Thanks Kishimoto-san. One final note. There are zillions of restaurants to eat around the Ginza/Yurakucho/Shibashi/Shiodome area. http://www.bento.com/ra-ginza.html has a fairly good guide, including around TIF and Shiodome. TIF has so many good and quick restaurants around esp. for lunch, I suggest people go outside to dine. ----Shiodome info below For folks staying @ Villa Fontaine looking for inexpensive dining, Pedi Shiodome 2nd floor (next building), Caretta Shiodome B2F, as well as Shiodome Center building B1F, 1F, and 2F offer a variety of food courts and restaurants. If you dont drink alcohol expect budget of 1000-1500 yen for a reasonable dinner. If you want to venture to the west side of Shibashi station then there are zillions of small down-to-earth Japanese food places, also applicable to folks staying in the Shinbashi area. If you really want to go really economical, but want to dine Japanese, visit the Oo-toya restaurant on the 2nd floor of the Pedi Shiodome building. There you could get a whole dinner menu for 700 yens or so, in a pleasant atmosphere. Many of the office workers dine there and is very clean. I sometimes take my family there when we need to dine quickly. Another recommendation is Katsukura @ B2F of Caretta, where they serve good Japanese-style pork cutlette dish for less than 1000 yens. There are also other very good ones. Most economical restaurants have menu pictures and/or samples outside, so you could wander around and pick & choose easily. If they dont then chances are they are expensive. If you want to go upscale, climb to the top floor restaurants of any of the skyscrapers. The food and the view would be superb; expect 1000-2000 for lunch deals, but 5000-10,000 yens for dinner. I frequent the Caretta (the red turtle) building where my favorite Japanese noodle Kaiseki restaurant "Issa-an" is on the 46F, but others are also quite recommended. Of course there are also convenience stores with good bento boxes for about 500 yens, as well as the McDonalds, Subways, and Stabucks. The last thing you could do is to starve in the general area. Satoshi (M) On Fri, 05 May 2006 22:52:30 +0900 Hiro Kishimoto <hiro.kishimoto@jp.fujitsu.com> wrote: hiro.kishimoto> Hi Satoshi, hiro.kishimoto> hiro.kishimoto> I upload your info (except Villa Fontainte and Chairs Appreciation hiro.kishimoto> night) into GGF17 wiki site for convenience. hiro.kishimoto> Anyone can add/modify any useful information on this wiki site. hiro.kishimoto> hiro.kishimoto> http://testforge.ggf.org/sf/go/wiki1140 hiro.kishimoto> hiro.kishimoto> Thanks, hiro.kishimoto> ---- hiro.kishimoto> Hiro Kishimoto hiro.kishimoto> hiro.kishimoto> Satoshi Matsuoka wrote: hiro.kishimoto> > Joel, everyone, hiro.kishimoto> > hiro.kishimoto> > I convinced myself that I should write up an update for Japanese phones hiro.kishimoto> > since it will be one of the biggest FAQs. You will need to post it ASAP hiro.kishimoto> > since we may not have much time, and perhaps chairs forwarding the link hiro.kishimoto> > as they see fit. The document is based on my experiences plus a series hiro.kishimoto> > of message exchanges between Charlie C. and Phil. Papadopoulos @ SDSC. hiro.kishimoto> > hiro.kishimoto> > Satoshi (M) hiro.kishimoto> > hiro.kishimoto> > On Wed, 03 May 2006 11:44:15 +0900 hiro.kishimoto> > Satoshi Matsuoka <matsu@is.titech.ac.jp> wrote: hiro.kishimoto> > hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Folks, hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Satoshi (M) here. Here is the guide on navigating around the conference hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> site. Scott may have more detailed update on my older document for GGF7, hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> much of which is still useful but does not cover the regions around TIF. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Note that some of the information are more applicable to many of the hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> GFSG members who are staying in the Shiodome (Eastern Shinbashi) area, hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> esp. the hotel Villa Fontaine. However, feel free to distribute it to hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> your colleagues as you feel fit. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Every morning except Friday, I shall be picking up folks at the lobby of hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Villa Fontaine Shiodome around 8AM. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> *** General Directions: hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> When you arrive at the NARITA airport, NEVER TAKE A TAXI, as it will hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> cost over $200 US. The definitive way to get to Tokyo - Yuurakucho - hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Shinbashi area is to use the JR Narita Express, and get off at Tokyo hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Station, and then taka a local train, a taxi, or simply walk. I also hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> recommend NOT to take a shuttle bus, since NARITA express is much more hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> convenience and wont get you stuck in the rushhour traffic. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> As it was in my older guide, Narita Express is one of the two train hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> company lines (JR and Keisei co.) that leave adjacent to each other from hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> the underground stations at the Narita airport, both Terminals 1 and 2. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> The other line is Keisei Skyliner, which is cheaper and will make more hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> sense if you are going to North of Tokyo, but not in this cae. There are hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> various local, non-express trains that are much cheaper but unless you hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> have been to Japan several times and know the Tokyo geography let's hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> leave them out unless you are adventurous. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> The first stop for the Narita Express is Tokyo Station, about a hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> 50-55 minute ride. It arrives at the underground platform of Tokyo hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Station, 4 levels deep (very deep). BTW, most of the trains at Tokyo St., hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> including the Shinkansen, leave from above ground-level platforms, so in hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> most cases you have to find your way up to make your connection. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> For details see: hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/estation/e_tokyo.html hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Narita express arrives at the Sobu line platforms shown at the bottom. