From: jfriedl+@cs.cmu.edu (Jeffrey E. F. Friedl)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Osaka Airport directions [long]
Date: 14 Aug 92 08:33:23 GMT
Article-I.D.: cs.Bsyt3o.HG3.1
Reply-To: jfriedl@cs.cmu.edu
Distribution: soc
Organization: Carnegie Mellon / Omron Corporation

Well, since this seems to be such a burning issue, I figured I may as well
post some detailed directions I wrote for someone entering Osaka for the
first time.

Even if you're not planning on entering Osaka, it might be an amusing
introduction to certain aspects of Japanse culture, were you not familiar
with them.

For those that Know, corrections to any mistakes appreciated.

BTW, if you post a followup, please remove the "[long]" from the
subject line (unless your followup is long, of course :-)

	*jeff*

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|> So, what do I do when I get off the plane [at Osaka Intl' Airport]?

Very simple.  Don't know about private jets and such, but with regular
airline flights to Osaka...

Get off the plane and walk toward the terminal. Respect signs that say
"Don't Enter".  You'll end up going through a set of open doors
and past a couple of guys that sit there and look board. I think their
job is to intercept anyone looking to be on the verge of death from some
highly contagious disease that might be brought into Japan if not for
their quick and decisive action [BTW, I really hope you don't mind frequent
misspellings. Mmm, I currently have a broken wrist, so we'll just call
them typos ;-)]

Once of the dozen or so times I've entered Japan through Osaka we've had
to hand them little yellow slips that had been passed out on the plane.
They said "I'm feel fine today" (more or less).

Just past these guys you'll see the immigration inspectors... about a dozen
in little boxes that you pass beside (much like the two losers you just
passed).  The ones on the right are for Japanese and residents. Head for
one on the left side (it will have a sign in English saying "Foreign
Passports" or some such thing).

When you get to the guy, be nice. He is The One that will decide if you
can enter his country or not.  As a US tourist, you'll need
   1) Valid passport
   2) Filled out paper that you'll get on the plane (name, passport num, etc).

and other things as He may want to satisfy Himself that you're not a bum
coming to sponge off his country, or to try to get employment there.
This usually involves having a return-trip ticket and a reasonable amount
of cash [see section about money later].  I wouldn't flash too much money,
though... a few thousand bucks at most.  No need to be flashy (and be
thought a druggie).  

Once through this guy, turn right (if you continue straight, you'll fall
off a 2nd story balcony) and head down the stairs (which wrap around...
you're now just below the immigration area).  You're at the bottom of the
stairs in the map below....

                 
----------------------- taxi stands-----------
    sidewalk        
################################## EXIT ###########
                                                  #
<-- international departure                       #
                                                  #
              [international arrival area]        #
                                                  #
               (gaggle of waiting people)         #
                                                  #
      ...............         ...............     #
      :                                     :     #
######:_    _________________________      _:_#####
     #       [money]                          #
     #                                        #
     #                                        #
     #                                        #
     # |  X  |  X  |  X  |  X  |  X  |  X     #
     # |  X  |  X  |  X  |  X  |  X  |  X     #
     # |  X  |  X  |  X  |  X  |  X  |  X     #
     #   ^     ^     ^     ^     ^            #
     #  customs inspection counters    |||||||# <-- stairs down
     #                                        #     from immigration
     #                                        #
     #             luggage return             #
     #           _            _               #
     #         // \\        // \\             #
     #        ||   ||      ||   ||            #
     #        ||   ||      ||   ||            #
     #________||___||______||___||____________#



If you have checked luggage, pick it up (you'll see all the carousels).
There are free luggage carts you can use while at the airport. If you see
an unused one, grab it (before someone else does). The supply is replenished
near the stairs.

Continue to the customs inspectors areas (exactly where you would have
splat had you continued straight after immigration).

You must declare (and I suppose pay some tax) if you have
   1) more than three bottles of booze.  If the total is substantially
      under three liters, they may allow more than three bottles.
   2) more than x ounces of perfume [see an airline's in-flight magazine]
   3) more than y cartons of cigarettes [y is 2 or 4 depending upon what
      country's brand. You shouldn't smoke anyway].

Do NOT bring
   1) anything illegal in The States (obviously)
   2) porno stuff showing any hair you couldn't show on Mr. Roger's
      (but now I hear that such stuff is OK if it's "for your personal use")
   3) No Vicks products (the stuff for your nose).  It contains controlled
      substances in Japan.
   4) Too much raw rice.  Enough for your personal use is OK
      (this might sound silly, but the price of rice in Japan is about 5x
       the world-market price. If they let it in, the Japanese farmers would
       go out of business).

I would be careful about bringing prescription drugs into Japan.
Consider a well-written note from your doctor if so.

The customs guys may let you right through, or may strip-search you.
Don't take it personally.... just do what they say.  They too can decide
if you enter Japan or not.

Once past them, you now have two big exits... one on the far left and
one on the far right. Both exit to the same waiting area. Before going
out, though, head to the exchange booth near the left exit and exchange
some bucks [see the money section later].

Once out of the exit, you're In Japan. There will be a lot of people
waiting here for others. All will be rude. Don't be like them... quickly
get out of the way.

When I arrive w/o checked luggage from a first-world country having traveled
business or first class, I tend to make it from the plane door to here in
5 minutes. I'm very fast (-:.
You can expect delays if
	you don't get off the plane soon (i.e. you're in coach).
	you have checked luggage.
	Immigration or Customs feel like giving them (delays) to you.
I've never entered except as a resident re-entering on a working visa, so
I don't know what kind of delays a tourist visa entails.

If you wish to take a taxi.
 Go to the taxi stand [see map].  Have your destination written in Japanese,
 and show it to the guy dressed like the Maytag Repairman(tm) that will
 come up to you.  He'll show you to one of the five (or so) taxi entry
 points... most likely the one for Osaka if that's where you're going.

 Put luggage in trunk of taxi. Notice large tanks inside. Taxis in Japan
 (at least all I've noticed) run off propane. Japanese Taxis are very clean.

 It's very hard, but never open a taxi door yourself (unless for some reason
 you're sitting in the front next to the driver).  The driver will open and
 close it with a lever from his own seat. Show him where you're going
 as well.

 When you get where you're going, pay the guy (you'll see the price exactly
 on the meter, unless the driver had to pay some toll along the way, which
 you'll have to reimburse). Do not tip (anyone in Japan, ever). Wait for
 your change. If you want a receipt, say "receipt" in English and hope he
 understands. If you see a small micro-printer in the center of the dash,
 just point to that. Remember to not open the door yourself.

If you're taking the bus to the train station and then to Umeda.
 The following description will seem much more complicated than it is.
 Even then, it's more complicated than need be to make it so that you
 don't have to have any interaction with actual living-type humans.
  
 All the buses drop off and pick up at the domestic terminal, a building
 just to the left (in my map) of the international terminal. Walk toward
 the left (either inside the airport, or just outside past all the
 taxis) to the area in front of the domestic terminal.  Buses drop off
 in a different location than they pick up, so ignore them.  All bus
 pick-up points have 6-foot (at least) little totem-poles which give the
 schedule and destination of the bus that stops there. 

 Exactly one of the 6 or so well-spaced totem-poles has some electronic
 digital readouts on it (others are just black lettering on white wood).
 This is the bus you want. You should be able to figure out the next
 pickup time (remembering that they generally use 24-hour format for times
 after noon). Enter through the back.  Just inside the door will be a
 little orange box that might spit out a little tag of paper. If you see
 one sticking out, grab it. This indicates where you're getting on, and
 so will indicate how much you have to pay when you get off.

 The first stop, after 5 or 10 minutes of traffic jam [welcome to Japan]
 will be a station on the Hankyu train line. The bus fare is 190 yen
 (but check the board above the driver and match up the digit on your
 "ticket" with the price to make sure).  As you exit, put the money and
 the ticket into the little box by the driver. If you've made a mistake
 (he'll let you know), hold out a hand of change and let him take what
 he wants....

