Below are some hints and tips that will hopefully help make your trip more enjoyable and stress free. This is by no means an exhaustive list and is just meant as a guide. If anyone can think of some other helpful hints let me know and I'll include them here.

If you have any other ideas or information, or I've made any mistakes please let me know.

If you have any questions ask them now. Not only is it getting close, but I'd bet that someone else has the same question.

You might want to consider contacting your credit card company/bank and letting them know that you will be in Japan and when, that way when they see a transaction in Japan they won't think it is a possible fraud and stop your card. Also if you tell them that you are in Japan and only Japan, then if they see a transaction in some other country they will know to check on it. I've done this on a number of trips and never had a problem. If they see any suspicious activity on your card they will try and contact you, but if they can't they may stop the card and that could be a pain.

Money :

* Money Belt for your waist or lanyard for your cash and important documents.

* Changing of money. You will need to at least take some Yen for the first day or two. After that you can either use a Card of our choosing (maybe check with your bank - don't forget taking money out of a credit card that isn't in credit will cost heaps and is probably the worst way to get cash)

* Also there could be a lack of ATMs in some of the more remote and smaller towns we visit, so be prepared with cash.

* You can get Yen from at least the Westpac Bank, the GIO and the Post Office. The cheapest and probably best exchange rate will be obtained through Westpac Bank which has an A$8.00 fee no matter how much Yen (¥) is purchased, so you might want to consider getting a group of you and purchasing at the one time. This can take up to a week, so be sure to check how long it will take and plan ahead.

26/2/09 - FYI - Exchanging A$ to ¥ via the Post Office. The PO offers the same or similar rate to Westpac, about ¥2 less than what you see advertised, but not only does the PO not charge a fee, if you ordered it before midday you can get it the following business day - worth keeping in mind.

The Yen is hovering around the ¥60 to the A$1.00 which is a terrible rate. It was over ¥100 to the A$1.00 twelve months ago. Whether it will get any better, or worse for that matter is anyone's guess.

26/2/09 - The exchange rate is now around ¥64.5 to the A$ - Go A$. Hmmm ... back to ¥62.?

We also have a short stop-over in Korea, so whether you want to get any KRW (South Korean Won) is up to you. As I write this the exchange rate is 955KRW to the A$1.00

For what its worth, in the past when I've traveled I've used 2 credit cards (I don't have a Debt card), one I charge up with cash so that it is in credit and I can draw cash out from it via an ATM (you pay the exchange rate at the time, but no interest as it is in credit) and the second I use to purchase items with when I can.

26/2/09 - Through some very scientific calculations and a huge guesstimating, a figure of ¥3,500 (about ¥75,000 for the trip) per day has been derived at as a 'suggested' amount that each person should allow for day to day expenses whilst in Japan. This should cover, food, travel etc, but does not include how much you want to spend on souvenirs or gifts to bring home.

This does not mean that you have to carry this much in cash right from the start of the trip, just have this much available to you in whatever form you deem appropriate.

NOTE:

¥3,500 = A$58.00 (working on ¥60 per A$)*

*This will change as the values of the ¥ and A$ change.

 

Important Documents :

* Maybe scan or photograph your passport and any other important documents and email them to yourself to an account that is easily accessible to you whilst over there eg: Gmail or Hotmail account (though most ISP accounts will let you log in to them from anywhere).

If for some reason you can't do either of these then bring them on the 2nd March and I can do it for you on the day.

 

Medication :

* Make sure you have enough medication for the trip. You might even want to have some spare and store it in a different locations in case you loose one lot.

* Don't forget to take any documentation (eg: a letter from your Doctor) setting out what medications you have to take and what size dosage or pills they are.

* Also make sure that you have informed Trish about any medical problems.

* And check with your Doctor if you need to do or take anything different, or precautions to take on the long flight (more info at Smartraveller.com.au)

 

Mobile Phone :

* Whilst you can get Global Roaming for your phone and they should work in Japan, it might pay to consider getting a SIM card from a local service provider over there and using that? Then text your new number to any family or friends.

*There is a fair bit of confusion over whether or not our phones will work in Japan. It appears that some will and some won't. For the best chances it seems that 3G phones and those that are Tri or Quad band phone are the most likely to work.

* Here is a link to some more information about mobile phone/s use in Japan at Japan-Guide.com or Japan-Zone.com These sites also have lots of other info as well.

 

Making Phone Calls to and from Japan :

Within Japan

Dial the number as it is shown. If you are calling from a landline to another landline in the same area code you may omit the area code when dialing, but it is not necessary. An exception is that cell phones cannot call toll free numbers (0120 prefix). 0120 numbers are free to call from landlines.

From Japan to Abroad

1. Dial the international dialing access code (010).
2. Dial the country code of the country you are calling (61 for Australia).
3. If the number starts with a 0, drop the 0 and dial everything else.

For example, to call Australia number (02) 3456-7890, dial 010+61+2-3456-7890. Note that this method will work from any Japanese phone, however it is the most expensive way to make an international call. Most service providers offer an international calling program that is cheaper but requires registration.

From Abroad to Japan

1. Dial the international dialing access code (0011)
2. Dial Japan's country code (81).
3. If the number starts with a 0, drop the 0 and dial everything else.

For example, to call the Japanese number (012)-345-6789 from Australia dial 0011+81+12-345-6789. To call the Japanese mobile phone number 090-1234-5678 from Australia dial 0011+81+90-1234-5678. Again, direct dialing is the most expensive way to make an international call.

Electric power and plug typeS used in Japan :

Electricity in Japan is 100 V alternate current and varies between 50/60 Hz. - *Eastern Japan 50 Hz (Tokyo, Kawasaki, Sapporo, Yokohoma, and Sendai); Western Japan 60 Hz (Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Hiroshima)

World Electric Guide is a good site to check for yourself and for information on other countries.

