General Information

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The 40th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will be held at the Kyoto International Conference Center (ICC Kyoto)* and the Takaragaike Prince Hotel (Prince Hotel)* in Kyoto, Japan, Friday to Monday, 4-7 May 2007.

ADB will establish offices at ICC Kyoto and Prince Hotel during the Annual Meeting. The offices will be open, and other Meeting services available, from Friday to Monday, 4-7 May. Room and telephone numbers will be in the meeting handbook, to be provided in your registration envelope.

Seminars and member country presentations will be held from Friday to Monday, 4-7 May. The opening session will take place in the morning of Sunday, 6 May. Business sessions will be held in the afternoon of 6 May, and in the morning and afternoon of Monday, 7 May. The meeting will close at about 5:00 p.m., Monday, 7 May.

Mr. Jeremy H. Hovland
The Secretary of ADB (member and observer delegates)
E-mail: annualmeeting@adb.org

Ms. Anna Josefina Esteban
Guest Liaison Officer (guests)
E-mail: amguests@adb.org

Ms. Omana Nair
Media Liaison Specialist for the Annual Meeting (media)
E-mail: media@adb.org

Mr. Bartlet Edes
Head, Nongovernment Organization (NGO) and Civil Society Center
(NGOs and civil society organizations)
E-mail: ngocoordinator@adb.org

Asian Development Bank
6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City
1550 Metro Manila, Philippines
Telephone: +632 632 5999 (Annual Meeting Coordination Office)
+632 632 4444 (Trunk line)
Fax: +632 636 2483 (Annual Meeting Coordination Office)

Any communication after Monday, 23 April 2007, should be faxed to:

The Secretariat (Attention: Ms. Jill Drilon, Annual Meeting Coordinator)
Asian Development Bank
c/o Kyoto International Conference Center
Telephone: +81 75 705 2102
Fax: +81 75 705 2106

Personal communications

Mail. Personal mail, fax messages, and parcels should be addressed to participants' hotels. The ICC Kyoto will not accept them.

Social Events. Information about the official social events will be posted here.

Restricted official social events will require invitations, which will be included in the registration envelopes. Registered participants do not need invitations to events that are open to all participants.

Participants should arrange their own insurance cover for medical, travel, and personal effects.

A permanent medical team will be stationed at ICC Kyoto during the Meeting. Ambulances will transfer emergency cases to the nearest hospital. Most major hotels have a list of physicians on call.

Transportation arrangements. Necessary transportation arrangements will be made for all participants during the Annual Meeting. See details here and at the Kyoto Committee's website. Transport advisories will also be posted at the ICC Kyoto, hotels, and the ADB Annual Meeting information desks at the Kansai International Airport.

Reaching ICC Kyoto. From the Kyoto train station, it takes about 40 minutes to reach ICC Kyoto by car and 20 minutes by subway (Karasuma Line).

Subway. Central Kyoto has a subway line consisting of the south-north "Karasuma" Line (green) and the east-west Tozai Line (red). They intersect at Karasuma Oike station where passengers may transfer lines. Traffic in the city center is heavy all year round and the subway is the fastest means of transportation.

Car rental. Requests to hire chauffer-driven cars should be sent as soon as possible to JTB (below) for confirmation and costing. Confirmation will be on a first-come first-served basis.

JTB Global Marketing & Travel Inc.
(Japan Travel Bureau)
Address: JTB Bldg. 15F, 2-3-11,
Higashishinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan 140-8604
Telephone: +81 3 5796 5442
Fax: +81 3 5495 0685
Email: adb2007@jtb.jp

Restricted vehicle access to ICC Kyoto. Access to ICC Kyoto by car will be restricted. Guests coming to ICC Kyoto are advised to use the subway as heavy traffic is expected. Visit the Kyoto Committee's website* for more information on vehicle access to ICC Kyoto.