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> For JR train maps hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/info/map_a4ol.pdf hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Once you get off, if you are staying at Yaesu Fujiya, find your way hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> towards the surface and walk to the hotel (outside of the top Yaesu hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Central Exit). It will be a fairly long walk from the platform (about hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> 15-20 min), but you cant shortcut it much with a taxi since you will be hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> making your way cutting through a huge station, and getting to a taxi hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> stand is already a 5-10 min walk unless you know your way. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> If you are staying near Yuurakucho/Ginza, take the option 2 below. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> If you are staying near Shinbashi/Shiodome, there are two options: hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Option 1 (recommended). The Southbound JR Yokosuka line leaves from the hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> same level as the hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Narita express, and it's next stop is Shinbashi. One caveat is that hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> there are two platforms / 4 tracks, and sometimes it leaves from a track hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> on the other one so you have to climb up one level and come down again. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> This is a good strategy in any case since the # of lines of display on hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> signboard on the platform is fairly limited, whereas if you go up one hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> level there is a more comprehensive one. Or, you can ask a station hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> master walking around in their uniforms. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> At Shinbashi a few minutes later you will again arrive at a similar hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> underground platform. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Go up the escalators, and find your way towards Shiodome; there will be hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> bunch of signs there. If it is not raining it may be easier to head to hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> the surface and look for a Skyscraper cluster and what seemingly is an hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> elevator walkway leading to them. Also, you could stick to the hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> underground corridor which also is fairly easy as there will be lots of hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> maps once you get to the corridors. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Option 2. From the Narita Express platform climb up a series of hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> escalators to arrive at one of the three main concourses. The Southbound hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku lines are platforms 5 and 6 (towards hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Shinagawa). It will take about 5 mins to reach there. Hop on either of hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> them and the next stop about 800meter away is Yuurakucho, and Shinbashi hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> is a stop after that. During midday around 10:00-15:00 Keihin Tohoku hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> becomes an express and will not stop at Yuurakucho or Shinbashi. Look at hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> the electronic signboard and also the side marking on the train and if hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> it has the red express mark dont ride on that. In case you end up in hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Hamamatsucho I have already outlined below for Villa Fontaine. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> At Shinbashi, if you are heading towards Shiodome, there are two hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> staircases. Climb down the staircase with a train connection sign to hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> pink (Asakusa-line) subway and Yuri-Kamome (Skytrain) and Shiodome. If hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> you see an orange (Ginza line) it is the wrong one. Again, if it is hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> not raining, it may be easier to stay above ground by re-climing the hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> escalators to the Yuri-Kamome (skytrain) corridors then going hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> underground and possibly losing the sense of your directions (although hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> there are lots of signs, and huge number of people walking around so hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> you could ask). hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> For Dai-ichi Hotel the situation is opposite. It is fairly a short walk hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> from the Shinbashi station thru a busy shopping/nightlife district, hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> which will seem like a different world c.f. Shiodome which is clean and hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> futuristic. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> *** Villa Fontainte hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> To Akihabara from Villa Fontaine Shiodome: hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> (Notice that there are several Villa Fontaines in Tokyo. THe one where hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> people are staying at is the one in Shiodome (shee-oh-doh-meh)). hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> From the hotel exit walk to JR Shinbashi station (not raining then take hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> the escalator up and the Yuri-kamome skytrain corridors (passing the hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Subway sandwich stand on the way) above ground - 6 min, if raining then hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> take the escalator down and the underground passageway - 8 min). JR hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Yamanote (olive encircling commuter) or the Keihin-Tohoku (blue hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> North-South commuterline), Northbound (towards Tokyo St.), 4 stops hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Shinbashi-> Yuurakucho->Tokyo->Kanda->Akihabara. Akihabara Dai- hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Building is right in front of the Akihabara St. The journey is 20 hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> minutes tops door-to-door. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Both Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku lines arrive at the same hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> platform, on both sides, and thus collectively they arrive every 1-2 hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> mins. There is a Starbucks both above and below ground. