SECOND DRAFT – November 12, 2015
Sonoda Gakuen Women’s University
園田学園女子大学
Incoming Exchange Guidebook
Information on Studying, Living and Traveling at Sonoda Gakuen
Second Draft – November 2015
Prepared by,
David Kawabata
International Exchange Center
園田学園女子大学国際交流センター
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Online Maps
A large Google Map with places mentioned in this Guidebook and more is available online for
viewing at:
https://goo.gl/MOECJw
As this is a first draft please excuse any grammatical errors.
All information contained within was valid at the time of wiring but subject to change.
Sonoda Gakuen does not bear any responsibility with respect to any damages or loss or
damages resulting from the use of information described in the Guidebook.
©園田学園女子大学国際交流センター2015
(Unless otherwise specified)
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Table of Contents
Online Maps .............................................................................................................................2
International Exchange Center .................................................................................................6
Overview .................................................................................................................................. 7
A timeline of Sonoda Gakuen ............................................................................................... 7
Mascot Characters ................................................................................................................ 7
Amagasaki ...............................................................................................................................8
Money and Banking..................................................................................................................9
Operating Instructions for Seven Bank ATMs ..................................................................... 10
International ATM Map....................................................................................................... 11
Japanese Currency.............................................................................................................. 11
Postal Services ................................................................................................................... 12
Shipping Types ................................................................................................................... 12
Japanese Addresses............................................................................................................ 13
Postal Numbers .................................................................................................................. 13
Addresses in English ........................................................................................................... 13
New Year‘s Cards................................................................................................................ 14
Post Office Map .................................................................................................................. 14
Shopping ................................................................................................................................ 15
Supermarkets (grocery stores) ........................................................................................... 15
Drug Stores (Chemists) ....................................................................................................... 15
100 Yen Stores (Dollar Stores) ............................................................................................ 15
Home Centers (DIY Stores, Hardware Stores) .................................................................... 16
Convenience Stores ............................................................................................................ 16
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Shopping Areas in Osaka and Kobe .................................................................................... 16
Foreign Groceries around Sonoda Gakuen ......................................................................... 18
Clothing .............................................................................................................................. 19
Electronics .......................................................................................................................... 19
Books ................................................................................................................................. 19
Internet Connectivity..............................................................................................................20
Wifi .....................................................................................................................................20
SIM Cards ...........................................................................................................................20
Pocket Routers ................................................................................................................... 21
Local Public Transportation .................................................................................................... 21
Hankyu Railway .................................................................................................................. 21
JR West...............................................................................................................................22
Hanshin Railway .................................................................................................................22
Riding the Trains................................................................................................................. 23
Busses ................................................................................................................................24
Maps................................................................................................................................... 25
Timetable Applications ....................................................................................................... 25
Travel Outside of Kansai.........................................................................................................26
Shinkansen .........................................................................................................................26
Limited Express Trains........................................................................................................26
Discount Train Tickets ........................................................................................................26
Airports .............................................................................................................................. 27
Highway Busses .................................................................................................................. 27
Manners .................................................................................................................................28
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Bathing...................................................................................................................................29
Public Baths ........................................................................................................................29
Toilets .................................................................................................................................... 31
Western Style (sitting) 洋式 .............................................................................................. 31
Japanese Style (squatting)
和式 ...................................................................................... 31
Keyaki Dorm Rules ................................................................................................................. 32
The Japanese Language ......................................................................................................... 33
Written Japanese ................................................................................................................ 33
Greetings & Daily Words..................................................................................................... 35
Important Kanji .................................................................................................................. 36
Japanese Titles ................................................................................................................... 37
Extra School words ............................................................................................................. 37
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International Exchange Center
The International Exchange Center (IEC) is here to assist you during your stay. Feel free to
come by our office anytime to ask questions or just have a chat. We are looking forward to
helping you make the most of your time here in Japan.
Address：7-29-1 MinamiTsukaguchi Amagasaki, Hyogo 661-8520 JAPAN
Phone：(+81) 6－6429－1326
Mail：[email protected]
Junko Tatsumi
Keiji
David
Murahashi
Kawabata
(Chief)
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Overview
Welcome to Sonoda Gakuen. We currently consist of two kindergartens, a junior high school,
high school, 2 year college and 4 year university. It is our pleasure to host you here in
Amagasaki with us for your short or long term stay. We hope this guide book will help you find
your way around our campus and the surrounding area.