 For the train you'll need a ticket. Upon exit from the bus you'll be just
 a few meters from the entrance to the station. Just outside the entrance
 are ticket machines. Put in a few hundred yen and press one of the buttons
 that has a glowing yen amount. Take the ticket (and any change).
 To enter the station, put your ticket into the slot at the front of
 the gate (which looks like it should have a turn-style, but it doesn't)
 and walk through the two yards of the gate. Pick up your ticket from a
 similar slot on the other end (you will need this later).

 At this point you can cross the tracks and go to a platform there, or
 just stay on the platform nearest the entrance. If you want to go to
 Osaka, stay on the platform nearest the gate.

 Get on any train that comes.

 For the easy but slower trip, stay on the train until it pulls into a
 building and everyone gets off. That will be about 9 or 10 stops after
 you get on, and maybe 30 minutes.

 For a somewhat faster trip,
   get off the first time the train stops, and then get right back on the
   next train that comes. This will be what the Hankyu train company calls
   and "Express", which stops at fewer stations than the "local" you'd
   just gotten off (which stops at every station). Take the express until
   it stops and everyone gets off... it'll be the 2nd stop after you get on.
   The next stop, though (which you don't want) will have many people on
   and off.

 Now you're inside Umeda station. Follow the people to the huge bank of
 exit gates which are at the front of the huge station room you (and a dozen
 trains) are now in.  Somewhere near the gates (before you go through them)
 are fare-adjusting machines. Put your ticket in the little slot, pay what
 it asks, and take your new ticket (and change) and go through the gate
 like when you entered the station near the airport.  However, this time
 the ticket will not reappear at the other end of the gate.... just walk
 on out.

 You're now in Hankyu Umeda Station.

|> wondering if I have my Sony portable CD player and headphones with me if I
|> should declare it? I dunno' how they like having electronics brought IN to
|> Japan. :)

Other than what I mentioned, they don't care too much what you bring in
or out.  However, when you return to The States, you'll have to pay 10%
tax on the amount over $400 worth of stuff you bring back.  If you have
a nice Sony portable, US Customs may not take your word that you had it
before you went, and may charge you anyway. Therefore, you declare such
things in The States before you leave the country so you have some proof
when you return.  I don't know how to do this [never done it], but I'm
sure you could figure it out in Hawaii.....

|> or tax it? (some countries actually tax currency exchanges, I hear) And,
|> would I be SAFE carrying around a briefcase of yen? Let's see, at about
|> 127 yen to the dollar, would I be better off getting 2 or 2.5 million yen
|> somewhere casual or at a bank, and if so, could you recommend a nice one? :)

I walked around Kyoto last month with 3.35 million in nice new bills (their
largest bill is 10,000 yen, so that's a wad as big as a brick) and I felt
uncomfortable. Probably didn't need to be, but it was a strange feeling
having that much *cash*.

The best way (I think) to bring money is to bring US$ traveler's checks.
Exchange some amount at the airport (as described before) and keep the
rest in TCs... more safe that way.  All banks give about the same exchange
rates, and all banks give a much better rate when buying or selling TCs
vs. cash [yet another reason to bring TCs]. All banks give *much* better
exchange rates than anything in The States [banks, Deek, etc.].
I recommend exchanging nothing before you arrive.  If you really want
to exchange in The States, just flush your money down the toilet and
save yourself a trip to the bank....

Until you get near when you'll leave, keep a nice amount in Yen...
several hundred at least.  Before weekends, much more.  However, you don't
want to get burned by having to exchange yen back to dollars when you
leave, so start planning better near the end of your trip.

Hotels you can pay with Amex or other credit card. Credit card can also
be used at some more expensive shops, but Japan is generally a cash
society. For example, I don't think train tickets can be bought by
CC, unless you're buying through a travel agent (which may or may not
accept them, but should certainly add on a nice fee for themselves).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeffrey Eric Francis Friedl   jfriedl@cs.cmu.edu -or- jfriedl@omron.co.jp
Omron Corporation, Section RZE, Shimokaiinji, Nagaokakyo Kyoto 617, Japan
Visiting researcher to the Mach Project, Carnegie Mellon University