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

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.

• 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

The power plug used in Japan is as follows:

Please note that the width of the two blades are the same; some AC plugs may have different width of blades and they are not compatible with regular Japanese outlets.

• Streetcar Map
• How to use the streetcar
• by streetcar from Hiroshima Stn. to the Peace Memorial - video
• by streetcar from the Peace Memorial to Miyajima - video
• audio guides for Hiroshima transportation hubs

• wikipedia - Hiroshima
• wikitravel - Hiroshima

]]> http://www.ietf76.jp/2009/07/host_city_hiroshima.html http://www.ietf76.jp/2009/07/host_city_hiroshima.html 08000-outline Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:27:26 +0900 information provided by Japan Post. Service hours depend on the ATM machine location.

Operation can be a little bit of a challenge as the description on the screen may not be appropriate.

1. Select "ENGLISH GUIDE" button at the lower right corner, even if you can understand Japanese

2. Select "OTHERS" button at the lower left

3. Select "OTHERS" button at the lower left, again

4. Select "WITHDRAWAL" button at the top right corner

5. Insert your ATM card as shown in the screen

6. Select "VISITOR WITHDRAWAL" button

7. Type your PIN with the ten key below (not the touch screen)

8. The ten key looks like as follows

9. Then input the amount in JPY. It must be multiple of 1,000 JPY. At the end, press "YEN" button at the lower right corner.

10. Confirm the amount to be withdrawn, and press "ENTER"

11. Take your cash. Don't forget to take your ATM card

• If your hotel is Rihga Royal, walk to your left about 20m, then you should see the hotel in your 11 o'clock direction.
• For other hotels, especially if you have a big luggage or your destination is Oriental Hotel, taking taxi is the most convenient way. You should see a sequence of vacant taxi cabs, and the fare is about (or less) 1,000 JPY. Print out a pdf file to show your way to the taxi driver.
• If you want to walk to your hotel, walk to your right (to south), and go down to the underground. The elevator is at the crossing (about 50m) on your right. Take East-1 exit which is at the very south end of the underground street (an elevator is equipped with it) to go up to the ground level. Then walk to your left (to south) for a few minutes. At Shirakamisha Shrine (or 10m before the crossing with Heiwa Odori), make a left (to east). You should see ANA hotel on your left after walking about 20m. You need to walk additional few minutes to get Mitsui Garden Hotel on Heiwa Odori. If your hotel is Sunroute Hiroshima Hotel, after you exit from the undergound street, across the large street (Rijo Dori) to the other side, and walk a few minutes to south along Rijo Dori. When you encounter a big crossing with Heiwa Odori, you should see your hotel on your 2 o'clock. Across the Heiwa Odori, and make a right. The hotel is on your left after walking a minute.

Please note that the entrance of the Hiroshima Bus Center is at very near to the north-west side of the crossing (abour 40m south from the exit).