Information (FAQ)

The G8 Summit 2008 will be held in an luxurious hotel at Toya lake, Hokkaido, Japan.
Hokkaido is an rather big island in the far North of Japan.

The Toya lake is located in the South of the island.
The biggest city in the administrative area of Hokkaido is Sapparo.

For an updated timeline look also here.

Action schedule
24-26 May (Kobe) Meeting Ministers of Environmental Affairs
13-14 June (Osaka) Meeting Ministers of Financial Affairs
26-27 June (Kyoto) Anti-Foreign Ministers Meetings, Rally and March
28-29 June (Tokyo) Anti-G8 Rally and March
01-04 July (Sapporo) Themed Actions (Rally and March)

01 July (Sapporo) Anti-military base/ anti-war
02 July (Sapporo) Anti-WTO, privatization
03 July (Sapporo) Anti-neo-liberalism
04 July (Sapporo) Farmers' day, day of AINU

05 July (Sapporo) International Action Day
05 July (Chitose) Airport Protest
07-09 July (Lake Toya) Blocking the G8
06-08 July (Sapporo) Alternative Summit

Please be aware that this is a temporary summary that might change.

The G8 Summit will take place between the 7th and 9th of July. The action days will begin on the 28th of June. There will be a series of themed demos in Sapporo during succeeding six days. At the moment the themes are tentative: (1) Anti-neo-liberalism, namely, anti-poverty, precarity, homelessness; (2) farmers'day, characterizing Hokkaido as the land of farmers; (3) anti-military base/anti-war; and (4) the day of natives and minorities, symbolizing the Ainu people, Hokkaido's native habitants before Japan's colonization in the 19th century.
July 5th shall be the day of mass rally and demo in Sapporo. We propose to make it the international day of action, calling a simultaneous protest in different cities of the world. You will get the information from the affinity groups in Japan. You are encouraged to make proposals or organize your own actions in consultation with Japanese groups. Your creativity is most welcome and appreciated.)

Music concerts of Anti-G8 theme are planned in Tokyo, Sapporo, as well as at the camp near Lake Toya, the site of the G8.
Various kinds of radical theater groups are going to take part in the anti-G8 protests, some in their own theatre space, others on the street or other sites.

Please see also in the general section: How do I get around in Japan?

To get to Sapporo, which is the nearest city from Lake Toya and the biggest city in Hokkaido, you will have to fly either via Tokyo or Osaka. Hokkaido is connected to the main land only via airplane or boat, namely, there is no car access to the town. So all of you might as well stay in either city for a period of time, before the summit and participate in the events.
From Sapporo Lake Toya can be reached either by train (three hours) or car (two hours). Bus ride will take three hours.

From Tokyo to Sapporo(Hokkaido)
Train + Ferry 33 hrs € 42
Night Bus +Train 24 hrs € 46
Bus + Ferry 28 hrs € 60
Train (only) 31 hrs € 70
Airplane 1.5 hrs € 63
From Sapporo to Lake Toya
Bus 2.5 hrs € 20

Hitchhiking might take you one or two days. You still have to take the boat to the Hokkaido island.

Yes! The camp sites will be set up at Sapporo and near Lake Toya.
Please bring tents and sleeping bags. Simple vegan food will be provided on donation bases.
Please also bring basic equipment to possibly sleep outside without a tent.
Bring bicycles and cars.

You will be updated the detail thru this website.

The Camp is provided as an area for those of us coming with (I)NGOs and citizens' groups to pitch our tents.
We are working with you to plan an international kitchen, concerts, film screenings, a world football tournament, workshops on environmental issues and nature conservation, as well as other events to be held in and around the camp grounds. This is 'another possibility', "Alternative Village". "Alternative Village" will be an experimental environment in which every participant builds the space for participation with their own hands. This is the type of space that has been actualized through the participation of many people against the G8 at Evian-les-Bains in France, again at Gleneagles in Scotland, and again at Heiligendamm in Germany. Moreover, the camp and its surrounding activities provide a chance for those from around the world to exchange ideas and build networks with the local residents.

As a matter of fact we do. We would highly appreciate any donation and any money you can spare.

You can donate money by bank transfer or paypal or by giving money to your friends who come to the protests to give it to us directly.
Our bank account information will be posted in the next few days.

Our paypal account information will be posted in the next few days.

We can use about everything. Especially food, but also big pans, kitchen equipment, any material to build a camp, bikes, cars. You name it, we take it. ;-)
Please contact us if you have anything that might be useful. E.g. just send an email.

