Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
medical translation services over the phone. Major
hotels usually stock a limited array of common
medicines. You should find English-speaking staff
at the establishments below.
it's par for the course at privately run hostels,
though at hotels you still can't be sure; at the
top end, you may well have to pay a daily fee
(typically ¥1000). More offer free broadband in
the rooms, and should be able to supply a cable
if necessary. Others may provide at least one
terminal for guests travelling without their own
computer, generally also for free.
Internet cafés
can be found across Tokyo - often as part of
a 24-hour computer-game and manga centre
(see box, p.143) - and increasingly there's wireless
access in public areas (at many metro stations, for
example). Connection charges, if you have to pay,
are around ¥200-400 per hour.
HOSPITALS, CLINICS AND PHARMACIES
American Pharmacy
Marunouchi Building, 2-4-1 Marunouchi,
Chiyoda-ku
T
03 5220 7716; Tokyo Station. Has English-speaking
pharmacists and a good range of drugs and general medical supplies.
Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat 10am-9pm, Sun 10am-8pm.
National Azabu Pharmacy
Above the National Azabu
supermarket
T
03 3442 3495; Hiro-o station.
St Luke's International Hospital
9-1 Akashichō, Chūō-ku
T
03 3541 5151,
W
www.luke.or.jp. Reception desk open Mon-Fri
8.30-11am for non-emergency cases.
Tokyo Adventist Hospital
3-17-3 Amanuma, Suginami-ku
T
03 3392 6151. Reception open as above.
Tokyo Medical and Surgical Clinic
32 Shiba-kōen Building,
3-4-30 Shiba-kōen, Minato-ku
T
03 3436 3028,
W
tmsc.jp.
Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.30pm, Sat 8.30am-noon, by appointment only.
Laundry
All hotels provide either a laundry service or coin-
operated machines. These typically cost ¥200-300
for a wash (powder ¥30-50) and ¥100 for ten
minutes in the drier.
Insurance
It's essential to take out a good
travel insurance
policy (see box below), particularly one with compre-
hensive medical coverage, due to the high cost of
hospital treatment in Japan.
Left luggage
Most hotels will keep luggage for a few days. The
baggage room (daily 8am-8pm) at Tokyo station
takes bags for up to fifteen days at a daily rate
of ¥410 for the first five days and ¥820 per day
thereafter. At the time of writing the baggage
room was located at the far southeast end of
the station, beyond the Highway Bus stops, but
it may be moved once the redevelopment of
the station is complete. Note that coin lockers
(¥300-800 depending on the size) can only be used
for a maximum of three days.
Internet access
Many visitors soon realize that Japan doesn't quite
live up to its tech-savvy reputation - some locals
are still surprised to hear that one can book
flights or tickets online. A fair few local websites
are laughably bad - with italicized Times New
Roman fonts and copious Clipart characters,
many seem to have been imported directly from
the mid-1990s. However, things are finally starting
to improve, and
wi-fi
access is becoming more
widespread; most big-city cafés offer it for free,
though at some you have to register. In addition,
Living and working in Tokyo
Employment opportunities
for foreigners have
shrunk since the Japanese economy took a
nosedive, though finding employment is far
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