General Information

Passports and Visas
Every person entering Japan must have a valid passport. In addition, persons coming from certain countries must have a visa issued by a Japanese consulate in their country. Please be aware that in some cases, it takes more than one month to obtain a visa. For details, please inquire at your nearest Japanese Embassy or Consulate.
Useful web site: http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html

Currency Exchange
Only Japanese yen is acceptable at stores and restaurants in Japan. You can exchange money at the airport, foreign exchange banks, and other authorized exchanges upon presentation of your passport. We encourage you to exchange your money at the airport upon arrival.

Credit Cards and Traveler’s Cheques
Visa, Master Card, American Express, Diners Club and JCB are widely accepted at hotels, department stores, shops and restaurants. Only major banks and hotels in principal cities can accept traveler’s cheques, but their use in Japan is not as common as in some other countries.

Banking
Most banks are available for foreign currency exchange transactions from 9:00 to 15:00 on weekdays.
At Naha Airport, there are banks with ATM which open everyday.
Near the venue, there are banks with ATM (It takes about 5 min by taxi)

Tipping
There is no custom of tipping in Japan. Instead, at places such as restaurants, bars and hotels, 10% service charge is usually added to your bill.

Insurance
Participants are advised to provide their own travel insurance, as the Organizing Committee will assume no responsibility for personal accidents, sickness, theft or property damage.

Climate
The congress will be held under the hot weather in early-summer especially in Okinawa, which located in a subtropical climate zone. The average temperature is around 28°C in daytime and 26°C at night. June is the beginning season of summer in Okinawa, so it becomes hotter and sometimes there are squalls.

Electrical Appliances
Japan operates on 100 volts for electrical appliances. The frequency is 60 Hz in western Japan including Okinawa.

Tax
5% consumption tax will be added to your bill.

Useful web sites for the travel in Japan

*Japan Travel Updates : http://www.jnto.go.jp/

At this site, you may find useful information to make travel plans, accommodation and shopping in Japan. Several regional maps are also available on this site.

For about Okinawa, please visit the Okinawa Convention Bureau website;

http://www.ocvb.or.jp/en/