Logistic Information for the 25th IOCCG Committee Meeting

Tokyo, Japan

27-29 March 2020

Meeting Details

The 25th IOCCG Committee meeting is scheduled to take place from 27-29 March 2020 in , Japan, hosted by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which is gratefully acknowledged. The meeting will take place in the KFC Hall & Rooms located at 1-6-1, Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, 130-0015. This is in the Ryogoku District, opposite the Edo-Tokyo Museum (see https://www.tokyo-kfc.co.jp/access/, in Japanese). The IOCCG Executive meeting will take place on the afternoon of Sunday 29 March from 14:00 pm – 19:30 pm (Executive members only).

If you require an official letter of invitation from IOCCG for travel permission, please contact the IOCCG Project Office ([email protected]). For visa purposes, you may also require an official letter of invitation from our host (JAXA). In this case, please email Mr. Kenichi Takahara ([email protected]) and cc. [email protected]. See also Visa Information section below. Note: all requests for letters of invitation from our host, JAXA, must be received before 22 December 2019 (deadline)!

Meeting Schedule Outline

Below is a tentative outline of the meeting schedule for planning purposes. Note that there will be an optional waterbus excursion on Thursday 26 March 2020, the day before the Committee meeting, for those arriving early. A draft agenda will be drawn up soon.

Thursday 26 March 2020: Optional excursion 15:00 – subway from Ryogoku to , take waterbus from Asakusa to HamaRikyu Garden, walk to Tsukiji Seafood market and have supper there (or Ginza area). 19: 00 – subway back to Ryogoku

Friday 27 March 2020: IOCCG Committee meeting (Day 1) 09:00 - 12:30 Committee meeting 12:30 - 14:00 Lunch break 14:00 - 17:30 Committee meeting 18:30 - Group dinner (subway to Asakusa)

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Saturday 28 March 2020: IOCCG Committee meeting (Day 2) 09:00 - 12:30 Committee meeting 12:30 - 14:00 Lunch break 14:00 - 17:30 Committee meeting 18:30 - Group dinner (either in Ryogoku or Monzen-nakacho)

Sunday 29 March 2020: IOCCG Committee meeting (Day 3 – half day) 09:00 – 13:30 Committee meeting 13:30 – ADJOURN IOCCG-25 Committee meeting ------Sunday 29 March 2020: IOCCG Executive meeting (Executive members only) 14:00-19:30 : IOCCG Executive meeting (lunch will be provided) 19:30 ADJOURN IOCCG Executive meeting

Visa Information

Citizens of 68 countries coming to Japan, including Korea, Australia, Canada, USA, UK and most European nations, do not require a visa and will be granted permission for a short-term stay upon arrival (see https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/short/novisa.html#list). Visitors from outside these 68 countries must apply for a visa in advance. Click here to link to the official Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website for further information.

If you require an official letter of invitation from our host (JAXA) for visa purposes, please email Mr. Kenichi Takahara ([email protected]) and cc. [email protected] before 22 December 2019 (deadline). Even if you are a citizen of a country that does not require a visa, please check with your nearest Japanese Consulate or Embassy for visa requirements as they can change periodically. Japanese law requires that all short-term foreign visitors must have proof of onward travel (departure) from Japan. All short-term foreign visitors to Japan are photographed and fingerprinted upon arrival and must carry their passport with them at all times in Japan.

Transport from Airport to Ryogoku District

International airlines fly into two different airports in Tokyo:  Narita International Airport: the primary airport for international flights, located in Narita, Chiba, 60 km east of Tokyo.

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 Haneda International Airport: domestic airport with some international flights, located closer to central Tokyo. Transportation from Haneda airport to central Tokyo is quicker and cheaper, so it may be best to fly into Haneda International Airport, if possible, but several transportation options are given below for each airport.

From Haneda Airport to Ryogoku (three options):

The Haneda Airport International Terminal connects directly to the underground Airport Terminal Station on the Keikyu Line, and to the 3rd-floor Haneda Airport Station of the Tokyo Monorail Line (see http://www.haneda-airport.jp/inter/en/access/train.html). i) Haneda Option 1 (Keikyu Airport Express Train)  Take the Keikyu Airport Line (Airport Express) [To Imba Nihon Idai]  Get off at Daimon Eki (Station) (30 min)  Transfer to the Toei Oedo Subway Line  Get off at Ryogoku station (18 min, every 15 min). ii) Haneda Option 2 (Tokyo Monorail)  From Haneda Airport Terminal 1, take the Tokyo Monorail Local to Hamamatsucho Station (24 min, every 20 min, 8 stops)  Walk to the Toei Oedo Subway Line (Daimon Station, ~250 m) and get off at Ryogoku station (18 min, every 15 min). iii) Haneda Option 3 (Keikyu Airport Limousine bus)  From Haneda Airport Terminal 1 Station take the Keikyu Airport Limousine bus to Kinshichō Eki (Station) (25 min, every 30 min)  Take the Japan Railways (JR) Chuo/Sobu Local Service to Ryogoku (3 min, every 20 min)

Reference: Tokyo Train Stations: https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/downloads/pdf/numbering_e.pdf

From Narita Airport to Ryogoku (three options): i) Narita Option 1 (Keisei Skyline)  From Narita Airport Terminal 2 take the Keisei to Keisei- Station (41 min, hourly departures)

