Practical Information
This page contains some practical information. Especially for first-time visitors to Japan, we recommend you to consult available online resources before your travel, for example: https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/
Money
The currency in Japan is the Japanese yen ¥, JPY. Money exchange is offered at international airports, banks, and some hotels. Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Asakusa also have a few money exchanges, but it is less common in the Mitaka area. Yen can also be withdrawn from foreign credit cards at any convenience store (Lawson, 7-Eleven, Ministop, Family Mart). Since Japan is very much cash-based, it is strongly recommended to have cash for your daily payments. While all convenience stores and some restaurants will accept credit card payments, in most places you can only pay in cash.
Public Transportation
Manners: In Japan, public transportation is a key area where good manners are highly valued. It is customary for passengers not to eat, speak loudly, or use their phones to make calls while on trains or buses.
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From the airport: Please see NAOJ's guide to reach the Mitaka area from Narita or Haneda airports. https://www.nao.ac.jp/en/access/mitaka/access.html
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From hotels to NAOJ: The institute is located between the Chuo (north) and Keio (south) main train lines. The Chuo line has some special express rapid trains that have fewer stops between Tokyo station and Mitaka.
There are buses from the north: Mitaka (# 51), Mushashi-Sakai (境 # 91), and Mushashi-Koganei (æ¦ # 91) that stop directly at the front gate of NAOJ, Tenmondai Mae. Several buses from Mitaka station (# 52, # 56, # 65) and Kichijoji station (# 1, # 4, # 6) have stops that are approximately a 10--minute walk away from the institute. When leaving the institute, both buses with # 91 stop at the main gate; however they go to different stations. Bus 境 # 91 to Mushashi-Sakai (with red colours on the bus, Odakyu company) will have a front-door boarding. Bus æ¦ # 91 to Mushashi-Koganei (with blue colours on the bus, Keio company) will have a rear-door boarding. If you accidentally take the wrong bus (like the person who wrote this did once), simply go to the final station and catch a train at the Chuo line, where Mushashi-Koganei and Mushashi-Sakai are 2 stops apart.
Buses from the south: From Chofu station, bus # 91 is the most convenient way to reach the institute as it stops directly at the front gate, Tenmondai Mae. Buses # 6, # 40, # 56 from Chofu station have stops that are about 10 min. walking from NAOJ.
IC Cards can be used for both trains and buses (tap in and tap out for the trains, only tap once for the buses). Train tickets (e.g., from Narita to Mitaka) can be purchased from ticket machines or offices at the station. Bus tickets are paid on the bus in cash if you do not have an IC Card. The bus fare is fixed at 220 ¥ / trip for Odakyu buses. Some daily or weekly passes may be available; however, they are generally limited to one company. Since there are multiple train/bus companies servicing Tokyo, we recommend you to check directly your travel route and whether such a pass may be useful for you.
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IC Cards:
https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/ic-card/
https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/welcomesuica/welcomesuica.html
https://www.pasmo.co.jp/visitors/en/buy/
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Taxis and Ride-shares
Taxis are available from hotels and train stations. From nearby train stations (Chofu, Mushashi-Sakai, Mitaka, Kichijoji), the fare should be about 1700 -- 2500 yen.
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Apps such as Uber and Go are also available in Tokyo. However, they may be relatively infrequent in the Mitaka area.
Restaurants
Train stations serve as mini-hubs with tons of restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and bars. For an accessible overview of Japanese gastronomy, see, for example: https://www.japan.travel/en/gastronomy/
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In general, groups larger than 4 people might find it difficult to find a table. Sushi and Ramen restaurants usually offer individual counter seats, as well as tables for 4. In restaurants, customers are expected to leave as they finish their meal. There is no tipping.