General tips

1
General tips

• Japan is still a cash-flowing country. Keep
  having some reasonable amount of cash, especially
  during your stay at Tokyo.
• Taxi, bus/train ticketing, in addition to some
  restaurants will not accept credit card.
• Japan does not have a custom of tipping. You
  dont need to pay any tip to taxi driver, at
  restaurant, etc.
• For some fancy restaurants and many hotels,
  service charge may be added to your bill.
• At restaurants, dont pay for your bill at your
  table or never leave any money on your table. Pay
  at the cashier.
• Consumption tax (a la VAT) is 5 in Japan. It
  is applied to every purchase in Japan without any
  exception. In some cases, prices include it, some
  other cases not. There is no strict rule of this
  in Japan. For most of restaurants and shops, you
  will be asked to pay additional 5, while taxi
  and train fees most-likely include it.

2
On the flight to Narita

• You have to fill an immigration/registration
  card. On your card, write the address of your
  hotel at Tsukuba as your address in Japan.
• Urban Hotel
• 2-1-2, Tsukuho, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki, 300-3257
• Emergency numbers
• Takashi Sasaki
• (home) 029-856-1970
• (mobile) 080-3178-7223
• (office) 029-864-5474
• Koichi Murakami (mobile) 080-3015-4265
• Urban Hotel _at_ Tsukuba 029-877-0001
• Note From aboard, replace preceding 0 to 81
  (country code of Japan)
• E.g. 81-29-864-5474
• Note For local call, remove first three digits
  (area code).
• E.g. 856-1970 for Takashis home from Tsukuba
  area.
• For mobile, dont remove area code even for local
  call.

3
At Narita Airport first (ground) floor of
Terminal 1

• You will arrive on the first (ground) floor of
  Terminal 1.
• Like in US, the ground floor is the first floor
  in Japan
• We shall meet at the Meeting Point just in
  front of the Airport Limousine ticketing counter.
• My flight (UA837) will arrive at 1405
• Some restaurants and cafes can be found at 4th
  and 5th floors.

Citibank ATM
Escalator to the upper floors
Airport Limousine ticketing counter
Meeting Point
4
At Airport Limousine ticketing counter

• In case you cannot meet me because of
  cancellation of my flight, etc, take a bus to
  Tsukuba Center and then take a taxi to the Urban
  Hotel.
• Bus services to Tsukuba Center and Tsuchiura
  Station
• 1040, 1255, 1440, 1620, 1725,
• Ticket costs 2,540 Yen, and can be purchased at
  the Airport Limousine ticketing counter.
• They are expected to speak English
• Bus stops are located outside of the terminal
  building. Yours should be Stop 15, but it must
  be confirmed at the ticketing counter.
• There are several destinations departing from
  Stop 15. Take the proper bus.
• Destination should be displayed on the bus.
• It takes 80-90 minutes to the Tsukuba Center.
• Tsukuba Center is the third stop.

Airport Limousine ticketing counter
Bus Stop 15
5

• Show this page to the person at the Bus ticketing
  counter to buy a ticket to the Tsukuba Center.
• This sheet is valid also at the Tokyo Station.
• ??????? ???
• ???????
• ??1? ???????

6
At Tsukuba Center

• The bus will arrive at Bus Stop 13.
• You can find public phone inside the waiting
  lobby.
• Take a taxi to the hotel.
• Show next page to the taxi driver.
• Taxi should cost about 3,000 Yen.

Waiting Lobby
Taxi
7
Show this page to the taxi driver in Tsukuba area
to go to Urban Hotel. ???????? ??????? ?? ???????
8
At Tokyo station

• Tokyo station is the most complicated station in
  the world, I believe.
• It has several levels of underground platforms in
  addition to the ground and second level
  platforms.
• Most of the local trains arrive on the ground
  floor.
• Go to the Yaesu South exit.
• Put your ticket at the automated gate at the
  exit. Your ticket will not get out from the
  machine.
• At the Yaesu South exit (still inside the station
  building), you can find the Highway Bus ticketing
  counters.
• Buy a bus ticket to Tsukuba Center.
• It costs 1,250 Yen.
• I suggest to buy it at the manned counter.
• Show the same page used at Narita
  Airport to buy a
  ticket.

9
Tokyo station ground floor
Marunouchi Side
Yaesu Side
Yaesu South exit
Highway Bus ticketing counter
10
At Tokyo station - 2

• Bus stops are outside of the ticketing counters.
• The bus to Tsukuba Center departs from the Bus
  Stop 2.
• The bus does not require reservation. Just stay
  on the waiting line.
• There are several destinations departing from
  Stop 2.
• Ask to people waiting at Stop 2 which line to
  stay.
• Given Tsukuba is the artificial city for
  scientific researches, passengers of this bus
  most likely speak a sort of English.
• The bus service to Tsukuba Center departs in
  every 10-12 minutes.
• Give the ticket to the driver. No seat is
  reserved.
• Tsukuba Center is the final destination.
• It takes about 60-80 minutes.
• From Tsukuba Center, take a taxi to the Urban
  Hotel.