I VENUE OF THE MEETING

The meeting site: The Okinawa Convention Center (OCC)

Okinawa is blessed with the subtropical beauty and a unique cultural heritage. As the gateway to East Asia, it is a center for exchange between Japan and Asia. At the hub of this center is the OCC.

The OCC was opened with the event hall and conference rooms in September 1987.

The unique building motifs present the "sky", "sea" and "grottos".

The sky motif includes birds and the sun, the "sea" includes all ocean life, and the "grottos" are where man abides. The Convention Center design depicts Okinawa's bright sunshine blocked by the spread wings of a giant bird, under which the people congregate.

Serving four separate functions with its exhibition hall, theatre, conference hall, and seminar rooms, the Okinawa Convention Center is a multi-function complex that satisfies the needs of major conferences.

Adjoining the beach, marina, seaside park, and open-air amphitheater, the area offers the best of convention resort destinations. During the congress, the entire center is reserved for the Rapporteur’s Group meeting on Question 14-2/2 after the APT Telemedicine Initiative Meeting (http://www.ets8.jp/ 15-16 June 2007) under the umbrella of the 21^st Pacific Science Congress (http://www.psc21.net/index.html).

The Okinawa Convention Center in Ginowan City is just 10 kilometers north of the capital of Naha.

Access via the main island highway, 58, allows quick and easy access from Naha Airport.

II NATIONAL COORDINATOR

Professor I. Nakajima, Vice-Rapporteur for Question 14-2/2,
Tel: +81 463 913130, Fax: +81 463 910780, E-mail: Jh1rnz@aol.com

III WORKING LANGUAGES

The meeting will be conducted in English.

IV DELEGATES’REGISTRATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF DOCUMENTS

Registration and distribution of documents will start on Sunday, 17 June 2007 at 8.30 am at the Okinawa Convention Center.

V WORKING HOURS

9h00-12h30 and 14h00 –18h00

VI ACCOMMODATION

Tokai University intends to book 40 single rooms at the Okinawa Washington Hotel through the Salongo Inc. travel agency. It is located about 10 km south of the Okinawa Convention Center. Transportation by bus will be provided between the Okinawa Washington Hotel and the OCC. The accommodation fee during the meeting will be about U.S.D. 80 per night through the above-mentioned travel agency (see details below).

VII RESERVATION OF HOTEL ROOMS AND TRANSPORTATION

Travel Agency; “Salongo Inc.” will be the official travel agency for this meeting and will handle hotel accommodation and transportation.

Contact Person:              Mr. Kazuhiko Kihara (info@salongo.jp)
                                          Tel: + 81-3-5157-3291, FAX +81-3-5157-3293
                                          http://www.salongo.jp

Address: Inaho Bldg., 3rd floor 3-7-7 Shimbashi,
Minato-ku,Tokyo 105-0004 Japan

VIII PASSPORT AND VISA

To visit Japan, you must have a valid passport. A visa is required for citizens of countries that do not have visa-exempt agreements with Japan.

Please contact the nearest Japanese Embassy or Consulate for visa requirements.

Prof. Nakajima of Tokai University (Vice Rapporteur of Question 14-2/2) is willing to provide the invitation letter to participants of the Rapporteur’s Group meeting on 14-2/2. Please contact him if you need the invitation letter (e-mail: usman@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp )

Contact point of Japan:               Nakajima lab. Tokai University
                                                      Mr. Koredianto Usman; usman@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp
                                                      Prof. Isao Nakajima; Jh1rnz@aol.com
                                                      Tel: +81-463-91-3130, FAX:+81-463-91-0780
                                                      http://www.ets8.jp/

Address: Nakajima Lab. Tokai University School of Medicine
Shimokasuya 143, Isehara, Kanagawa, 259-1143, Japan

IX DUTY FREE IMPORTS

Personal effects and professional equipment can be brought into Japan duty free as long as the customs officer deems their contents and quantities reasonable. You can also bring up to 400 cigarettes, 500 grams of tobacco or 100 cigars; 3 bottles of alcoholic beverages; 2 ounces of perfume; and gifts and souvenirs whose total market price is less than 200,000 yen or its equivalent. There is no allowance for tobacco or alcoholic beverages for persons aged 19 years or younger. Firearms and other types of weapons, and narcotics are strictly prohibited.

X INSURANCE

The organizers cannot accept responsibility for accidents that might occur involving participants. Participants are encouraged to purchase travel insurance before leaving their home country. Insurance plans typically cover accidental loss of belongings, medical costs in case of injury or illness, and other possible risks of international travel.

XI CLIMATE

Okinawa is a subtropical island and it is quite warm throughout the year with the temperature ranging between about 20-35 C.

The temperature in Okinawa during the period of the Rapporteur’s Group meeting ranges between 24 C and 29 C.

XII CURRENCY

Only Japanese yen (¥) is acceptable at regular stores and restaurants. Certain foreign currencies may be accepted at a limited number of hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops. You can buy yen at foreign exchange banks and other authorized money exchangers on presentation of your passport.

XIII TRAVELLER'S CHEQUES AND CREDIT CARDS

Traveller’s checks are accepted only by leading banks and major hotels in principal cities, and the use of traveller’s cheques in Japan is not as popular as in some other countries. VISA, MasterCard, Diners Club, and American Express are widely accepted at hotels, department stores, shops, restaurants and nightclubs.

XIV TIPPING

In Japan, tipping is not necessary anywhere, even at hotels and restaurants.

XV ELECTRICITY

Electric current is uniformly 100 volts (AC) throughout Japan, but with two different cycles: 50 in eastern Japan including Tokyo and 60 in western Japan including Okinawa, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka. Leading hotels in major cities have two outlets of 100 and 220 volts but their sockets usually accept a two-leg plug only.

XVI SHOPPING

Shops and other sales outlets in Japan are generally open on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays as well as weekdays from 10:00 to 20:00. Department stores, however, are closed on one weekday, differing by store, and certain specialty shops may not open on Sundays and national holidays.

XVII BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO OKINAWA

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan, with a population of approximately 1.3 million.

It consists of the main island of Okinawa and more than 160 islands, with a total land area of about 2,265 square kilometers. Okinawa has the southernmost islands of Japan and a sub-tropical climate. The annual average temperature is 22 degrees Celsius, with the lowest temperature rarely below 10 degrees Celsius. Okinawa receives much rainfall (about 2,000 mm per year) and the annual average humidity is 77%. Typhoons or tropical cyclones are frequent in the summer months. Okinawa is famous for its rich biodiversity and lush landscape. A warm ocean current, called "Kuro-shio", supports the beautiful coral reefs that surround most of the islands, which attract numerous tourists from the mainland Japan and overseas.

Historically, Okinawa was the Ryukyu Kingdom (1429-1879) and actively engaged in trade with China, Korea and many Southeast Asian countries. Influenced by these other societies, Okinawa culture retains unique and distinct traditions expressed in its festivals, dancing, music, arts and crafts, etc.

For more information about Okinawa, please visit the Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau.