Tokyo, Japan
September 18-24, 2011

What's New!   (in Local information)

Venue

The conference venue, National Center of Sciences is next to National Institute of Informatics (NII), in Jimbo-cho (Jinbo-cho).
Jimbo-cho is well known as one of the largest "used-book towns" in the world, and is also an old city center in central Tokyo. It is located just north of the Imperial Palace, and is a 20 min. walk from Tokyo Station. Moreover, Jimbo-cho Station provides a convenient and swift connection to all parts of Tokyo.
This is a map of all the locations of the ICFP events.

To enter the venue building, you must show an identification card to the security guards at the entrance.
For the first day, print and use this entrance card or bring your identification card (such as your passport or employee's card).
From the next day after registration, please show your conference badge.
(Though you will be able to enter with your passport or ID card of the organization you belong to, it is very appreciated to prepare the above entrance card, because IDing with the entrance card is much more smooth, and many people will come in short morning time.)

For people who attend conference/workshops from 19th (the first day of ICFP), we only have 30 minutes for registration before the first session in the morning, so please come to the registration with time to spare, or register in the first break time. Or, please complete registration on 18th if you have a chance to come to the venue. We plan to open registration desk until 18:00 on 18th.

Access

Banquet and Lunch

Conference banquet will be held at Meguro Gajoen from 19:45 to 21:45 on Tuesday 20th, where we will have a Japanese-style dinner.
This is a big complex consisting of a wedding reception hall, hotel, restaurant, and art museum, and is famous especially as the first wedding reception hall in Japan opened in 1931.
There is no dress code, please enjoy in casual cloths.
Buses have been arranged to transport attendees between the conference venue and Meguro Gajoen.
The cost of the banquet has been included in the registration fee, which is true also for the student registration.
Also, additional banquet tickets can be purchased. Please ask at the registration desk.

Lunch for the main conference and collocated workshops will be served basically in the Gakushi-Kaikan (Univ. Alumni Assoc. Hall), which is diagonally in front of the conference venue. (This place is a bit of a historical place: the birthplace of the first university in Japan.)
Some of lunches, however, will be served at the venue.

Accommodation

Hotel reservation is now open. We prepare block reservations of four hotels, which are close to the venue.
The summary of distances and prices: map of the hotels and the venue.
All hotels include breakfast. (For KKR, it is option.)
All hotels prepare wired LAN and a LAN-cable for each room, and no wireless LAN. (In even twin room, LAN ports may be just one.)
Note that the "double use" plan of Hotel Villa Fontaine is not a twin plan; it includes only one shared bed.
Please fill in the following reservation form below and send it directly to the hotel.

A hotel reservation is independent from the conference registration.
There is also a wide range of further hotels in the vicinity of the conference venue.
Note that, in Japan, hotel fee when sharing a room is not necessarily the same as that of single occupancy, but usually more than that.

Restaurants

Around Jimbo-cho, or even more in Tokyo, there are many good restaurants:
This is an English version of a well-known Japanese site for restaurant information, searched with "Jimbo-cho". Try changing search criteria.
Try also this and this.
This might also be helpful: a google translation of a famous Japanese review site for restaurants, searched with "Jimbo-cho".
Generally, you will find that there is a broad range of restaurants close to the conference venue and hotels.

Sightseeing

Here is a very useful comprehensive sightseeing information site: Japan National Tourism Organization.
"Download Zone" in the right side of the top page might be useful, as well as a variety of information in other columns.
The left column of this page lists most of famous spots in Tokyo special wards, with "Related Information" in the right columns. The nearest places to the venue are: The Imperial Palace Area, Akihabara, Korakuen, and so on, but in fact all the places are very close as well.

Weather

September in Japan is just between the too-hot summer and refreshing autumn. Temperature changes from 30℃ to 20℃ during this month.
See the weather September 2010 in Tokyo.
For example, the Highest/Lowest temperatures on Sep. 20, 2010 were 28/24℃ (= 83/76℉).

Status after the earthquake

Life in Tokyo—which is about 220 km south from the site of Fukushima I—is back on track, after the disaster that damaged part of the Tohoku region (the northeast district of Japan).
See here for general information.

(Last update: Sep 6)
  • Power supply is now stable, while efforts are made to conserve energy.
    There will be no planed blackout in Tokyo special wards (23-ku), which includes the venue (in Chiyoda-ku).
    Information can be found here.
    (New!) The government moved up the date on which the directive limiting the use of electricity is lifted, from Sep 22th to Sep 9th!
  • Airport: Both Narita Airport and Haneda Airport are fully operational.
    See the government summary page: Japanese Air Transport after the 2011 Tohoku - Pacific Ocean Earthquake.
  • Train service: Operating regularly. Currently, the service is operating at 80% of the usual capacity to save energy; see e.g. here.
    → (New!) According to the above government decision, many railway companies returned their train schedules to the regular (full) schedules from Sep 12th. Such companies include all the companies described in the Access page.
  • Since the middle of April, levels have already been well within any safety limits (WHO, and supremum before 3/11), and still descending steadily. Latest levels can be found here.

Blog and contact

We started a blog "ICFP 2011 local information from Tokyo" providing updates about Tokyo and the organization of ICFP. Any comments and questions on the blog are most welcome.
We prepared a space for Information Sharing by attendees in the blog.

Concerning matters regarding local arrangements and this Local information page, please contact the Local Organizing Committee.

We are looking forward to welcoming you to Tokyo in September!

Local Organizing Committee:
     Soichiro Hidaka Local Arrangements Chair
Kazuyuki Asada Local-Publicity Chair
Kento Emoto Video Chair
Sebastian Fischer Student Volunteer Coordination Chair
Hiroyuki Kato Registration Co-Chair
Kazutaka Matsuda Corporate Events Coordination Chair
Keisuke Nakano Banquet Chair
Isao Sasano Registration Co-Chair