A timeline of Sonoda Gakuen
Year
Event
1937
Founding of the Sonoda Educational Association
1938
Opening of the Sonoda High School
1947
Reconstruction of Sonoda Gakuen under New School System Law
Opening of Sonoda Gakuen Junior High School
1948
Opening of Sonoda Gakuen Senior High School
1953
Opening of Sonoda Gakuen Kindergarten
1955
Opening of Sonoda Gakuen Elementary School (Closed in 1997)
1963
Opening of Sonoda Gakuen Women’s College
1966
Opening of Sonoda Gakuen Women’s University
1981
Opening of Sonoda Gakuen Women’s University Manabigaoka Kindergarden
1983
Opening of the Ookayama Green Campus in Toyooka, Hyogo
1989
Opening of the Chikamatsu Research Center
1993
Opening of the Sonoda Christchurch Campus in Christchurch, New Zealand
1995
Great Hanshin Earthquake
1997
Opening of the new Seimei-Hall (post-earthquake repairs)
XXXX
Opening of the 30 Year Memorial Building (#5) on the University Campus
XXXX
Opening of the Nursing Building (#7) on the University Campus
2015
Opening of the new university gymnasium
Mascot Characters
Professor Sonoda
Kanae-chan
Age: unknown.
Age: 18
He is a kind professor who
She is a new student who
gives careful lectures and is
loves chatting but isn’t a very
very popular, but we are not
good listener—even though
sure what he teaches!
she has big rabbit ears!
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Amagasaki
Sonoda Gakuen is located in Amagasaki City. Amagasaki is a mixed residential and industrial
city. The city gets more and more industrial as it gets closer to the Osaka Bay but there are
residential areas throughout the city. The population as of 2014 is 460,000 people in an area
of about 50km2. The mayor of Amagasaki is Kazumi Inamura an independent formally of the
Green Party. The city’s image is middle class and industrial, especially when compared to
Nishinomiya and Ashiya to the west.
The city is bordered on the west by the Mukogawa River and Nishinomiya City. On the east,
Amagasaki is bordered by Osaka somewhat defined by the Kanzakigawa River. To the south
the city extends into Osaka Bay. All of this land has been reclaimed over hundreds of years.
The natural shoreline was generally around the Hanshin Railway Line. To the north there is a
haphazard border with Itami City and Toyonaka City. Although part of Hyogo Prefecture,
Amagasaki is closer to Osaka. Interesting fact, Amagasaki shares the same telephone area
code (06) as Osaka instead of having a separate one as other surrounding cities do.
The city has a few focal points centered on major train stations. Both JR Amagasaki and
Hanshin Amagasaki have large shopping malls connected to the stations, hotels, and
multistory apartment mansions1. Hanshin Amagasaki also connects to the Sanwa shopping
street, one of the largest in the nation. Tsukaguchi, where Sonoda Gakuen is, and Tachibana
are also focal points in the city.
In the southwest of the city is Amagsaki Center Pool, this is a boat racing facility for the
betting game called Kyotei. Horseracing (keiba 競馬) is done at the Sonoda Racecourse in the
northeast. Other attractions in the city is the city sports park (sogoundokouen 総合運動公
園) and the Amagasaki Fishing Park (uotsurikouen 魚つり公園) where the Mukogawa River
meets the Osaka Bay. Amagasaki, while being a nice place to live, does not have the
attractions of nearby cities Osaka, Kobe or even Nishinomiya which has a major baseball
stadium.
1
Mansion is a loan word from English meaning large apartment building.
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Money and Banking
Japan is a cash based society. It is not uncommon for people to carry around more than USD
$1,000 in cash on them. Credit cards are still not universally accepted throughout the country.
Do not expect to be able to pay by credit card. Shops in large malls, department stores and
some chain restaurants will take cards. Most supermarkets, convenience stores, family run
restaurants and shops can only accept cash as payment. In stores that do take cards Visa and
Mastercard are the most common. Some stores also take Union Pay, American Express and
JCB. Cards issued from abroad are commonly accepted with a signature. PIN codes are only
needed for making cash withdrawals or some automated transactions (e.g. buying express
and shinkansen2 tickets)
Foreign ATM cards also only work at select ATMs across
the country. They are always accepted at Japanese Post
Bank and Seven Bank ATMs. Japanese Post Bank ATMs are
found in every post office. Even if the post office is closed
you still can access the ATMs on weekends and holidays.
Hours vary by location. Seven Bank ATMs
are located in every 7-11 Convenience Store,
including the one in front of Sonoda
Women’s University. Service hours are
almost 24hours except for a small period of time around midnight that varies by card. Neither
of these ATMs have a fee, however your local bank or credit card might charge you a fee per
usage. Please check with your bank or credit card issuing company for more information.
