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Contents:
Passport and Visa
| Money
| Healthcare
| Customs
| Electricity
| Emergency
|
No Tipping
| Public Telephones
| Postal Service
| General Business Hours
|
General Information
| History of Otsu |
|
| Passport
and Visa |
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| Money |
|
-Currency
and Money Exchange
There is no limit on the amount of any currency that may
be brought into or taken out of Japan. However, if you
transport (any currencies, checks, securities or other
monies.) exceeding 1,000,000 yen worth in Japanese currency
into or out of the country then you must complete a customs
declaration.
The unit of Japanese currency is yen. Coins are available
in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 yen and
bank notes in denominations of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000 and
10,000 yen.
You can buy yen at foreign exchange banks and other authorized
money exchangers. At the international airports, currency
exchange counters are usually open during normal office
hours. The exchange rate fluctuates daily depending on
the money market.
-Travelers Checks
and Credit Cards
Travelers Checks are accepted by leading banks, hotels,
ryokan (Japanese inns) and stores in major cities.
International credit cards such as American Express, VISA,
Diners Club and MasterCard are also acceptable at these
major establishments. However, Credit card transactions
are not always convenient outside big cities so obtaining
cash beforehand is recommended when you travel to the
countryside.
-ATMs
Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) are commonly available
in large urban areas throughout Japan. However, many do
not accept foreign credit cards or cash cards and their
service hours are very often restricted. Many ATMs operate
only during banking hours although some remain open until
18:00-20:00 on weekdays. Often, weekend services are restricted
to Saturday mornings.
For ATMs that accept credit cards, it is advised to contact
each credit company beforehand and check the location
of each ATM and its availability as these conditions vary
from machine to machine.
Foreign credit, debit and cash cards can be used at over
26,000 Post Office ATMs in locations throughout Japan.
Post offices where this service is available display stickers
indicating which cards are accepted. Cards from the Cirrus,
Plus, Maestro and Visa Electron networks can be used.
Accepted credit cards include Visa, MasterCard, American
Express and Diners Club. |
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| Healthcare |
|
-Drinking
water
Tap water is safe to drink anywhere in Japan. Mineral
water including major imported brands can be easily obtained
from super markets, convenience stores and other similar
places.
-Inoculations
There are no inoculations required for entering Japan
from anywhere around the world. |
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| Customs |
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An oral declaration
of your personal effects will suffice except: (1) when
you have unaccompanied baggage; or (2) when you bring
in articles in excess of the duty-free allowance. In the
above cases, a written declaration will be requested at
customs. Customs duty will not be levied on personal effects
as long as their contents and quantities are deemed reasonable
by the customs officer. In addition, the following items
can be brought in duty free: (1) 500 grams of tobacco
or 400 cigarettes or 100 cigars; (2) 3 bottles(760 c.c.
each) of liquor; (3) 2 ounces of perfume; (4) gifts and
souvenirs other than the above whose total market value
does not exceed 200,000 yen. |
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| Electricity |
|
A convertible
type of electrical appliance such as a hair dryer, travel
iron and shaver will therefore be handy; otherwise a
step-down transformer is required to convert the voltage.
There are no columnar-shaped plugs or 3-pin plugs used
in Japan but 2-flat-pin plugs are used instead. It is
therefore advised to purchase a plug adapter beforehand.
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| Emergency |
|
Dial 110
for the police and 119 to report a fire or to call an
ambulance. For these numbers, one does not have to insert
the usual \10 coin. If you call from a green public
telephone , lift the receiver and push the red button
before dialing the number. In case of gray and IC card
public phones, just lift the receiver and dial the number. |
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| No
Tipping |
|
Individual
tipping is not common in JAPAN, since a 10 to 15 % service
charge is added to the bill at leading hotels, ryokan
and high-class restaurants. No tip is necessary unless
you request some extra special services. |
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| Public
Telephones |
|
They are
found virtually everywhere in JAPAN. There are green
and gray color phones which accept 10 yen coins, 100
yen coins and a magnetic prepaid card. IC card phones
accept only IC cards. A local call is 10 yen for a minutes
and no change is given when you use 100 yen coins.