Yes.

Yes. Internet access will be available. There will be an independent media center, where foreign media activists can go and set up their station. You might want to bring your own laptop though.

Yes.

The convergence center will act as your window to a host of knowledge & information concerning the G8; as a studio for printing data & documents; as a studio for creative work & operations; as a meeting place, and as a resting place; as a point of internet access; and as a forum for international exchange. The center will function as an important node, gathering those of us unaccustomed to the land together in order to stimulate collaborative operations, and, at the same time, we will work to ensure that local voices are active in education and discussion.

The affiliate group is a group of persons who stick together on certain occasions to be there for each other. Affiliate group building will be done at least on daily bases in the camps so you don't have to worry about staying alone when you come to Japan alone.

The most common weapons Japanese police carry are truncheons, plastic shields, and sand-stuffed gloves. They used to use tear gas and water-cannon, but not much recently. Pepper spray has not been used for some time, but some source says that they might start using it.
They don’t do mass-arrests like the European and American police. They tend to do close combat by forming a line and arrest people one by one by drawing them into their side. It is not illegal to hide your face on the street. One does not have to respond to their interrogations; one does not have to let them check their belongings. These are not obligation but only voluntary cooperation.
They rarely start attacking protesters like elsewhere; they are not as aggressive as American and European police forces. If you are Japanese, once you are arrested, you are advised to be completely silent, and likely to be held for twenty three days − the extensions of 3 days, 10 days, and 10 days. The enormity of the custody period has been criticized by the Amnesty International.

You can also find a long and nice article about Japanese police tactics here:
http://www.gipfelsoli.org/Home/Hokkaido_2008/5003.html

In the past, foreign political activists have rarely been arrested. The police prefers to let them go directly. After being arrested the police can hold you for a period of 3+10+10 days. If you get arrested it is very unlikely that the Japanese police will hold you for 23 days. Probably there is a policy of not making political events internationally known by arresting foreigners for 23 days without trial. Japan tends to be very nervous about their international reputation. We are hoping that this will remain the same for the anti-G8 2008.

You have to have your passport with you all the time.
Police controlling foreigners on the street is pretty common in Japan and will happen even more in the time of the G8. There are police booth about every kilometer on main streets. It all depends on the looks, but there a reports of "strange" foreigners being controlled three times a day.
You have to show your passport and tell your name. Try to be polite and say that you are a tourist. The police might call a translator if their English isn't good enough. They might ask you for you Japanese friends, their names and phone numbers. Make clear that it's not common in your country to answer any personal questions. Stick to not answering questions no matter what. Never take the police to the place you stay even if they want you to. If you really need to call someone insist to do this from a public phone and not the phone in the police booth.

A legal team has been formed, while politicians and civic organizations have organized a campaign to watch police behaviors toward the G8 2008.
The phone number will be posted before the actions days.

Stay calm.
You have to show your passport. Besides that you only have to tell your name, nationality and profession. The profession can be a general expression like farming industry or factory worker.
Once arrested it might be wise to smile friendly and shut up. The Japanese police might not react well to aggression.
Don't answer any questions by saying politely and friendly that you won't answer questions. Anything you say will be held against you or against another person. ("I didn't do it" means that the other person they have in custody must have done it)
Stick to not answering any question. If you answer once they will continue asking. (How do you like Japan? How do you like the nature? Did you put the tree on the street?)

For any conversation the police has to get a translator on the phone if their English isn't good enough. Even if you speak Japanese pretty good, say that you don't. If you haven't lived in Japan for many years with a lot of police contact you probably don't know or misunderstand the legal expressions they might use and you end up saying things that might be used against you in court.

Never sign anything they give you, even if it's in your own language.

Hopefully. Visit Japan! :-)

This list is not complete. If you need to get in contact with a goup please don't hesitate to send an email.

Tokyo

ATTAC Japan
Japan Conference of World Social Forum
Article 9 coalition
Consumers Union
Anti-Military, Anti-War group
Peace Committe
Farmer’s alliance
Day labors and homeless support group
Queer, gender group
Film & music group
NO! G8 Action

Hokaido

ATTAC Hokkaido
University of Hokkaido student group
Anti-base, anti-military, anti-war group
Ainu natives solidarity group
The Esperanto League for Freedom in Hokkaido
Fair trade group

You can donate some money. See above.

You can support directly the arrested activists in Japan by making a call, sending a fax, email, letter to the Japanese embassy of your country asking why the activist has been detained without trial and expressing your thoughts about the fact that a person is detained for 23 days without trial in a civilized country like Japan and because of that shows up in reports of amnesty international.