Sometimes both Japanese Post Bank and Seven Bank ATMs can also be found in large train
stations, department stores and shopping malls. Seven
Bank also has a smartphone app for free listing all of
their
locations.
See
the
following
link:
http://www.sevenbank.co.jp/english/personal/atm/app/
2
Shinkansen (新幹線) is the common name for “bullet train” which is not used in vernacular
speech in Japan.
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Operating Instructions for Seven Bank ATMs
(screen capture from Seven Bank homepage)
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International ATM Map
Japanese Currency
Bills for 1000, 5000 and 10,000 yen are in wide circulation.
You might come across a 2,000 yen bill but they are quite rare.
Most vending machines only take 1,000 yen bills. Coins come
in 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 yen. Vending machines do not take
1 and 5 yen coins.
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Postal Services
Japan has a very efficient and fast post office. Prior to deregulation and privatization it was
also one of the biggest banks in the nation. Today the Post Office shares space with the
Japanese Post Bank, but they are separate entities. Postal mail comes 6 days a week and
some express deliveries also come on Sunday. Private package delivery services such as
Sagawa and Kuroneko Yamato also deliver 7 days a week. Large packages and letters
requiring direct delivery are confirmed with a hanko (name stamp) but a signature is also
commonly accepted. In the event that you are not there to receive your package the delivery
agent will place a card in your mail box. Recently all of these cards now have English on them.
You can use the information on the cards to reschedule delivery or reroute delivery to a
different location either by phone or on the Internet. If you experience any difficulty please
bring the card to the International Exchange Office and we can help you.
Postcards from Japan to any country are ¥70.
Shipping Types
Express Mail (EMS)
Fastest. 2-4 days. Tracking available.
Airmail (kukoyubin 空港郵便)
Faster. 3-6 days.
Economy Air (SAL)
Slow. 6-13 days in general. Only available for
mail to select countries including: Australia,
Indonesia and New Zealand.
Surface Mail (funabin 船便)
Cheapest. 3-6 months.
Hint from David: I have had various success
sending things SAL that show up in the United States
in a week. Sometimes, like during the holiday season,
things get quite slow. Prices can also vary greatly.
EMS can be cheaper than Airmail on some occasions.
I always ask the clerk to check all three EMS, Air,
and SAL. Surface Mail is slow and I have only used it
once. The boxes arrived rather destroyed, but the
contents were intact. I would reserve this only for
books and clothing you want to bring back home
Typical Japanese Post Box –
from Japan.
via Wikipeda User Tomomarusan
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Japanese Addresses
Japanese addresses are written by area going from big to small.
Prefecture (state)
City
Neighborhood
Number
兵庫県
尼崎市
南塚口町
7 丁目 29-1
Hyogo-ken
Amagasaki-shi
Minamistukaguchi-cho 7 chome 29-1
Prefectures
have Cities are typically Most
these 4 endings, but called
generally
neighborhoods These
end in
speaking City 市: shi
numbers
identify the house.
Neighborhood 町: cho Reading from left to
they are all the same
Smaller cities can be
都: to
called
Some neighborhoods Houses
道: do
Counties 群: gun
lack
府: fu
Villages 村: mura
however.
県: ken
Larger
cities
like
Osaka,
Kobe
and Many people identify House number 23-5
Kyoto
are
right it gets smaller.
the
suffix numbered
in
the
order that they are
built. For example
further themselves
broken up into wards
are
by
the may or may not be
“cho” they live in.
Wards 区: ku
next
to
23-6,
however they will
still be nearby in the
same area.
*Chome (丁目) is a way of spilling up larger “cho” neighborhoods. It is somewhat common.
You can address “7 chome 29-1” as “7-29-1” no problem.
Postal Numbers
As the addressing system can be difficult for Japanese they do have a postal code system that
works very well. It is a 7 number system broken into two groups: 〒XXX-YYYY. The “T” with
an extra line on top is the postal code symbol.
Addresses in English
Just reverse the order and write the address from smallest to biggest.
7-29-1 Minamitsukaguchi-cho
Amagasaki, Hyogo 661-8520
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New Year‘s Cards
If you happen to be in Japan over the New Year’s Holiday (oshogatsu お正月) you will see and
probably get many “New Year’s Cards” called nengajyo (年賀状) in Japanese. These cards are
decorated with the coming year’s animal from the Chinese zodiac, calligraphy and photos of
their families. Some families send out hundreds of these cards each year. Businesses also send
thousands of these cards, if not more. No one will expect you to make these cards and, of
course, many Japanese also do not make them, but you might receive some.
