Venue
The conference will be held at the Hongo campus of the University of Tokyo. The venues, Ito International Research Center and Akamon General Research Building, can be easily accessed from the nearby subway stations and bus stops. Please refer to the Venue Page for the access information.
Visa
Please refer to the website of MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan) at http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html. List of countries and regions that have Visa Exemption Arrangements with Japan (61 countries and regions as of May 2011) is also given on the website. If you need any documents for your visa application, please contact the SCES2013 secretariat at sces2013@prime-pco.com.
Currency
The official currency in Japan is the Japanese yen (JPY).
Please refer to the website of the World’s Favorite Currency Site at http://www.xe.com/ to find the latest currency exchange rates and convert all major world currencies.
The Japanese currency notes are available in denominations of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000 and 10,000 JPY. Coins are available in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 JPY.
Foreign Currency Exchange
The Japanese Yen can be purchased at airports, foreign exchange banks, major hotels and authorized money exchanges. Please note that banks are open from 09:00 to 15:00 on weekdays and are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and National Holidays.
Credit Cards and Traveler’s Cheque
Major credit cards are widely accepted. Traveler’s cheques are not as widely used in Japan and are accepted only by major banks and hotels.
International credit cards such as VISA, Master, American Express, and JCB Card are also acceptable at many major establishments, but not at smaller restaurants, shops, etc.
Tipping
There is no custom of individual tipping in Japan.
Tips are included in the bill as a service charge, if needed.
Customer’s Tax
5% of the customer’s tax will be charged at restaurants, hotels and shops.
Language
The official language of Japan is Japanese only. Signs and announcements in English are available at almost all stations and trains in Tokyo. Street signs are also available at major spots.
Electrical Appliance
100 volts and a flat two-pronged plug are used.
Please bring your own electrical outlet adapter to adjust the AC plug on your equipment to the above-mentioned Japanese AC power supply as it is difficult to purchase it locally.
Climate
The weather in Tokyo during the Congress period will be hot and humid.
The mean temperature in August is about 27℃ with the maximum and minimum temperatures being 31℃ and 24℃ respectively. However the average temperature has been increasing year by year.
Time Zone
All parts of Japan are in a single time zone, nine hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). There is no system of Daylight Saving Time in Japan.
Insurance
The organizers cannot accept any liability or responsibility for death, illness, or injury to the person or for loss of or damage to property of participants and accompanying persons, which may occur either during or pre- and after- conference. Participants are recommended to make their own arrangements in respect of health and travel insurance.
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