Joel, everyone, I convinced myself that I should write up an update for Japanese phones since it will be one of the biggest FAQs. You will need to post it ASAP since we may not have much time, and perhaps chairs forwarding the link as they see fit. The document is based on my experiences plus a series of message exchanges between Charlie C. and Phil. Papadopoulos @ SDSC. Satoshi (M) On Wed, 03 May 2006 11:44:15 +0900 Satoshi Matsuoka <matsu@is.titech.ac.jp> wrote: matsu> matsu> Folks, matsu> matsu> Satoshi (M) here. Here is the guide on navigating around the conference matsu> site. Scott may have more detailed update on my older document for GGF7, matsu> much of which is still useful but does not cover the regions around TIF. matsu> matsu> Note that some of the information are more applicable to many of the matsu> GFSG members who are staying in the Shiodome (Eastern Shinbashi) area, matsu> esp. the hotel Villa Fontaine. However, feel free to distribute it to matsu> your colleagues as you feel fit. matsu> matsu> Every morning except Friday, I shall be picking up folks at the lobby of matsu> Villa Fontaine Shiodome around 8AM. matsu> matsu> *** General Directions: matsu> matsu> When you arrive at the NARITA airport, NEVER TAKE A TAXI, as it will matsu> cost over $200 US. The definitive way to get to Tokyo - Yuurakucho - matsu> Shinbashi area is to use the JR Narita Express, and get off at Tokyo matsu> Station, and then taka a local train, a taxi, or simply walk. I also matsu> recommend NOT to take a shuttle bus, since NARITA express is much more matsu> convenience and wont get you stuck in the rushhour traffic. matsu> matsu> As it was in my older guide, Narita Express is one of the two train matsu> company lines (JR and Keisei co.) that leave adjacent to each other from matsu> the underground stations at the Narita airport, both Terminals 1 and 2. matsu> The other line is Keisei Skyliner, which is cheaper and will make more matsu> sense if you are going to North of Tokyo, but not in this cae. There are matsu> various local, non-express trains that are much cheaper but unless you matsu> have been to Japan several times and know the Tokyo geography let's matsu> leave them out unless you are adventurous. matsu> matsu> The first stop for the Narita Express is Tokyo Station, about a matsu> 50-55 minute ride. It arrives at the underground platform of Tokyo matsu> Station, 4 levels deep (very deep). BTW, most of the trains at Tokyo St., matsu> including the Shinkansen, leave from above ground-level platforms, so in matsu> most cases you have to find your way up to make your connection. matsu> matsu> For details see: matsu> http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/estation/e_tokyo.html matsu> Narita express arrives at the Sobu line platforms shown at the bottom. matsu> matsu> For JR train maps matsu> http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/info/map_a4ol.pdf matsu> matsu> Once you get off, if you are staying at Yaesu Fujiya, find your way matsu> towards the surface and walk to the hotel (outside of the top Yaesu matsu> Central Exit). It will be a fairly long walk from the platform (about matsu> 15-20 min), but you cant shortcut it much with a taxi since you will be matsu> making your way cutting through a huge station, and getting to a taxi matsu> stand is already a 5-10 min walk unless you know your way. matsu> matsu> If you are staying near Yuurakucho/Ginza, take the option 2 below. matsu> matsu> If you are staying near Shinbashi/Shiodome, there are two options: matsu> matsu> Option 1 (recommended). The Southbound JR Yokosuka line leaves from the matsu> same level as the matsu> Narita express, and it's next stop is Shinbashi. One caveat is that matsu> there are two platforms / 4 tracks, and sometimes it leaves from a track matsu> on the other one so you have to climb up one level and come down again. matsu> This is a good strategy in any case since the # of lines of display on matsu> signboard on the platform is fairly limited, whereas if you go up one matsu> level there is a more comprehensive one. Or, you can ask a station matsu> master walking around in their uniforms. matsu> matsu> At Shinbashi a few minutes later you will again arrive at a similar matsu> underground platform. matsu> Go up the escalators, and find your way towards Shiodome; there will be matsu> bunch of signs there. If it is not raining it may be easier to head to matsu> the surface and look for a Skyscraper cluster and what seemingly is an matsu> elevator walkway leading to them. Also, you could stick to the matsu> underground corridor which also is fairly easy as there will be lots of matsu> maps once you get to the corridors. matsu> matsu> Option 2. From the Narita Express platform climb up a series of matsu> escalators to arrive at one of the three main concourses. The Southbound matsu> Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku lines are platforms 5 and 6 (towards matsu> Shinagawa). It will take about 5 mins to reach there. Hop on either of matsu> them and the next stop about 800meter away is Yuurakucho, and Shinbashi matsu> is a stop after that. During midday around 10:00-15:00 Keihin Tohoku matsu> becomes an express and will not stop at Yuurakucho or Shinbashi. Look at matsu> the electronic signboard and also the side marking on the train and if matsu> it has the red express mark dont ride on that. In case you end up in matsu> Hamamatsucho I have already outlined below for Villa Fontaine. matsu> matsu> At Shinbashi, if you are heading towards Shiodome, there are two matsu> staircases. Climb down the staircase with a train connection sign to matsu> pink (Asakusa-line) subway and Yuri-Kamome (Skytrain) and Shiodome. If matsu> you see an orange (Ginza line) it is the wrong one. Again, if it is matsu> not raining, it may be easier to stay above ground by re-climing the matsu> escalators to the Yuri-Kamome (skytrain) corridors then going