Useful Information

Visa
Transportation
Weather
Money
Useful Links

Visa

RTA98 participants from most countries won't need a visa, but please check the following information provided by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be sure.

Transportation

From Narita Airport to Tsukuba

There is a convenient direct bus service (Airport Liner NATT's) between Narita Airport and Tsukuba Center, operated by the Keisei bus company. There are six services a day: 
     Narita Airport
          8:20
         10:05
         11:30
         14:30
         16:30
         18:40
It takes about 100 minutes to reach Tsukuba Center from Narita Airport. Before reaching Tsukuba Center the bus stops at Hitachino Ushiku Station. You have to buy a (one-way) ticket at the Keisei Bus counter, which is located in the arrival lobby of both terminals, close to the respective bus stops: #8 if you arrive at Terminal 1, #12 if you arrive at Terminal 2. The fare is 2,540 yen.

Taking a taxi from Narita to Tsukuba is not recommended: the fare is more than 15,000 yen and there is little time gain. If you expect to arrive at Narita too late to catch the last bus, please contact the RTA98 local organization by email well before the conference.

There will be an RTA98 desk at Tsukuba Center bus terminal to meet participants who arrive on Saturday March 28 or Sunday March 29 between 10 am and 8:30 pm. At this desk you will receive further information to help you on your way (to accommodation and/or reception).
 

From Tokyo to Tsukuba

The most convenient way is to take the highway bus from Tokyo Station to Tsukuba Center. This bus leaves from platform 2 (platform 3 after 9:30 pm) at the highway bus terminal which is located inside Tokyo Station near the south exit of the Yaesu side. (The other side is called Marunouchi.) You have to buy a ticket at vending machines 1, 2 or 3 (by pushing the top left pink button number 1). The fare is 1,250 yen. It is also possible to buy five tickets for 5,200 yen at vending machines 6 or 7 (by pushing the top left pink button). Depending on traffic conditions, it takes usually 65 minutes to reach Tsukuba Center. The timetable can be found here.

Before reaching Tsukuba Center, which is the last stop, the bus stops at NAMIKI OHASHI, NAMIKI 1-CHOME, SENGEN 1-CHOME and TAKEZONO 2-CHOME. The NAMIKI OHASHI stop is convenient if you stay at the ETL guesthouse.

There will be an RTA98 desk at Tsukuba Center bus terminal to meet participants who arrive on Saturday March 28 or Sunday March 29 between 10 am and 8.30 pm. At this desk you will receive further information to help you on your way (to accommodation and/or reception).
 

Inside Tsukuba

For those of you who like walking and/or cherry blossoms, there is a pleasant pedestrian road between ETL (in the south), Tsukuba Center and the university (in the north), lined with cherry trees. It takes about 35 minutes to reach the conference site from Tsukuba Center on foot. From the ETL guesthouse it is another 35 minutes to Tsukuba Center.

The bus system is Tsukuba is relatively easy to use. When boarding (at the rear) you collect a ticket from the ticket dispenser. This ticket has a number indicating your starting point. You pay the fare that is shown on the board at the front of the bus as you disembark: simply match the number on your ticket with the number on the board to find out how much you have to pay. If you didn't get a ticket look at the top left entry (usually number 0). Beware that 5,000 and 10,000 banknotes cannot be changed in buses, so carry enough coins or a 1,000 yen banknote.

From Tsukuba Center to

From the RTA98 conference site to

From the ETL guesthouse to

From Tsukuba to Narita Airport

There is a convenient direct bus service (Airport Liner NATT's) between Tsukuba Center and Narita Airport, operated by the Keisei bus company. There are six services a day: 
     Tsukuba Center
          6:30
          7:20
         11:20
         13:20
         14:50
         17:30
It takes about 100 minutes to reach Narita Airport from Tsukuba Center. You have to buy a ticket at the Kantetsu Kanko office on the ground floor of the bus terminal building. It is strongly recommended that you do this a few days before departure. (The office is open between 8:30 am and 7 pm, seven days a week.) The fare is 2,540 yen. The bus leaves from bus stop #0.

