GENERAL INFORMATION Information AboutHotel AccommodationAccessSecretariat Information ‘  About Tokyo, Japan Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is one of the largest cities of the world with a population of 12.29-million and the biggest of the 47 prefectures throughout Japan. Its long history of prosperity started with the establishment of the shogunate by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1603. At that time, Tokyo was called Edo, which by the 18th century had grown to a huge city of over a million people. It is now Japan's center for political, economic, cultural, and various other activities as well as the origin for the dissemination of information. Located geographically at about the center of the Japanese archipelago and in the southern part of the Kanto area, Tokyo shares borders with Chiba prefecture to the east along the Edogawa River, Yamanashi to the west along a mountain range, Kanagawa in the south along the Tamagawa River, and Saitama in the north. Being 2187 km² in area, the metropolis occupies only 0.6% of the national land, the third smallest of the 47 administrative divisions of the country. As the land unfolds from east to west, there are hills, plateaus, and mountains scattered around the city. Small as it is, Tokyo's geographical features are rich in variety, comprising low lands of only four meters above the sea-level and mountainous areas of over 2000 meters. In addition, it must be noted that certain volcanic islands in the Pacific such as the Izu and Ogasawara Islands also are part of Tokyo. The administrative district includes 23 wards (23-ku), which are specially designated, 26 cities, five towns and eight villages. For more information about: Overview of Tokyo: http://www.tcvb.or.jp/en/index_en.htm http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/index.htm ‘  Climate: The temperatures in November vary between 7-17 Cercius degrees. ‘  What to wear: Casual and comfortable, with western business suits appropriate for business calls. It is recommended to bring light jackets, light sweaters and other similar kinds of tops with you ‘  Visa: To enter Japan, VISA is required depending on countries. Please check with your local airline, consulate or embassy. ‘  Money: The unit form of currency is the Japanese Yen ().US$1.00 equals 108 Japanese Yen as of June 25, 2008. Major credit cards are accepted at large establishments. ‘  Tipping: Tipping is not custom in Japan Hotel Accommodation Participants from abroad are recommended to stay at the below listed hotels in the Kudan area where the conference will be held. Depending on your preference, please make a hotel room reservation through your local travel agent or hotel staff on the list directly. Hotel Grand Palace Address:  1-1-1, Iidabashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0072, Japan Phone:  +81 3-3264-1111 URL:  http://www.hvf.jp/kudanshita/ Hotel Villa Fontaine KUDANSHITA Adderss:  2-4-4 Nishi Kanda Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0065, Japan Phone:  +81 3-3222-8880 URL:  http://www.grandpalace.co.jp/html/access/top.html Tokyo Dome Hotel §112-8562 Address:  1-3-61, Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8562, Japan TEL:  +81 3-5805-2111 FAX:  +81 3-5805-2200 URL:  http://www.tokyodome-hotels.co.jp/home/index.html ‘  Transportation from Narita International Airport to a hotel in Tokyo Please determine your convenient way to reach your destination by clicking gAirport Access Plannerh in http://naa.ivcreation.com/pc_us/. Or, please contact your hotel to identify the best way. ‘  Access Information to the Conference site (Bellesalle Kudan) AddressF Sumitomo Fudosan Kudan Building 3rd Floor, 1-8-10, Kudan-kita, Chiyodaku,Tokyo Phone: 03-3346-1396 From JR and Subway Stations: œ  5 minutes on foot from Exit No. 5 at Kudan-shita station (Hanzomo-line,     Shinjuku-line) œ  3 minutes on foot from Exit No. 7 at Kudan-shita Station (Tozai-line) œ  6 minutes on foot from Exit No.2 at Jimbocho Station (Hanzomon-line,     Shinjuku-line, Mita-line) œ  7 munites on foot from Exit No. 5 at Iidabashi Station (JR-line,     Yurakucho-line,Namboku-line, Tozai-line, Oedo-line) œ  8 minutes on foot from Exit West at Suidobashi Station (JR-line,     Mita-line) ‘  Secretariat Information Registration & General Inquires Keiko Teruta, Project Coordinator E-mail: TEL: +81 3 5322 8487 FAX: +81 3 5909-0098