You can participate in a soli action at home.
There will be soli actions around the world. Big ones in big cities like London or Berlin, but also smaller ones in smaller towns. Organize a flash mob in your railway stations, big squares. Put up an information day on a square with transparents cake or beer. Make a soli concert, soli party with dj, soli wrestling, soli meditation, soli graffiti, soli radio, soli performance, or soli sleep.
Solidarity is our main power.

By Plane:
From Europe to Tokyo a plane ticket is around 700 Euro.
From Bangkok to Hiroshima a plane ticket is about 200 Euro.
From Australia to Osaka a plane ticket is around 200 Euro.
Check those webpages for cheap tickets:
http://attitudetravel.com/
http://www.lowfares.com/
http://www.mcflight.de/
There are no flights that go directly from foreign cities to Sapporo. All are via Tokyo.
The costs of flights vary according to your location, so please check it in your own city.
Exception is that from some cities in Korea and Hong Kong, there are direct flights to Sapporo. It is worth checking if it works for your situation.

By train:
Trans-Siberian Railway and boat to Japan. Visa for Russia and possibly China is required. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Siberian_Railway

By ferry:
There are several ferries from China and Russia to several cities in Japan.
They take about 50 hours and cost about 200 Euro.
http://www.ease.com/~randyj/rjjapanx.htm

By car/bike/hitchhiking:
There have been some positive reports about hitchhiking trough Russia. Biking is possible. It might be good to speak Russian. Visa for Russia required.

Find out if you need a visa. (Citizens from over 60 countries don't). Come with casual clothes. (look like a middle class, semi rich nice person, who will be on his/her annual holiday after the hard work all year in the home country)

When entering the country you will be asked:
How long do you want to stay and in what hotel? (remember you're a tourist)
Do you have a ticket to leave the country? (by ferry or plane or whatever)
You might be asked (and it all depends on the look):
What parts of Japan do you want to visit? ( don't mention Hokkaido). What is your profession? (choose one that sounds like you have some money). How much money do you have with you? (credit card?) Are you taking drugs? Are you an political activist?
Please be aware that it's sometimes quite tough to get through Japanese custom. Stick to your story.

Please be aware that your luggage might be checked.

This is heavily edited FAQ from a FAQ originally posted by watch (http://watch08summit.blogspot.com/2008/05/immigration-q_15.html)

It is uncertain how severe the restriction of the immigration will be for the activists coming for the anti-G8 protests. It is recommend for activists with many arrest records in the past and who are nervous about it to contact us and we will direct you to people who will try to make special visa application.

a) What permissions do I need if I want to enter and stay in Japan for the G8 Summit?

To enter Japan, under general law you need a visa. Citizens of about 60 countries don't need a visa (see b)) Having a visa or being a citizen of one of the 60 countries doesn't automatically mean that you can enter the country. They came up with the so called "landing permission" If the immigration officer, that's the person you show your passport to when entering the country, finds that you meet the landing conditions (see b) & c) for details you can enter. Otherwise not. So he will basically ask you a few questions and depending on your answers you can enter (or not).

b) Do I need a visa? Which countries are exempt from from the visa requirement?

Basically, If you have a foreign passport, you need a visa which you have to obtain at Japanese embassy and consulate outside Japan BEFORE landing in Japan. However, over 60 countries and areas are exempt from the visa requirement. So most European and Northern American countries don't need the visa. Please see the list on the website of the Foreign Ministry.
If you possess a passport of one of the listed countries, you do not need a visa for a short-term stay as a temporary visitor. But only if you got the permission upon arrival (a))

c) What is the immigration procedure like? What am I going to be asked?

When passing through passport control at an airport or seaport, you have to show your passport, immigration form ( that's a form you get in the plane or on the ferry or when entering the country. On this form you write down your name, passport number etc.) and - if necessary, that means you are not from the 60 countries mentioned under b) - a visa to the immigration officer and apply for landing permission. The immigration officer will check whether your passport and - if necessary - visa are valid and whether you comply with landing conditions (asking questions). If the immigration officer finds that you meet the landing conditions, you will be photographed and fingerprinted - if you refuse these measures you will not be allowed to enter Japan. After the photographing and fingerprinting, the immigration officer will stamp the landing permission into your passport and you can enter.

