TRAVEL
How to get to ISHA 2025
Getting to Fukuoka
Fukuoka is a highly accessible city for both East Asian and international travellers, thanks to its well-connected transport network.
For East Asian visitors, Fukuoka Airport (FUK) serves as a major hub, with frequent direct flights from major cities like Seoul, Busan, Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei and Hong Kong. The short flight times (about 1.5 hours from Seoul and 2 hours from Shanghai) make Fukuoka particularly convenient for travellers from neighboring countries. Additionally, visitors from South Korea can take the high-speed ferry from Busan, which reaches Fukuoka’s Hakata Port in about 3 hours.
For international travellers, Fukuoka Airport (FUK) offers direct flights to major cities such as Singapore, Bangkok, Manila, and several destinations in Europe and North America via connecting flights through Tokyo, Osaka, or other major Asian hubs. The airport is located just a 10-minute subway ride from the city centre, making arrival and transit extremely efficient.
Alternatively, travellers arriving via Tokyo (Haneda or Narita) or Osaka (Kansai) can easily connect to Fukuoka via the Shinkansen (bullet train), which links Osaka to Fukuoka in just 2.5 hours.
Getting around Fukuoka
The venue for the ISHA 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting is the Fukuoka International Congress Center, which is located in the Hakata Bay area, within the waterfront district of Fukuoka. The waterfront district is conveniently close to Hakata Station, the city’s main transportation hub. For a range of accommodation options in the Hakata Station area, please see the Accommodation / Housing page.
Venue address
Fukuoka International Congress Center, 2-1 Sekijomachi, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka, 812-0032
ISHA 2025
Fukuoka International Congress Center
2-1 Sekijomachi, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka, 812-0032
P: +81 92-262-4111
Airport transfers
Delegates arriving at Fukuoka Airport have several convenient options to reach the city centre:
1. Subway: The Fukuoka City Subway Kuko Line connects Fukuoka Airport directly to the city centre in just 5-10 minutes (Hakata Station stop). The subway station is located at the Domestic Terminal, and free shuttle buses are available to transport passengers from the International Terminal to the Domestic Terminal.
2. Taxi: Taxis are readily available at the airport. A taxi ride to the Hakata area typically takes 10-20 minutes and costs around ¥1,500 to ¥2,500.
3. Airport bus: Buses run from both the Domestic and International Terminals to major locations in the city, including Hakata Station. This option costs around ¥260 to ¥500 and takes 15-30 minutes.
4. Car rental: A range of car rental services are available directly at Fukuoka Airport.
Getting to/from the venue
Delegates have a range of options for getting to the venue:
1. Bus: Bus routes operate from Hakata Station to the Congress Center. The journey typically takes around 10-15 minutes and costs around ¥230.
- Bus 99: Board at Hakata-eki Center Building-mae Bus Stop E. Buses bound for Hakata Pier. Alight at Kokusai Center/Sunpalace-mae.
- Bus 88: Board at Hakata-eki Center Building-mae Bus Stop E. Buses bound for Chuo Pier. Alight at International Congress Center/Sunpalace-mae.
2. Taxi: A taxi ride from the Hakata area takes around 5-10 minutes and costs ¥1,000 to ¥1,500.
3. Foot: For those who wish to walk, the Congress Center is around 20-25 minutes on foot from Hakata Station.
4. Bicycle/scooter: Fukuoka offers a range of bicycle and scooter hire options.
5. Car: For those arriving by car (Higashi-hama or Chikko exit from Urban Expressway), parking is available in multi-storey parking lot P1. Hours of operation are 08:00 - 22:00. Fees are ¥100/20 minutes up to a maximum of ¥1,000.
Useful Information
Planning Your Arrival
For international passengers, we suggest that you try to allow yourself at least a day in which to adjust to the time difference and relax after your flight before ISHA 2025 commences. Fukuoka follows the Japan Standard Time time zone, which corresponds to UTC/GMT +9 hours.
Insurance
It is strongly recommended that delegates take out adequate travel and health insurance prior to commencement of travel. Further information can be obtained from your travel agent. Delegate registration fees do not provide any such insurance coverage. The Organising Committee and the ISHA Conference Office accept no responsibility for any loss in this regard.
Safety
Fukuoka is considered to have a very low crime rate. However, as in any large city, delegates are advised to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings.