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 Walk to the Ueno-Okachimachi subway station (~500 m)  Take the Toei Oedo Subway line and get off at at "Ryogoku“ station (~6 min) ii) Narita Option 2 (Keisei Limited Express)  From Narita Airport Terminal 1 or 2 take the Keisei Limited Express (for Keisei-Ueno) to Keisei-Funabashi Station (50 min, every 20-min departures)  Walk to the JR-Funabashi station (~500 m)  Take the JR Chuo/Sobu Line Local (for Nakano) and get off at at "JR Ryogoku” station (~25 min) iii) Narita Option 3 (JR local lines)  From Narita Airport Terminal 1 or 2 take the JR Narita Rapid Line (for Zushi or Kurihama) to JR Kinshicho Station (80 min, every 30-40 min departures)  Take the JR Chuo/Sobu Line Local (for Nakano) and get off at at "JR Ryogoku” station (~2 min)

Reference: Keisei Line Guide: https://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/traffic/pdf/railmap.pdf Tokyo Train Stations: https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/downloads/pdf/numbering_e.pdf

Accommodation

Our hosts have recommend five different hotels located relatively close to the meeting room (see list below), but unfortunately all have low availability for the March timeframe (high season) so it was not possible to get a group booking. We strongly recommend that you book your hotel accommodation as early as possible, since March is Cherry Blossoms season and availability may be extremely limited. It may be easier (and cheaper) to book your accommodation using an online booking company (e.g., booking.com, agoda.com, expedia.com), rather than booking directly with the hotel.

List of Hotels Near Meeting Room

The hotels listed below are all within walking distance (up to 1.6 km) of the meeting room. If these hotels become booked out, additional hotels will be suggested that may require use of the JR-train or Toei-subway (1-2 stops).

1. Daiichi Hotel Ryogoku (4-star): 1-6-1 Yokoami Sumidaku, Tokyo 130-0015.

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Right next to KFC Hall & Rooms. ~$130 per night. http://www.dh-ryogoku.com/english/ 2. Ryogoku View Hotel (3-star): Sumida-ku Ryogoku 2-19-1, Tokyo, 800 m from KFC Hall & Rooms, $~140 per night 3. Pearl Hotel Ryogoku (3-star): 1-2-24 Yokoami Sumida, Tokyo, Tokyo-to 750 m from KFC Hall & Rooms, ~$120 per night. 4. Ryogoku River Hotel (2-star): 2-13-8 Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 1.1 km from KFC Hall & Rooms, ~$60 per night. http://www.riverhotel.jp/ (in Japanese) 5. Tobu Hotel Levant Tokyo (4-star): 1-2-2 Kinshi, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, 1.4 km from KFC Hall & Rooms, ~$140 per night. https://www.tobuhotellevanttokyo.com/en-gb/ 6. Sotetsu Fresa Inn Tokyo-Kinshicho (3-star): 2 Chome-18-7 Kotobashi, Sumida City, Tokyo, 1.6 km from KFC Hall & Rooms, ~$85 per night https://fresa-inn.jp/en/kinshicho/

Lunch

There are several small restaurants near the meeting room where it is possible to get lunch (see map at http://edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp/assets/img/2018/12/ryogoku_nigiwai_map_2019.pdf). Generally major credit cards are accepted, but some smaller restaurants may only accept cash.

Points of Contacts for IOCCG-25

Point of Contact (in Japan): Hiroshi Murakami Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Earth Observation Research Center (EORC) 2-1-1, Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan Tel: 81-50-3362-6586 Email: [email protected]

JAXA Coordinator Mr. Kenichi Takahara Email: [email protected]

IOCCG Chair: Cara Wilson NOAA / NMFS, Southwest Fisheries Science Center Monterey, CA 93940, USA Tel: +1-831-648-5337, Cell: +1-831-241-2362 Email: [email protected]

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IOCCG Project Coordinator: Venetia Stuart Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, NS, Canada Tel: +1-902-426-3817 Email: [email protected]

Power and Appliances

The voltage in Japan is 100 Volt, which is different from North America (120 V) and Central Europe (230 V). The standard frequency is 50 / 60 Hz. Japanese electrical plugs and outlets are of type A and B. Type A below, which resembles that used in North America, is most commonly used, so please bring the appropriate adaptors.

Weather in Tokyo

Late March is one of the best times to visit Japan, with mostly clear sunny days and the occasional rainy day. Average highs are around 18oC (65oF) and lows around 10oC (50oF). Late March is also the time when the famous cherry blossoms start to bloom. The best time to see blossoms in Tokyo is likely the last week of March/first week of April. It is also a very busy time of the year with many tourists.

Currency in Japan

The yen (¥) is the official currency of Japan (1 USD = ~110 Yen). Bills come in 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 yen denominations. Coins come in 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 yen denominations. Cash is the preferred payment method, especially when it involves small amounts, but large bills are readily used and accepted, even for small amounts. Most hotels accept payment by credit cards, as do most department stores and mid to high end

6 restaurants. In addition, many train stations, supermarkets and convenience stores also accept credit cards.

Note that many ATMs in Japan do not accept cards that are issued outside of Japan, and many are out of service at night or over weekends, so it may be best to obtain cash in advance. Exceptions are the ATMs in post offices and 7-Eleven convenience stores.

Ryogoku Area Guide

See https://www.gotokyo.org/en/destinations/eastern-tokyo/ryogoku/index.html for information about the Ryogoku District which is home to many museums about the Edo period (1603-1867), as well as workshops producing traditional crafts and sumo wrestling stables.

You can also visit the official Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) website at https://www.japan.travel/en/ for tourist information on Tokyo (Kanto region) and other regions of Japan.

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