Instructions on "How to use the phone" is
pasted on gray phones and IC prepaid card-operated phones.
You can make a direct overseas call from gray or IC
card phones that are marked with "International
& Domestic Card/Coin Telephone."
Meanwhile, the use of prepaid cards issued by several
telephone companies (such as "Moshi Moshi Card")
enables you to make domestic as well as international
calls on virtually all types of public telephones. These
prepaid cards are available at station kiosks and so
on. |
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| Postal
Service |
|
Complete services
are provided for both domestic and international mail.
| Destination |
All
JAPAN |
Asia
Guam |
North
/ Middle
America
Oceania,
Europe
Middle East |
Africa
South America |
| Postcards |
50 yen |
70 yen |
70 yen |
70 yen |
| Aerograms |
|
90 yen |
90 yen |
90 yen |
*Letters,
up to 25g |
80 yen |
90 yen |
110 yen |
130 yen |
Letters,
up to 50g |
90 yen |
160 yen |
190 yen |
230 yen |
*Rate for Regular Size(14 to 23.5cm long, 9 to 12cm wide,
up to 1cm thick) |
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| General
Business Hours |
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Weekdays |
Sat. |
Sun.
& Holidays |
| Banks |
9am-3pm |
Closed |
Closed |
| *Post Offices |
9am-5pm |
Closed |
Closed |
| *Dept. Store |
10am-7:30pm |
10am-7:30pm |
10am-7:30pm |
| Shops |
10am-8pm |
10am-8pm |
10am-8pm |
| *Museums |
10am-5pm |
10am-5pm |
10am-5pm |
| Offices |
9am-5pm |
Closed |
Closed |
*Some main post offices are open daily.
*Most department store are closed 2 or 3 weekdays a month.
*Most museums are closed on Mon. |
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| General
Information |
|
-Total
Land Area
About 378,000 sq. km. an archipelago of over 6,800 islands.
-Population
127 million.
-Capital
Tokyo, with a population of some 12 million.
-Official Language
Japanese ; English is taught in school from the 7th grade
on.
-Religion
Shintoism and Buddhism are two main religions.
-Climate
Generally mild, but since the nation stretches for some
3,000km.from north to south,the weather depends on where
and when one travels.
Average Temperature in Otsu in May : 17.7 deg C, 63.9
deg F
-Seasonal Clothing
Spring (MAR.-MAY.);lightweight jackets and sweaters.
Summer (JUN.-AUG.);light clothing, short sleeves.
Autumn (SEP.-NOV.);same as spring.
Winter (DEC.-FEB.);topcoats, wool suites and warm sweaters
and jackets.
-Time Difference
All of Japan is in the same time zone,
9 hours ahead of G.M.T. No Daylight Saving Time is practiced
in Japan.
Shown below is a list of time differences between Japan
and other major international cities.
| America |
Asia
& Oceania |
Europe |
| Sao Paulo -12 hrs
|
Sydney +1 hr |
Moscow -6 hrs |
| Toronto -14 hrs |
Seoul 0 hr |
Frankfurt -8 hrs |
| New York -14 hrs |
Hong Kong -1 hr |
Geneva -8 hrs |
| Chicago -15 hrs |
Beijing -1 hr |
Paris -8 hrs |
| Mexico City -15 hrs
|
Singapore -1 hr |
London -9 hrs |
| Los Angeles -17 hrs
|
Bangkok -2 hrs |
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Jakarta -2 hrs |
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| History
of Otsu |
|
1,300 years ago, albeit
briefly, Otsu was the capital of Japan.
Later,when the capital was moved to Kyoto, Otsu developed
into a gateway city to eastern Japan and as a central
city for land and water transportation systems.
Also, Otsu became a center for Buddhism since many major
temples such as Enryakuji, were located there.
In the Warring States Period (approximately 500 years
ago), Otsu was the site of several battles and many
local samurai had their names etched in history.
During the Edo Period (1603-1868), Otsu was the largest
gateway city between Tokyo and Kyoto.
Since that time, Otsu has remained the capital of Shiga
Prefecture.
Rich in history and nature, the traditions of a vibrant
culture characterize the city today. |
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