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Hiro indicatetes that they have a new Starbucks in Akihabara in a hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> building next to the Dai Bldg. (they have hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> the competitor Excelisor Coffee in the Dai bldg as well as others). hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> During midday around 10AM-3PM only the Yamanote line stops at hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Shinbashi. So, if you get on the Keihin Tohoku line at Akihabara, and it does hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> not stop at Shinbashi, dont panic. Simply get off at Hamamatsucho hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> (the next stop after Shinbashi), head towards the rear of the train and hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> you see a descending staircase. Climb down and get out of the gate hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> there, cross hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> the street right in front of you under the train tracks, turn hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> right then immediately left, ending up in the street that parallels the hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> train tracks to the East (train tracks to your left). Simply walk north hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> towards the skyscraper cluster parallel to the tracks for about 6-7 hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> mins and you will arrive at the Villa Fontaine Shiodome. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Attached is the picture taken from South i.e., in the event that hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> happens (BTW, Shinbashi is further North). Villa Fountaine Shiodome is hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> the bottom half of the black building you see in the center. The hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> triangular building to the left is the Park Hotel, while the light-brown hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> one is the Royal Park Hotel. The picture BTW was taken from a skytrain hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> you will also see in the area (besides the JR, the subways, the monorail hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> etc.) hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> ---- hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Walking to Tokyo Int'l Forum from Villa Fontaine hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Although people should take the train from Shinbashi (130 yens) in which hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> the directions will be identical to above but just one stop, or Taxi hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> directly from Villa Fontaine (about 800 yens) if they are in a hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hurry, you might walk through the plush shopping area of Ginza if you hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> have time. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Take the escalator and go below ground, walk the corridor towards hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> JR Shinbashi past the Shiodome subway station. In about 200m you hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> arrive at a underground crossing which is like a big underground square hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> surrounded by the basins of several skyscrapers. Ahead and left hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> you will see the large revolving door of the Shiodome Center Building hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> (which by the way 1/2 of which is Fujitsu HQ)---there are chairs, a hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> bakery "La vie de France". If you see McDonalds or Kinkos they are hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> wrong buidings. Enter the building at the entrace where nail salon is to hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> the right and ANA travel agency is to the left. Go up the escalators hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> for a couple of floors until you see a hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Starbucks to your left. Exit the main building gate and you will see a hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> small railroad museium (Shinbashi is where Japan's railway system hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> initiated). Take the lefthand corridor with the Center building to your hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> left and musieum to your righ for about 100ms passing an English pub hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> until you see a Porche showroom to your left. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Go a little past and you see a big road crossing. Up to here should be hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> less than 5 mins. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> The crossing you see is the leftmost-center big crossing on the hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> map (that is bit chopped off) with Ginza-Dori, and you are at the hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> left-bottom corner: hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> http://www.ginza.jp/eng/mapindex-e.html hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> You will want to proceed North thru Ginza-Dori, and enjoy the most hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> affluent shopping section in Tokyo. Eventually arbitrarily head East hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Towards the North-East corner of Yuurakucho St. where the TIF is. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Once you are in mid-Ginza there is no way to miss TIF as it is so hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> visible. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> *** Chairs Appreciation night location info. (Just walk from TIF) hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> BTW, Gon-pachi for the Chairs Appreciation night is under the highway hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> along the Ginza Sakuramachi Dori you see on the rightmost area of the hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> map, a block up from the X sign (police box) Kyobashi Br. As such it is hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> only a few hundred meters from TIF so there is no use in riding a subway hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> if you are already at TIF. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> ----------------------------------------- hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Comments and suggestions are welcome. hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> hiro.kishimoto> > matsu> Satoshi (M) hiro.kishimoto> > hiro.kishimoto> > 東京工業大学 学術国際情報センター 教授 松岡聡 hiro.kishimoto> > 〒152-8550 東京都目黒区大岡山 2-12-1 (西7号館2F) hiro.kishimoto> > Tel/Fax 03-5734-3876 (西7号館2F206) 携帯090-5811-8746 (FOMA-TV電話可能) hiro.kishimoto> > E-mail: matsu@is.titech.ac.jp hiro.kishimoto> > 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) hiro.kishimoto> 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)