In most of the cases, the immigration officer will ask you what the purpose of your visit is and how long you will stay, but he/she may also ask you other questions concerning the landing conditions.
Questions are/ might be:
How long are you staying in Japan? What places will you visit in Japan? Do you have enough money with you to travel as a tourist in Japan? What is your profession? Do you take drugs? Are you a political activist?

It is recommended to be prepared for any questions that might come up.

You should not fall under any of the grounds for denial of landing.
Grounds for denial of landing are especially:
- You have been sentenced to imprisonment for other reasons than political offense. (See f))
- You have been convicted for drug offense and sentenced to a penalty.
- You have been a) convicted of a violation of law and sentenced to a penalty for killing, injuring, assaulting or threatening a person or damaging a building or other objects in relation to an international conference where heads of state or representatives of minsterial level have participated, or to an international sport competition, OR b) deported from Japan or any other country for the above reasons (including the case you were refused to enter a country or you have left a country "voluntarily" after being ordered to leave) AND c) you are likely to kill, injure, assault or threaten a person, or damage a building or other objects in Japan in relation to an international conference.
- The Minister of Justice has reasonable grounds to believe that you are likely to commit an act which could be detrimental to the interests or public security of Japan.

d) How can I prove that I comply with the landing conditions?

If the immigration officer has any doubts whether you comply with the landing conditions, he/she may ask you to prove that you meet the conditions. It is therefore desirable to prepare the following documents prior to visiting Japan so that they are producible to the immigration officer if required:
1) A ticket for boarding an airplane or a vessel to leave Japan, or a written guarantee issued by a transport company. 2) A valid passport which enables you to enter foreign countries out of Japan. 3) Documents certifying that you can defray all expenses incurred during the stay in Japan. The amount of expenses depends on activities, period and other aspects of your stay. Which documents you need differs from case to case, but it is preferable to bring an original certificate of bank balances or a proof of earnings issued by a public institution. 4) Other documents necessary to prove what activities you will engage in, e.g., invitation, materials concerning the conferences or meetings, schedule, etc., differing from case to case.

e) Do I have to know where to stay in Japan?

Yes. You have to decide where to stay in Japan beforehand and answer if asked by the immigration officer.

f) Will I be refused to enter if I have a criminal record?

1. Convictions or deportations in relation to international conferences:
If you have been convicted, deported or refused entry to any country for killing, injuring, threatening a person or destroying a building or another object in relation to an international conference in the past, you probably will be denied entry to Japan.
2. Other convictions:
Your application for entry will be refused if you have been sentenced to imprisonment with or without work for 1 year or longer, or to an equivalent penalty in the past, irrespective of whether or not the sentence has been executed, whether or not the sentence execution is completed and whether or not the probation time has ended. However, this shall not apply to those convicted of a political offense. "Political offense" does not include criminal offenses which constitutes a "normal" offense, such as homicide, assault, etc., even if it was committed for political reasons.
Besides these, if you have been penalized for drug crimes, you will be rejected.

g) Do I need an invitation?

If you apply for a visa in order to participate at conferences and other meetings, you need an invitation.
For the landing permission, you do not necessarily need an invitation, but possibly you will be asked to prove that your statements about your activities in Japan are correct. Therefore, if you want to participate at conferences and meetings, it could be helpful to have an invitation.

h) What happens if I am refused entry to Japan?

If the immigration officer decides that you do not satisfy the landing conditions, you will be delivered to a special inquiry officer, who will hold a hearing.
Your representative and/or one of your relatives or acquaintances are allowed to attend the hearing. It is also possible to produce evidence and to hear witnesses.
If the special inquiry officer finds that you conform to the landing conditions, he/she will grant a landing permission. Otherwise, he/she will notify you of his/her findings. In this case, you can either accept these findings and leave the country OR file an objection with the Minister of Justice within 3 days from receipt of the notice. Then the Minister of Justice decides whether or not the objection is reasonable. Even if he finds that the objection is non-reasonable, in very special cases, he can grant a special landing permission.
The duration of the objection procedure may vary from case to case. If the objection is not decided promptly, you will stay in a special facility at the airport or a nearby hotel for which you have to pay.
If the Minister of Justice decides that the objection is non-reasonable, he will order you to leave Japan and determine the date of departure and which flight to take. If you do not leave promptly after receiving the order of departure, a compulsory deportation procedure will be put in force and you will be taken into immigration control facilities.

