IETF76

JR Ticket Rule is very complicated and nobody is able to give precise explanation in short. Brief rule is as follows:

• If you take a limited express train or a Shinkansen train, the total fare is actually decomposed by "basic fare" and "express surcharge". The fare information in this web is expressed as the total fare unless otherwise noted.
• Limited express train and Shinkansen train "express surchage" includes seat resevation fee. If you take a non-reserved seat (most of the trains some cars are for passengers without seat reservation), the surchage is discounted by 500 JPY. Of course there is no guarantee if you will be able to take a seat.
• If your travel distance is more than 600km in one-way basis, you enjoy 10% discount if you purchase the ticket as "round-trip". This discount only applies to the basic fare. Narita-Hiroshima is 973.4km and corresponding one-way basic fare (excluding express surcharge) is 11,970 JPY. This ticket valid for 6days. If you buy a round-trip ticket, total basic fare costs 21,540 JPY (so you save 2,400 JPY). This round-trip ticket is valid for 12 days.
• Narita Express surcharge is 1,660 JPY in one way. Shinkansen Nozomi surcharge between Tokyo/Shinagawa and Hiroshima is 7,210 JPY in one way.
• From Kansai Airport, the travel distance to Hiroshima in one way is 402.4km. So there is no discount even if you buy a round-trip ticket. But if purchased together (simultaneously), express surcharge of a Haruka train (between Kansai Airport and Shin-Osaka) is discounted by 50% -- 1,660 JPY becomes 830 JPY.
• If you travel on Nov 4,5,9-12,16-19, express surchage is discounted by 200 JPY. If you take a Hikari train, the express surcharge is discounted by 500 JPY from the Nozomi surcharge in a case of Tokyo/Shingawa -- Hiroshima.
• If you happen to loose the ticket, you need to pay again. So BE CAREFUL expecially if you buy a round-trip ticket. In this case, you will receive a stap on the ticket and take it with you. If you find the original ticket, you can apply refund within 1 year. There is 210 JPY surcharge.
• If you have a reserved seat and failed to board the train,
  • You can change the seat resevation BEFORE the departure time.
  • If you failed to board the train you booked, the express surcharge is void and you need to pay the express surcharge again for your next train. But there are exceptions:
  1. If the train is Narita Express, you can take another Narita Express train in the same day without paying extra fee. But in this case you will have no seat (need to stand up) because there is no "non-reserved seat car" in Narita Express trains.
  2. If the train is Shinkansen, you can take another Shinkansen train in the same day. In this case you need to be in one of the non-reserved seat cars, and if you are lucky you will have a seat.
  3. If you have a green-car ticket but failed to board, green-car priviledge is lost. Follow 1 or 2, unfortunately.
  If connection isn't possible due to delay of the train, the conductor will instruct you alternate way without paying. But the announcement is done in Japanese only in most cases.
• With a long distance ticket (> 100km), you can suspend your travel at intermediate stations. If you buy a Narita-Hiroshima ticket, you may able to suspend your ride in Kyoto, for example. But no express surcharge is able to suspend. In this case, instead of Tokyo/Shinagara -- Hiroshima express surcharge of 7,210 JPY, you need to buy Tokyo/Shinagawa -- Kyoto (5,540 JPY), and Kyoto -- Hiroshima (4,790 JPY).
• Reserved seats are sold in one-month before the traval date at any JR "Midori-no-Madoguchi (green counter)". You can book Hiroshima-Narita seats in Narita Airport JR counter in B1F, or you can buy in Hiroshima station on the returning day. But seat reservation is sold in first-come first-serve basis, and in some cases you may not able to secure your seat. In this case, you need to take successor train (if your itenerary allows), paying green-car surcharge, or pray if there is a seat available for you in one of the non-reserved cars. Note: you can change your reservation once for free provided if it is before the departure time.