My understanding is that the JL-9 and FH-2 plugs are virtually the same with the only difference being that the JL-9 has an earth (the round pin). An earth is not as important as it use to be, hence many modern electrical items come with only a two pin plug.

Adaptors for Japan are regularly available in places like Dick Smiths, Tandys, stores selling travel equipment, camping stores (maybe), and places like Big W and even those cheap stores, so you shouldn't have much trouble getting hold of one. They often come in a pack for most power plugs of the world.

I can't remember where I got it from, but I got a two pin adaptor (like the FH-2) which allows for the pins to pivot between the perpendicular (for Japan) and the angle necessary to fit our plugs here in Australia. So you might want to keep an eye out for one like that.

I recently purchased an external hard drive for my computer and it came with three different cords, one of which will work in Japan, so maybe you have something like that tucked away and have forgotten about it?

Another suggestion is that a few of you maybe take a small power board and adaptor so that you can charge/use a number of items with the one adaptor. I'll need something like this so that I can re-charge my phone, camera batteries and use my lap top at the same time.

TAKE A TOWEL :

Where we are staying in Tokyo there will be no towels provided. I've been informed that the practice when bathing is to leave your clothes in a basket and then enter the bathing area in said towel. So whilst you don't want to take a bath sheet because of its size and weight, neither do you want to take one of those swimmers cloths like I saw in the Olympics ... unless you don't have much to hide that is.

I'm thinking seriously of taking a towel that I'll leave behind, but then I have a lot to cover so I need a big towel.

SECURITY :

Don't forget the liquid restrictions for carry on as well as any sharp or metal objects eg: scissors, nail files etc. You can pack any of these things in your normal luggage, you just can't carry them on.

If you are taking anything with batteries in it, it will pay to remove the batteries from the item. You can still have them in the same bag, just not in the actual device.

To find the Aviation Security Measures for Carry-on Baggage at International Airports and everything else you will need to know about carry on luggage from a security point of view, then go to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government website.

I strongly advice you to go to and read this site to avoid any hassle at the airport. Not sticking to these rules could not only be VERY embarrassing, but also frustrating and time consuming.

Here are some of the basics that you need to know;

An example of what you can have and how it must be packed.

The rules and regulations. For more comprehensive information of the above, download the full brochure HERE as a PDF file.

 

 

EMERGENCY SERVICES IN JAPAN :

Those of you taking phones may want to store these numbers in them before we go, don't want to be fumbling for them in an emergency.

Police - 110

Fire & Ambulance - 119

Remembers these numbers work on local phones and may only work on your mobile if you have a Japanese SIM card in it.

The Tokyo English Lifeline (Tel: +813 5774 0992) provides advice and counseling in English.

General :

* You might want to consider checking out and registering with . There is a great deal of information for the traveler on this site and could be invaluable for those who may not have traveled before.

* Here is a direct link to the Japanese information .

ACCOMMODATION :

In Tokyo we will be staying HERE in building 'B'. See also 'TAKE A TOWEL' above.

 

INTEREST :

HERE is a brochure advertising the HKO in Japan (mostly in Japanese)

Dress, Gift & packing Ideas:

 

Packing Requirements

 

Hat – Akubra

Jacket

Formal yellow shirt

Tie

Black Dress pants (to touch top of shoes)

Black socks or black stockings, can be knee high no shorter

Travel Shirt

Black Dress Shoes

Instruments requiring reeds – 5 reeds to be rotated throughout trip

 

 

General Packing Suggestions

 

 

***** No inappropriate logos on t-shirts or sweat shirts ******

 

Main Luggage

 

1 x tracksuit or similar for night wear

underwear

2 x singlets

2 x pairs of socks

1 pair of gloves

1 x scarf

1 x hat/beanie

1 pair comfortable walking shoes

1 raincoat or umbrella

2 x t-shirts or blouses

1 x warm jumper or “hoody”

1 x pair of comfortable long pants for all occasions

1 x small bath towel

1 x plastic bag for damp/wet clothing

Parker or Jacket (carry on plane, to save luggage weight)

Nice outfit ie top/blouse to wear out to dinner

Toiletry bag in main luggage

Perfume – standard size 100ml

Plastic Picnic set consisting of plate, cup, bowl, cutlery

Tea bags/coffee/cup of soups/sugar (optional)

Small packets of tissues

 

Hand Luggage

 

Clear plastic with necessities (as per information provided by customs)

Medication (if required) separate plastic bag with Dr’s letter

 

 

Suit Bags

 

Need to have plastic coat hangers for jackets

Clearly labeled

 

Gifts

 

Possibly 4 homestays.

 

Definitely 2 main homestays, maybe 1 at Noboribetsu also.

 

Spare Gift for Mukuwa, just in case we stay overnight.

 

 

• Gift required for Zozan Club – small soft toy and book. Wrapped together

 

• Handa – Brass Band – small soft toy and book, wrapped separately.

 

 

If you are looking for any photographs involving the orchestra or any fund raising events,

then head over to the Galleries

SPONSERS:

Whose kindness and generosity have helped make the HKO the success they are today ... Thank you.

Mid Coast Cranes

The Largest Range Of Cranes On The Coast

6 Merrigal Rd, Port Macquarie, NSW 2444
(02) 6581 0896

Fredo Meats

The best meat at the best price

173 Lake Rd, Port Macquarie, NSW, 2444
(02) 65810363

Port Macquarie Trophies

HKO Contacts:

Chocolates:

      Fiona Brassey (Mrs Sweets)
      0438-207-179
 

Treasurer:

      Cam Cameron (Mr. Money)
      0431-350-648

Note:

Check in here regularly for updates and the latest on what's happening.

If you see any errors please let me know ASAP.