tsurukabuto Danchi (鶴甲団地) and proceed as
above.
Be careful to take the right bus from the bus terminal. No. 36 also goes in the other direction, to
Hanshin Mikage (阪神御影). Do not take that bus.
Since JR Sannomiya is a little closer to the hotel than Hanky¯
u Sannomiya and since the fare is 30
yen cheaper, the JR train may be the better choice if you plan on going by bus.
6
5
5.1
From Ky¯
oto to K¯
obe
Via Hanky¯
u (recommended)
Go to the underground Hanky¯
u Kawaramachi (阪急河原町) station in downtown Ky¯oto; take a
¯
Limited Express (Tokky¯
u, 特急) bound for Umeda (梅田) (= Osaka)
station; change at J¯
us¯
o (十三)
station (this is the last stop before Umeda) to another Limited Express bound for Sannomiya (三宮)
or Shinkaichi (新開地) station; get oﬀ at Hanky¯
u Sannomiya (阪急三宮) station (which is next to
¯
JR Sannomiya station). If you miss J¯
us¯
o never mind; you can also change in Umeda (Osaka).
The
fare is 620 yen.
This is particularly convenient if you stay in one of the workshop hotels in Ky¯oto because you can
walk to the Hanky¯
u station while you’d have to take a bus or the subway to the JR station.
5.2
Via JR
¯
Take the Special Rapid Service (Shinkaisoku, 新快速) bound for Osaka/K¯
obe/Himeji at JR Ky¯
oto
station, and get oﬀ at JR Sannomiya station. The fare is 1,080 yen.
The advantage over Hanky¯
u is that it is faster and you do not have to change trains. It may be
convenient if your hotel in Ky¯oto is not in the downtown area.
6
Miscellanea
Please be aware that credit card acceptance is much lower in Japan than in many other countries. For
example, many small restaurants do not accept credit cards. Similarly for many shops. Hotels mostly
do accept credit cards, but may charge more or require cash payment for special discount rates.
Also, most ATMs (e.g., those of banks) do not accept foreign credit cards. However, ATMs in the
Seven Eleven, in the post oﬃce, and in the City Bank (very few) usually do.
There is no tipping in Japan, neither for taxis, nor in restaurants.
Japanese electric current is 100 V. Most North American appliances will work reasonably well on
Japanese current. Plugs are also identical to North American plugs.
Older foreign mobile phones typically do not work in Japan. Mobile phone rental is available at
Kansai airport.
The weather in November is typically nice and sunny, with mild days and cool to cold nights, and
occasional rains. You may need warm clothes, e.g. a coat, etc.
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