Following are not part of ticket rule but some tips:

• While Narita Express and Haruka Express (Kansai Airport access) are smoke free trains, Shinkansen trains are not (exception: Nozomi trains operated by N700-series cars are non-smoking, and smoking rooms are available). Unless you are a heavy smoker, don't forget specify "non-smoking".
• In most limited express trains and Shinkansen trains, you may able to buy a box meal and a beverage including coffee and beer. In-car sales wagon will go through the aisle. No creditcard is acceptable.
• All Nozomi trains are operated in 16 cars, whose total length is 400m. Car #1 is the top for inbound travel to Hiroshima. Car #1-3 are non-reserved cars (car #3 is smoking car in non-N700 trains). Many of Hikari trains operated between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima are operated in 8 cars. Car #1-3 are non-reserved cars (car #2 is smoking car in these cases).
• Narita Express trains are operated in either 9 cars or 12 cars. There is no non-reserved car. Car #1 is the top for inbound travel to Tokyo/Shinagawa. Haruka Express trains are operated in either 6 or 9 cars, and cars #5-6 are non-reserved car regardless of total number of cars. Again, all cars in Narita Express and Haruka Express trains are non-smoking.

Print the following files to help to your communcation with a JR ticket staff and with your taxi driver:

• Narita Airport JR station
• Kansai Airport JR station
• Taxi driver in downtown Hiroshima

• Fuji Grand
Open 9am through 10pm while other tenants open 9am through 9pm daily. About 10 min. on foot from the venue. Cross the main street (Heiwa Odori) in front of the ANA Hotel, and walk along Heiwa Odori to your left (or East) until you see a Seven-Eleven convenience store on Heiwa Odori. Make a sharp right at the corner of the Seven-Eleven, and you will see Fuji Grand on your left.
• Sun Mall
Open 10:30 am through 8:30 pm daily. About 8-10 min. on foot from the venue. Walk to your right from the ANA Hotel, and you will see another big street with a tram (Rijo Dori). Make a right and go along Rijo Dori to the North. Cross Rijo Dori at an appropriate light and walk to north along Rijo Dori. After you have passed by KFC, make a left, and you will see the entrance of Sun Mall. The grocery store is on the B1F.
• Okazu Kobo (dish factory, if translated to English)
Opens 9:30am through 10pm daily. About 10min on foot from the venue. Cross Heiwa Odori and Rijo Dori (diagonal to the ANA Hotel), then go south along Rijo Dori to the 4th traffic light. You will see Okazu Kobo on your right.

While all IETF hotels offer laundry service (in some hotels the service is not available on Sunday), you may want to wash your clothes by yourself.

There are very few self-service laundry facility available around the venue. One possibility is "Ondo Onsen", which is just behind the Oriental Hotel (about a 10 min. walk from the ANA Hotel). It is open 24x7, and dryer machines are also available on site. You may need to have several 100 JPY coins.

By the way, the laundry is associated with a public bath of Ondo Onsen (Hot Spring -- Sodium-Chloride Spring), and is open from 1 pm through 8 am (including mid-night) for 400 JPY (hand-free set -- a towel, soap, and shampoo -- costs 100 JPY) . Note that it is closed on Nov. 8th, Sunday. You need to comply with Japanese way of taking a public bath.

• Get Hiroshima offers a range of info on restaurants, cafes, nightlife and shopping in Hiroshima
• Area Map - searchable shopping and restaurant map

• an introduction to Japanese currency
• using ATM's in Japan
• convenience store essentials
• a guide to vending machines

The City of Hiroshima has installed mesh based WiFi access in Heiwa Koen (Peace Park) as well as a major portion of Heiwa Odori, including the area in front of the ANA Hotel.

There are several coffee shops offering free wireless access in Hiroshima. Here is a partial listing:

• cafe le petit trianon
• cafe 43
• cafe44 Quarante Quatre
• Seattle's Best Coffee
• cafe citron
• cafe Chou Chou
• Mail Box ETC