Essentials

ATM’s

At over 20,000 Seven-Eleven convenience stores nationwide, ATM machines accept foreign bank cards on a 24 hour basis. The procedure is straightforward. Guidance is avaiable in English, Korean and Chinese. Details and an ATM locator are provided at the link below:
You can withdraw Japanese yen from ATMs at 7-Eleven stores

Japanese Post Office ATM’s also offer a cashing service for foreign bank cards.Please note many small restaurants and shops, ticket and vending machines do not accept credit cards.

Electricity

The electric power supplied in Japan is 100V. The plug is typically 2-blade, non polarized and non-grounded, as seen here.

Note that there are very few public outlets that support 3-prong plugs, so its useful to carry a 3-to-2 adapter. Make sure the plug blades are the same width, i.e., non-polarized.

Climate

Average temperatures in early November range from a high of 16-20 degrees celsius to a low of 9-12 degrees. It is not uncommon to experience light rain during this period.

Click here to view the latest weather forecasts for Japan.

SIM Cards

There are several options for Internet connectivity outside of your hotel room or the venue.

If you have a SIM-Lock free cellphone or similar device, you may want to purchase a SIM card for travellers. You may also want to refer to the Japan page of Prepaid Data SIM Card Wiki. Most of the prepaid SIM cards sold in Japan are provided by MVNOs based on NTT Docomo 3G and/or LTE network.

  • NTT Communications, one of the IETF94 sponsors, provides “Prepaid SIM for JAPAN”. Two versions, 7-days for 3,218 JPY and 14-days for 3,780 JPY, are available. It is data-only and no voice/no sms is supported. Highspeed data transmission is supported up to 100MB/day, and fall back to 200kbps beyond the daily limit. You can place an order with the web site above by 8pm of Oct. 28th (1200 UTC of Oct. 28th) to receive it in Oct. 31st in your hotel by its delivery service.
    Alternatively, if you need Internet access prior to check-in to your hotel, you can buy it at a vending machine in Narita Airport either terminal-1 or terminal-2, however the price is slightly more expensive. You can “activate” the SIM card you purchased with the assistance of the vending machine. It takes several minutes and you’re required to show your passport. You may also be able to purchase the SIM card at Yodobashi Multimedia Yokohama or Bic Camera.
  • IIJ, one of the IETF94 sponsors, provides “Japan Travel SIM powered by IIJmio”. Two versions, up to 1GB (30 days) and up to 2GB (3 months), are available. You can top up with a IIJmio Coupon Card sold in Lawson’s convenience stores if you run out of capacity; 500MB for about 1,500 JPY and 2GB for about 3,000 JPY. You can purchase the card at SKY BLUE shops operated by Japan Airlines in Narita Terminal-2 as well.
    If you will be arriving at Narita Terminal-1, you can order the SIM card with a reseller G-Call at latest by noon, 3 business days before arrival. So if you are arriving at Narita Airport, you must place an order by noon (or 3am UTC) Oct. 28th (Wed) to pick up at a QL Linear counter in south-end or north-end of Termianl-1, 1F in Narita Airport (0700-2200).
    Alternatively, Yodobashi Multimedia Yokohama or Bic Camera may carry both and are a few minutes walking distance from Yokohama Station, the second station from Minatomirai Station, approx. 15 min from the IETF venue.