At Narita Airport the bus stops at Terminal 2 before proceeding to Terminal 1, so make sure you get off at the right stop. Also beware that all departing passengers have to pay a 2,040 yen airport tax, the so-called Passenger Service Facilities Charge.
 

From Tsukuba to Tokyo

A convenient way to travel to Tokyo from Tsukuba is to take the highway bus from bus stop #5 at Tsukuba Center bus terminal. You have to buy a ticket at the vending machine inside the bus terminal building. The fare is 1,250 yen. It is also possible to buy five tickets for 5,200 yen. All buses are bound for the Yaesu north exit of Tokyo Station. Except on Sundays, buses also make a stop at Ueno Station in Tokyo, approximately 15 minutes before reaching Tokyo Station. In Tsukuba the bus also stops at TAKEZONO 2-CHOME, SENGEN 1-CHOME, NAMIKI 1-CHOME and NAMIKI OHASHI. The NAMIKI OHASHI stop is convenient if you stay at the ETL guesthouse. It can take up to 2 hours to reach Tokyo Station from Tsukuba Center. More precise timing information is available in the timetable.
 
A more complicated, but sometimes faster, way of reaching Tokyo is to take a bus to Arakawaoki Station, Hitachino Ushiku Station or Tsuchiura Station and then a train on the Joban line to Ueno. If you want to go to Tokyo Station, change at Nippori (one stop before Ueno) to a train on the Yamanote loopline. Buses leave from Tsukuba Center bus terminal: bus stop #2 for ARAKAWAOKI EKI (HIGASHI GUCHI) and HITACHINO USHIKU EKI, #3 for TSUCHIURA EKI . You can also take these buses from the DAIGAKU KAIKAN MAE stop.

From Tsukuba to Kyoto

First go to Tokyo Station. Tokyo Station and Kyoto Station are connected by the JR Tokaido shinkansen line. Three types of trains run on this line: Kodama, Hikari and Nozomi. Hikari trains take 2 hours and 40 minutes and a ticket costs 12,970 yen (12,470 yen without seat reservation). Nozomi trains are 20 minutes faster but more expensive (even for Japan Rail Pass holders) and much less frequent. Kodama trains take 4 hours and cost the same as Hikari trains. Departures from Tokyo are every 10 to 15 minutes between 6 am and 9 pm.
 
You can buy your shinkansen ticket at Tokyo Station (from a Green Window ticket counter, a Travel Service Center, or, for unreserved seats only, a vending machine) just before departure. It is also possible to buy shinkansen tickets in Tsukuba, e.g. at the Travel Service Center on the ground floor of the Tsukuba Center bus terminal or at the travel agency in the University Hall Complex.

If you are going to attend the Third Fuji International Symposium on Functional and Logic Programming, we recommend you travel to Kyoto from Tsukuba on Thursday morning, April 2.
 

Japan Rail Pass

If you are planning to travel around Japan before or after RTA98, it may be a good idea to check out the Japan Rail Pass which provides virtually unlimited travel on the national JR (train) network. This pass has to be purchased outside Japan. You have to validate the pass (more precisely, exchange the exchange order for the real pass) before it can be used. This can be done at Narita Airport and the Travel Service Center on the ground floor of the Tsukuba Center bus terminal, amongst others. Click here for a complete list with opening hours.

Money

Click here for information provided by the Japan National Tourist Organization. If you need to change cash or travellers' cheques after arriving in Japan, we recommend you do this at Narita Airport.

In Tsukuba, travellers' cheques can be changed at the Joyo Bank and Kanto Bank from 9 am to 3 pm on weekdays and at the Central Post Office (American Express only) from 9 am to 4 pm on weekdays. Obtaining a cash advance on VISA credit cards is possible at the two banks (9 am to 3 pm on weekdays). The Seibu department store (5th floor) offers cash advance on VISA and DINERS CLUB credit cards from 10 am to 7 pm seven days a week. For all transactions you need to show your passport. The above locations are a short walk from the bus terminal at Tsukuba Center.

Useful Links