Train:
Best way is to buy a Japan rail pass. You can buy this tourist rail pass only outside of Japan, so make sure to consider buying one BEFORE you come to Japan.
The Japan Rail Pass allows unlimited travel on almost all JR trains, including the Shinkansen (high speed train), for a fixed period of 7, 14 or 21 days. Japan is a rather long island. When a Shinkansen high speed train takes you 60 minutes to get to a place, the normal, local trains will need 8 hours to do the same route.
The railpass can only be bought at certain agencies in every country. http://www.japanrailpass.net/
Prices:
Whereas a single round trip from Tokyo to Osaka costs almost ¥29,000 (180€), the 7-day Rail Pass is ¥28,300 (175€). So the rail pass is a definitely a bargain compared to normal one way or return tickets. The 14-day/21-day pass is ¥45,100(275€)/57,700(350€).
You only have to determine the beginning of the 7/14/21 day period in Japan. The rail pass period starts on the first day you want to use it.

Bus:
Bus tickets are about 60% of the prices from train tickets.
There is a multitude of operators, including Star Express, Kansai Bus as well as companies of the JR group.
Some busses are comfy, others are not. There are over night busses.
Cheap busses: http://www.123bus.net/

Hitchhike:
It's very easy to hitchhike in Japan. if:
you don't look dirty and you speak basic Japanese.
There is a fantastic page about hitchhiking in Japan:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Hitchhiking_in_Japan

Plane:
Not a nice way to travel. If you have to:
There are plane passes out there:
You have to purchase them before entering the country. You have to determine how many flights you want to take within Japan. One flight is ¥10,000 (60€) no matter how far in Japan you want to fly.
ANA, JAL offer those passes.
Other (cheap) Japanese airline:
Air DO, Skymark.

Car:
You can rent a car. Driving is on the left. A international driver's license (or Japanese license) will be required. Rental rates typically start from ¥6000 (40€) a day for the smallest car. Gas is expensive and there are highway tolls. Please be aware that Japan is a long island.

In Tokyo, a convergence center will be set up where you can get information and participate in workshops. We will secure cheapest accommodation (about 10€ per night) in a certain area of the city. We will also organize a network of people who are willing to accommodate visitors for free. In Osaka/Kyoto area, we will try to set up similar facilities.

Bring a tent to sleep in as soon as you are outside a big town. It is also possible to put up a tent in city parks overnight. Be aware that you have to put it down in the morning or the police might take it.

In Sapporo, there will be a convergence center. There will be camps near the G8 summit where you can stay with your own tents and sleeping bags. Vegan food is available on donation bases.

Try to learn some basic phrases. There are quite useful phrasebooks out there (e.g. from lonely planet or rough guide or kauderwelsch)
Please be aware that 95% of Japanese people are not used to speak English. Many Japanese learned to read English in school but not to speak. If you speak English try to speak very slowly with a long break between every word. It's also good to write the English words down; reading is easier for many Japanese than understanding.

Tent, sleeping bag, Golden/Silver survival aluminum foil, rain clothes, two sets of clothes (in case one gets really wet), transparents, a bowl and a spoon, money for donations, sun protection, material and gear to build yourself things for creative protest, warm clothes (it might get cold at night.), Japanese phrasebook, shoes to play soccer.

1 Euro is 160 Yen.
1 US Dollar is 100 Yen.
One of the currency converters on the web (not idea if it's pc): http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic)
▪ Coins: 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 yen.
▪ Bills: 1000, 2000, 5000, and 10000 yen.

Japan is still fundamentally a cash society.You can't use your credit card if you're not in 5* hotel.
Best way to get money is with an ATM or debit card at an ATM (cash machine). Be aware that you can use your foreign care only at certain ATMs:

Citibank has ATMs at the major airports.
All Post Offices (Yūbin kyoku) Most postal ATMs provide instructions in English as well as Japanese.
12,000 Japanese 7-Eleven stores. (They charge three dollars for the withdrawal)
Many Japanese ATMs are closed at night and during the weekends. An exception is 7-Eleven, which is open 24 hours.

Prices are about the same as wWestern Europe or the US. Some things are more expensive here (transportation) while others are cheaper (ice cream ;-) ).

If you buy food in supermarkets and 99 Yen stores you can live pretty cheap.

You need a 3G (UMTS) cell phone for it to work in Japan. GSM does not exist in Japan.
It's not easy to buy a used cell phone in Japan. The most convenient way to get a Japanese cell phone and Japanese number is to rent one at the airport.
The prices are about: 3€/day, free incoming call, call within Japan 0.70€/min, call outside Japan 1,50€.

It will be warm in July. Nevertheless it can get pretty cold at night. Bring a sweater and rain cloth.