Participants must make their own travel arrangements to and from Kyoto. We recommend that participants arrive through Kansai International Airport, which is directly connected to Kansai Airport Station, where they can take the train (JR Airport Express Haruka) directly to Kyoto Station. ADB help desks will be set up at Kansai International Airport. The trip from Kansai International Airport to Kyoto takes 75 minutes by Haruka and about 2 hours by car or bus. More information is available at the Kansai International Airport* website.

Kyoto is also accessible by train or bus from Narita (Narita International Airport) and Nagoya (Central Japan International Airport [Centrair]). From Narita, it takes 1 hour by train (Narita Express, or N'EX) to reach Tokyo Central Station, where you can take the bullet train (JR Shinkansen) to Kyoto, which takes 2 hours and 15 minutes. From Nagoya, it takes half an hour by train (Meitetsu airport express) to reach Nagoya Station where you can take the bullet train (JR Shinkansen) to Kyoto, which takes 40 minutes.

Airport tax. The price of the airline ticket usually includes airport tax.

Chartered airplane. Participants intending to arrive by private airplane or chartered flight are requested to advise The Secretary of ADB as early as possible of the full details of their aircraft to ensure time to coordinate with airport authorities.

Customs Regulations

• Declaration of goods.
Goods over the duty-free allowance, restricted goods, and commercial goods should be declared at the Customs Inspection counter.
• Foreign tourists.
Foreign tourists can bring in duty-free gifts and souvenirs worth up to JPY200,000. The duty-free allowance is shown in the chart below.

Item	Allowance (per adult)	Remarks
Alcoholic beverages	3 bottles	About 760 ml per bottle.
Cigars	100 cigars
Cigarettes	400 cigarettes
Other kinds of tobacco	500 grams
Perfume	2 ounces
Others	JPY 200,000	The total overseas market value of the articles other than the above items must be under JPY200,000. Any item whose total overseas market value does not exceed JPY10,000 is always free of duties and/or taxes and is not counted in the calculation of the total overseas market value of JPY200,000 (e.g., two ties worth JPY5,000 each).
		There is no duty-free allowance for articles or sets of articles that have a market value of more than JPY200,000 each or per set.

_{Articles brought in by a child under age 6 are not duty-free unless they are recognized as goods for the child's personal use such as toys.
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco brought in by a person who is under 20 years old are not duty-free.}
• All tourists.
All tourists can bring in, free of duty, used personal effects such as a laptop, palm computer, and personal jewelry if they take them out again upon departure.
• Money and other means of payment.
Travelers should report to customs if they are carrying the following items (or their equivalent) in excess of JPY1,000,000 or its equivalent in other currency.

1. Cash (including foreign currency)
2. Checks (including traveler's checks)
3. Promissory notes
4. Securities

• Lost or mishandled baggage.
Owners of lost or mishandled baggage should contact the airline staff, and declare the same at the Customs Inspection counter.

Prohibited Articles and Restricted Goods. The following are prohibited by law from entry: narcotic drugs; firearms; explosives; precursor materials for chemical weapons; counterfeit coins, paper money, bank notes, and forged credit cards; obscene or immoral materials; and articles that infringe upon intellectual property rights. Major restricted items are plants and animals; certain quantities of medicine and cosmetics; and hunting guns, air guns, swords, etc., without a permit. More information is available at the Japan Customs* website.

Vaccinations. Travelers are not required to have inoculations to enter Japan from any country. However, they may need to complete a health declaration form upon arrival.

Visas. For entry into Japan, a valid passport that will not expire during the holder's stay is required. A visa is required for foreign participants unless he or she is a national of countries that have visa exemption arrangements with Japan. General information on the visa system in Japan is available on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)*.

Visas are not issued on arrival. Participants should contact the nearest embassy of Japan or consulate to check visa requirements at least 1 month before traveling. A list of Japanese embassies and consulates is available on the MOFA* website.

A visa applicant must apply in person to a Japanese embassy or consulate, usually in his or her home country. The following documents are generally required:

• a valid passport;
• a letter from ADB confirming registration for the meeting, or other documents indicating the visit's purpose;
• two official visa application forms; and
• two passport-type photos taken within the previous 6 months.