Fire/ambulance 119
Police 110
The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) provides a 24-hour English-speaking visitor hotline in case of accidents and emergencies - tel. (+81) 050-3816-2787
Vaccinations
Generally speaking, no specific vaccinations are required for travel to Japan. For recommended vaccinations and health precautions, please consult your country’s national health advice service.
Banking, Cards and Currency
The currency in Japan is the Yen (JPY. Japanese: 円, symbol: ¥). Locally in Japan, yen is pronounced “en”. Note dominations are ¥1,000, ¥2,000, ¥5,000, ¥10,000 and coin denominations are ¥1, ¥5, ¥10, ¥50, ¥100, ¥500. Travellers entering Japan with more than ¥1 million (or equivalent) must disclose the amounts they are carrying.
Use of cash is still extremely common in Japan, although cards are becoming widely accepted in cities. It is useful to carry small denominations for use in ticket and vending machines. ATMs at Japan Post and 7-Eleven supermarkets are a convenient place to obtain cash; banks are usually open from 9am to 3pm on weekdays. It is often cheaper to exchange cash ahead of travelling to Japan.
Credit card readers typically support swipe, insert or tap/contactless (referred to as "touch" in Japan). In some cases, you may still asked to sign for payments, but it is rare for the vendor to check the authenticity of this.
Most restaurants, shops, and even taxis, will provide a small tray for you to put money on, instead of giving it directly to the cashier.
Climate
ISHA 2025 will be taking place during the autumn/fall, when Fukuoka usually has warm temperatures and moderate rainfall. The temperature during the day can rise to approximately 24°C/75°F. At night, it falls to around 16°C/60°F.
Electricity
Japan operates on a 100V supply voltage and 50/60Hz.
Language
The official language of Japan is Japanese. The Japanese language has three types of characters - Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji - meaning that words will be seen written in different systems. Hiragana and Katakana are phonetic, with each character representing one syllable, while Kanji is ideographic, with each character standing for a certain meaning.
English speaking is relatively widespread in cities and signage is often in English, however smartphone-based translation apps can come in useful.
Tipping
There is no tipping culture in Japan.
Value Added Tax
When paying for goods in Japan, it is fairly common to see the pre-tax price advertised, although, by law, the final price should always be indicated. Consumption tax is currently 10%, but for cafes, restaurants or other businesses serving food to take away the tax is 8%.
Tax Free Shopping is available in Japan to foreign nationals meeting certain criteria. Be sure to inform the cashier that you wish to take advantage of tax free shopping, so that the relevant forms can be completed.
Driving
Cars drive on the left in Japan.
Tourist Information
For tourist information relating to Fukuoka and Japan, visit the Downloads / Links page.
The Japan Official Travel App is a smartphone app provided by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). The app is available in four languages (English, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), Korean) and includes useful features such as a transit search tool, offline maps, alerts in the event of weather/earthquake warnings, etc.
Entry Requirements and Travel Documents
Visas
As of December 2024, nationals of the countries listed below are exempt from needing a visit for short stays (up to 90 days) in Japan for tourism or business purposes. For those not exempt, a short-term visa can be applied for online via the eVISA system. Nationals of some countries will require a more extensive visa process; please see the website of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs for further details.
Africa
Lesotho, Mauritius, Tunisia
Asia
Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan
Europe
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Latin America and the Caribbean
Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Mexico, Surinam, Uruguay
Middle East
Israel, Qatar, Turkey, United Arab Emirates
North America
Canada, United States
Oceania
Australia, New Zealand
If in doubt, please check the latest list of visa exempt countries on the website of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Invitation Letters
Travel Offers
Japan Rail Pass
The Japan Rail Pass offers visitors to Japan unlimited use of JR trains nationwide for one, two or three weeks at a cost of JPY 50,000, JPY 80,000 or JPY 100,000, respectively. There are also many regional rail passes that cover part of the country at an even cheaper price. For more information, visit the Japan Rail Pass website.
JAL Japan Explorer Pass - ANA Experience JAPAN Fare
Travellers who hold a passport issued in any country other than Japan and that have international return tickets on any airline can book a domestic flight with All Nippon Airways (ANA) or Japan Airlines (JAL) at a special discounted fare. For more information, visit the ANA and JAL websites.
ISHA 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting
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