matsu> underground and possibly losing the sense of your directions (although matsu> there are lots of signs, and huge number of people walking around so matsu> you could ask). matsu> matsu> For Dai-ichi Hotel the situation is opposite. It is fairly a short walk matsu> from the Shinbashi station thru a busy shopping/nightlife district, matsu> which will seem like a different world c.f. Shiodome which is clean and matsu> futuristic. matsu> matsu> matsu> *** Villa Fontainte matsu> matsu> To Akihabara from Villa Fontaine Shiodome: matsu> (Notice that there are several Villa Fontaines in Tokyo. THe one where matsu> people are staying at is the one in Shiodome (shee-oh-doh-meh)). matsu> matsu> From the hotel exit walk to JR Shinbashi station (not raining then take matsu> the escalator up and the Yuri-kamome skytrain corridors (passing the matsu> Subway sandwich stand on the way) above ground - 6 min, if raining then matsu> take the escalator down and the underground passageway - 8 min). JR matsu> Yamanote (olive encircling commuter) or the Keihin-Tohoku (blue matsu> North-South commuterline), Northbound (towards Tokyo St.), 4 stops matsu> Shinbashi-> Yuurakucho->Tokyo->Kanda->Akihabara. Akihabara Dai- matsu> Building is right in front of the Akihabara St. The journey is 20 matsu> minutes tops door-to-door. matsu> matsu> Both Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku lines arrive at the same matsu> platform, on both sides, and thus collectively they arrive every 1-2 matsu> mins. There is a Starbucks both above and below ground. matsu> matsu> Hiro indicatetes that they have a new Starbucks in Akihabara in a matsu> building next to the Dai Bldg. (they have matsu> the competitor Excelisor Coffee in the Dai bldg as well as others). matsu> matsu> During midday around 10AM-3PM only the Yamanote line stops at matsu> Shinbashi. So, if you get on the Keihin Tohoku line at Akihabara, and it does matsu> not stop at Shinbashi, dont panic. Simply get off at Hamamatsucho matsu> (the next stop after Shinbashi), head towards the rear of the train and matsu> you see a descending staircase. Climb down and get out of the gate matsu> there, cross matsu> the street right in front of you under the train tracks, turn matsu> right then immediately left, ending up in the street that parallels the matsu> train tracks to the East (train tracks to your left). Simply walk north matsu> towards the skyscraper cluster parallel to the tracks for about 6-7 matsu> mins and you will arrive at the Villa Fontaine Shiodome. matsu> matsu> Attached is the picture taken from South i.e., in the event that matsu> happens (BTW, Shinbashi is further North). Villa Fountaine Shiodome is matsu> the bottom half of the black building you see in the center. The matsu> triangular building to the left is the Park Hotel, while the light-brown matsu> one is the Royal Park Hotel. The picture BTW was taken from a skytrain matsu> you will also see in the area (besides the JR, the subways, the monorail matsu> etc.) matsu> matsu> ---- matsu> matsu> Walking to Tokyo Int'l Forum from Villa Fontaine matsu> matsu> Although people should take the train from Shinbashi (130 yens) in which matsu> the directions will be identical to above but just one stop, or Taxi matsu> directly from Villa Fontaine (about 800 yens) if they are in a matsu> hurry, you might walk through the plush shopping area of Ginza if you matsu> have time. matsu> matsu> Take the escalator and go below ground, walk the corridor towards matsu> JR Shinbashi past the Shiodome subway station. In about 200m you matsu> arrive at a underground crossing which is like a big underground square matsu> surrounded by the basins of several skyscrapers. Ahead and left matsu> you will see the large revolving door of the Shiodome Center Building matsu> (which by the way 1/2 of which is Fujitsu HQ)---there are chairs, a matsu> bakery "La vie de France". If you see McDonalds or Kinkos they are matsu> wrong buidings. Enter the building at the entrace where nail salon is to matsu> the right and ANA travel agency is to the left. Go up the escalators matsu> for a couple of floors until you see a matsu> Starbucks to your left. Exit the main building gate and you will see a matsu> small railroad museium (Shinbashi is where Japan's railway system matsu> initiated). Take the lefthand corridor with the Center building to your matsu> left and musieum to your righ for about 100ms passing an English pub matsu> until you see a Porche showroom to your left. matsu> Go a little past and you see a big road crossing. Up to here should be matsu> less than 5 mins. matsu> matsu> The crossing you see is the leftmost-center big crossing on the matsu> map (that is bit chopped off) with Ginza-Dori, and you are at the matsu> left-bottom corner: matsu> matsu> http://www.ginza.jp/eng/mapindex-e.html matsu> matsu> You will want to proceed North thru Ginza-Dori, and enjoy the most matsu> affluent shopping section in Tokyo. Eventually arbitrarily head East matsu> Towards the North-East corner of Yuurakucho St. where the TIF is. matsu> Once you are in mid-Ginza there is no way to miss TIF as it is so matsu> visible. matsu> matsu> *** Chairs Appreciation night location info. (Just walk from TIF) matsu> matsu> BTW, Gon-pachi for the Chairs Appreciation night is under the highway matsu> along the Ginza Sakuramachi Dori you see on the rightmost area of the matsu> map, a block up from the X sign (police box) Kyobashi Br. As such it is matsu> only a few hundred meters from TIF so there is no use in riding a subway matsu> if you are already at TIF. matsu> matsu> ----------------------------------------- matsu> matsu> Comments and suggestions are welcome. matsu> matsu> Satoshi (M) 東京工業大学 学術国際情報センター 教授 松岡聡 〒152-8550 東京都目黒区大岡山 2-12-1 (西7号館2F) Tel/Fax 03-5734-3876 (西7号館2F206) 携帯090-5811-8746 (FOMA-TV電話可能) E-mail: matsu@is.titech.ac.jp 秘書：近藤・高杉 secretary@matsulab.is.titech.ac.jp (松岡宛のメイルでCC:をお願いします)