Visa application forms are available online*.

For further details, please inquire at the embassy or consulate where the application will be made.

Visa applications processed by the embassy or consulate itself (not requiring any inquiries to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo) usually take 1 week.

For any additional visa assistance, please inform The Secretary of ADB as early as possible, with full particulars (name, sex, date and place of birth, nationality, passport number, date and place of issue, and expiry date).

Attire. The suggested attire for the Annual Meeting is business or national dress.

Business and Shopping Hours. Offices and businesses are generally open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Shops are generally open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., everyday.

Climate. The temperature in May usually ranges from 8.7°C to 29.7°C (47.7°F to 85.5°F).

Currency exchange and banking. The yen is in paper notes in denominations of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000 and 10,000. There are also 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 yen coins.

Availability of ATMs and Currency Exchange Booth at the ICC Kyoto. The Bank of Kyoto will set up a Currency Exchange Booth at ICC Kyoto from 3 to 7 May. However, temporary ATMs will not be installed due to the system renovation of Japan Post. Since there are only a few ATMs found in Kyoto City which accepts bank or credit cards issued outside Japan, participants are encouraged to use available ATMs at the Kansai International Airport upon their arrival. Bringing of cash or travelers checks are highly recommended to avoid wasting time at the airport.

Exchange counters are available at airports, hotels, and the ICC Kyoto, and branches of commercial banks and some post offices. Cash and traveler's checks will be exchanged but NOT personal checks. Exchange rates are better for traveler's checks than for cash. Most stores do not exchange foreign currency. A currency exchange counter will be set up at the ICC Kyoto from Thursday to Monday, on 3-7 May, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Many automated teller machines (ATMs) do not accept credit cards or ATM cards issued abroad, except for ATMs found in post offices or convenience stores across the city. ATMs at post offices or convenience stores will accept international credit cards, debit cards, and/or cash cards if they display the international ATM network signs (i.e. Visa, Visa Electron, PLUS, MasterCard, Maestro, CIRRUS, American Express, Diners Club International, JCB, Union Pay). These ATMs are open until evening, with some open 24 hours.

Major international credit cards are honored in most hotels, restaurants, shops, and department stores.

Note: Normal commercial banking hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Banks are closed on weekends and public holidays.

Electric Current. The voltage in Japan is uniformly 100V. Frequencies in use are (i) 50 Hertz in eastern Japan and (ii) 60 Hertz in western Japan (including Kyoto). Since voltage in other countries ranges from 110V to 240V, electrical appliances from countries with high voltage might not work in Japan. Plugs and electrical outlets in Japan are A-type*.

Etiquette. Removing shoes before entering houses, chapels at temples and shrines, and certain buildings is a custom in Japan. Shoes should be placed neatly to the side of the entrance.

Sacred places must be viewed and visited in silence.

Taking photos inside buildings, including temples and shrines, is generally prohibited. It is best to refrain from taking photos even at places where there is no notice prohibiting it.

Eating and drinking is prohibited inside most traditional buildings.

It is best not to touch sliding doors, pull doors, hanging lattices and other fittings unless necessary. Since these are merely fitted into running grooves, they could be damaged as a result.

International dialing code. The country code is 81, followed by the Kyoto city code 75, followed by the telephone number: +81 75 xxx xxxx. The international access code when dialing out of Japan is 010.

Language. English is spoken at airports and major hotels, and people in Kyoto are used to dealing with foreign customers. Most street signs, information boards, store signs and menus are written in English.

Mobile phones. Please note that phones using the Global System for Mobile telephones (GSM) will not work in Japan. However, a booth will be set up in ICC Kyoto where participants can rent a mobile phone*.

Time Zone. Kyoto is 9 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Tipping. Tipping is not a custom in Japan. A smile with a "thank you" is sufficient.

Website. General information about sightseeing and the history and culture of Kyoto and Japan can be found at the Kyoto Committee* and Visit Japan* websites.

*This link takes you outside the ADB website. Please use the back button to return to ADB.org.