General Information on Nagoya

Nagoya, Japan
Nagoya is located at the center of Honshu that is main island of Japan. There is a population of 2.24 million. Thanks to the rich water resources of the Kisogawa, Nagaragawa and Ibigawa Rivers, the fertile land which enjoy the blessings of the rivers, and other advantages including good transportation links, its people have lived affluent lives since early days.

Nagoya has a long history and is the birthplace of three notable feudal lords, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Also in Nagoya, traditional industries like ceramics and textiles, and today’s key industries like automobiles, aviation and machine tools have developed, and Nagoya has an important role in Japan’s industrial society.

Furthermore, the Central Japan International Airport (Centrair) opened in February 2005, Nagoya keeps on developing as a Japanese international city.

Banking hours
Nagoya has two Citibank branches for foreignfriendly cash withdrawals with a main branch in Sakae and a mini-branch in the North Tower above Nagoya Station:

• Citibank Nagoya Branch, 1F, 8F, Sugi Building., 3-14-15 Sakae, Naka-ku (Subway Sakae Station, Exit 7. 5 minutes walk from Crystal Hiroba in the Sakae subway mall. In Sugi Building, 8th floor is across the street from Sakae Gas Building at Shirakawa Street Crossing on Ohtsu Street. Monday-Friday/ 9:00-17:00 (Phone +81-52-243-9252). Saturday/ 10:00-16:00. Closed Sunday and Holidays.
• Citibank Nagoya Station Mini-Branch, 33F Office Tower, JR Central Towers, 1-1-4 Meieki, Nakamura-ku (Located the North tower.), Monday-Friday/9:00-17:00 (Phone +81-52- 565-4430). Saturday/10:00-16:00. Closed Sunday and holidays. ATM only opens during branch hours.

There is also a Citibank ATM across from the Meitetsu station entrance gate at the airport. As elsewhere in Japan, post offices and convenience stores also allow international ATM withdrawals.

Climate
The average temperature in Nagoya at the time of the conference is approximately 12˚C.

Currency
Only Japanese yen (¥) are accepted at regular stores and restaurants. Certain foreign currencies and credit cards may be accepted at a limited number of hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops. You can buy yen at foreign exchange banks and other authorized money exchanges upon presentation of your passport.

Traveler’s checks are accepted only by leading banks and major hotels in principal cities, and the use of traveler’s checks in Japan is not as popular as in some other countries. VISA, MasterCard, Diners Club and American Express are widely accepted at hotels, department stores, restaurants and nightclubs.

Electricity
The voltage in Japan is 100 Volt, which is different from North America (110V), Central Europe (220V) and most other regions of the world. Japanese electrical plugs have two, non-polarized pins, as shown above. They fit into North American outlets.

Japanese power outlets are identical to ungrounded (2-pin) North American outlets. While most Japanese outlets these days are polarized (one slot is slightly wider than the other), it is possible to encounter non-polarized outlets in some places. Some North American equipment will work fine in Japan without adapter and vice versa, however, some sensitive equipment may not work properly or even get damaged. If you intend to purchase electronic appliances in Japan for use outside of Japan, you are advised to look for equipment specifically made for oversea tourists.

The frequency of electric current is 50 Hertz in Eastern Japan (including Tokyo, Yokohama, Tohoku, Hokkaido) and 60 Hertz in Western Japan (including Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Shikoku, Kyushu), however this frequency difference affects only sensitive equipment.

Eating out
Nagoya is big on miso, a sauce made from fermented soybeans and grain. You should not leave the city without trying misokatsu, fried pork cutlet with a rich, red miso sauce on it. The other Nagoya classic is shrimp tempura, particularly when wrapped up in rice and dried seaweed and turned into a handy portable package known as a tenmusu. The city is also known for uiro, basically red bean jelly, a substance a little firmer than gelatin, with a subtle flavor.

Nagoya’s noodle specialty is kishimen, a flat, broad noodle served in a miso or soy sauce broth. It is available in most restauran-gai in shopping centres or close to major railway stations.

Health
Japan is a country obsessed with cleanliness and health hazards are few and far between. Tap water is potable everywhere and food hygiene standards are very high. There are no communicable diseases of significance. Japanese public toilets rarely have toilet paper, although there are often vending machines nearby that sell some at token prices. Do as the Japanese do and use the tissue packets handed out free by advertisers at major train stations.

Passports and Visas
Every foreign visitor entering Japan must have a valid passport. Visitors from countries without visa exempt agreements with Japan should apply to a Japanese consular office or diplomatic mission in their home country. Please be aware that visa applications may take as long as one month from the time your completed application is submitted to the consulate. For further details, please contact your travel agent or the local consular office in your country.

Shopping in Nagoya
Shopping Areas

• Osu Market, is near subway Osu Kannon exit 2. Go straight ahead one block, turn left into the temple grounds and go straight on through the graveled temple area. A series of old style shopping arcades packed with mom-and-pop stores, ¥ 100 shops, traditional crafts, used computers and a fantastic range of clothing stores. There is a little bit of everything. Osu is the shopping area and Osu Kannon, the temple is just to the west side.
• Sakae is a good choice for your mainstream department store shopping, restaurants, and night-life. Take a walk atop the rooftop promenade of the Oasis 21 shopping arcade and get a nice view of the TV Tower.

Books

• Maruzen, (Subway: Sakae Station. It is located next to the Maruei department store. Open is 9:00 – 20:00 (Saturday and Sunday is 9:00 – 19:00). They offer a reasonable selection of English books, magazines, and newspapers on the 3rd floor, including travel guidebooks, maps, a wide array of books on Japan, and Japanese language study materials.
• Sanseido Books, 11F, JR Central Towers above JR Nagoya Station (Subway: Nagoya Station. From inside the station, walk towards the Sakura-dori exit and turn right before the exit. You will see a bank of express elevators. Board an express elevator to the 12th floor. Exit the elevator and head towards the open area with windows overlooking Nagoya. You will notice an escalator descending to Sanseido Books on the 11th floor.) They offer a corner with English books, magazines and newspapers. Feature books on Japan plus a decent selection of current nonfiction titles and business books. A small selection of guidebooks is also available.

Electronics

• Best bets for cameras and electronics include Bic Camera, a massive 5 story camera and electronic megastore across the street from Nagoya station. Osu market also has a number of large and small electronics shops and others. Unfortunately, some of the electronics shops in Osu are not located on the main shopping streets, and you may have to ask around to find them. There are also two Eiden electronics superstores located in Fushimi and near JR Ozone station on the JR Chuo Line.

Tipping
In Japan, tips are not necessary anywhere, even in hotels, restaurants and taxicabs.