General information

Airport Currency Services

Fukuoka Bank Currency exchange (8:00-21:00), Citibank ATM (9:00-21:00; includes VISA/MC cash services for cards issued outside of Japan), and Post Office ATM (9:00-17:00; cash services for VISA/MC/AMEX/Diners/CIRRUS cards issued outside of Japan) services can be found on the the 2F of the International Terminal.

Cell Phone Rental

Prepaid cell phones can be rented in the 1F Arrivals Lobby of the International Terminal. A basic fee of 1,000 yen plus a daily rental fee of 1,250 yen (insurance included) will apply. Above that dial charges will cost 330 yen/minute.

Phone line connectors

The Japanese phone system uses normal RJ11 (similar to North America). Most of the phone lines use dial tone, while there still are some lines with dial pulse (lines do not accept both, so you need to switch between ATDT and ATDP modem command as necessary). Some payphones have RJ11 connectors, as well as RJ45 (for ISDN).

Making phone calls

Long distance calls within Japan require a "0" prefix. If you would like to dial 3-xyzu-xyzu, you would need to dial "03-xyzu-xyzu". It is okay to make local calls with the long distance prefix, so it is simpler to always dial the whole thing, starting from "0". Local calls are not free-of-charge (10JPY/3min). Payphones are more expensive than normal subscriber lines (10JPY/1min for local call).

Fire department: 119, Police: 110, collect call: 106

Power connectors

The Kitakyushu area uses 100V AC, 60Hz. Devices that take 110V AC will work without trouble (except heaters or hairdryers). The shape of power outlets is just like those used in North America (two blades placed in parallel), except: most of the wall power outlets do not have the 3rd prong (the round hole for the ground pin), and most of the wall power outlets have slits of same width - so if your power plug has wider negative side blade than positive side, it won't fit.

Shopping/Dining

Small shops (like 7-11 or McDonald's), taxicabs and train stations do not accept credit cards. It is advised to carry some JPY cash (some taxicabs do accept credit cards, so check if they do before you catch them).

There is no tipping habit in Japan. Some restaurants add a service charge to the bill (5% or 10%), though.

VAT of 5% will be added to every purchase you make. In some of computer/electronic stores you can enjoy duty-free shopping (pls ask the store clerk for details).

Roughly speaking, 1USD = 125JPY.

Most bank ATMs do not take Cirrus/Plus bank cards for withdrawal. Exceptions are Citibank ATMs (http://www.citibank.com/branches/ap/jp/jp/fukuoka/fkkrprtrmnlbldgn.htm) and ATMs at post offices. Most ATMs do accept VISA/Master for cash advances.

If you want to purchase clothing - they may not have anything larger than Large.

At restaurants, you usually pay at cashier, not at the table. At restaurants, wait staff will try not to bother you - meaning, they won't come to your table until you explicitly call them over.

Language

Japanese people, especially younger people, do understand some English, but note the following: SPEAK SLOWLY, in simple sentences. Even when your point is understood, an answer may not be possible in English (too shy to speak English). So make things easy - if you want guidance for directions, please show a map to point out the location. Most taxi drivers do NOT speak English. You should show maps to them and point where you want to go (if you are going to popular place, you will be fine).

Other tips

GSM cellphones are not usable in Japan. The Japanese cellphone network is not compatible at all with GSM. CDMA is in service, however, not sure if Verizon has roaming option. If you a need cellphone, prepaid-card phones can be purchased at Seven Eleven. Japan is not a smoke-free country. Some hotels/restaurants do not have distinction between smoking area and non-smoking area. People do smoke while they walk, even if the street is congested. If you are allergic to smoke, it could be troublesome.

Travel info sites

Most Useful & Most Useless Travel Tips in Japan