Post Office Map
There are 3 post offices near Sonoda Gakuen. Amagasaki North is a major office and is open
extended hours
Amagasaki North Post Office
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Shopping
Shopping areas in the urban areas of Kansai are focused around larger train stations such as
Tsukaguchi and Nishinomiya Kitaguchi on major thoroughfares like Route 2 and
Yamatekansen. Smaller neighborhood markets also do exist. One thing to remember is that
prices can be listed in Japan with or without tax. The larger number is typically the pre-tax
number while in a smaller font is the price including tax. In general, the higher number is what
you have to pay. Many stores have membership cards getting these cards sometimes requires
a small fee or filling out a form in Japanese. Most stores these cards do not offer discounts but
awards.
Supermarkets (grocery stores)
Four grocery stores are located in the area around Sonoda. Largest and most convenient is
the Daiei located on the first and basement floors of the Sun Sun Town shopping mall. On
the north side of the station is the luxury market Ikari Supermarket. Both of these stores have
some imported and international food items. Two smaller local markets Oog and Super 7 also
serve the area.
Drug Stores (Chemists)
There are two standalone drug stores, Maruzen and Takaya that sell over the counter
medicines, fill prescriptions, personal care goods, household supplies, cleaning supplies and
the like near Sonoda. Similar drugstores are found in the Sun Sun Town and Tsukashin
shopping malls. Many prescription pharmacies also exist around the area.
100 Yen Stores (Dollar Stores)
100 yen stores are called １ ０ ０ 円 シ ョ ッ プ
(hyakyu en shoppu) or vernacularly １ ０ ０ 均
(hyakkin) in Japanese. Most of the items are only 100
yen
(108yen
with
tax)
and
are
of
decent
quality—however be careful what you buy. Some
stores like Daiso have larger items for up to 1,000yen.
100 yen stores are a great place to get household
Can*Do 100 Store –
via Wikipeda User Akiyoshi’s Room
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goods, crafting supplies, gifts, snacks, stationary or just about anything. One of the largest
100 yen stores in the area is the Daiso in the Tsukashin Mall. In the same mall there are also 2
other smaller 100 yen stores! The Sun Sun Town mall has a Can*Do 100 yen shop on the 6th
floor in the same building as the supermarket. The convenience chain Lawson also has a chain
of 100 yen convenience stores that sells many food and non-food items for only 100 yen (108
yen with tax). 100 Lawson stores are also good for finding avocados and limes for cheaper
than other markets.
Home Centers (DIY Stores, Hardware Stores)
Royal Home Center can be reached from the Sonoda Gakuen area by bicycle. It has a wide
range of household goods, tools, cleaning supplies, health care supplies, electric goods, and a
garden center.
Convenience Stores
Japan is very proud of its convenience stores. They have a following and a culture that is
uniquely Japanese for better or worse. No matter how short your trip in Japan is, they will play
a part of your experience here. You can pay your bills (gas, electricity, water, etc) at
convenience stores, buy tickets for baseball games, and get insurance for your motorbike
even. They also sell food.
Shopping Areas in Osaka and Kobe

Kita/Umeda
area
of
Osaka
around Umeda and Osaka stations has a
number of shopping malls and department
stores such as Hankyu, Hanshin, Isetan
and Daimaru. There are also large
shopping mall type buildings like the newly
opened Grand Front Osaka and Yodobashi
Camera
Osaka Station with Daimaru (right) and Isetan (left)
departments stores – via Wikipeda User Kirakirameister

Abeno/Tennoji
area
around
Tennoji Station. This includes including the
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tallest building in Japan—Harukas. You can also ride Osaka’s last remaining streetcar the
Hankai Line from here.

Minami/Nanba area is centered on the Takashimaya Department Store connected to
Nankai Nanba Station. From Namba Station to
Shinsaibashi Station and even further down to
Honmachi Station on the Osaka Subway Midosuji Line is
a large shopping arcade filled with tourists and tourist
orientated shops. The Dotonbori area of the arcade is
one of the classic images of Osaka and is a must see. At
the far end near Honmachi station is the giant Senba
Center Building shopping arcade featuring rows upon
rows of clothing stores. Across the street is the hip and
youth orientated Ame-mura (lit. American Village)
neighborhood. From Namba staion to the Tsutenkaku
Tower is the electronic and anime shopping area called
Harukas and Hankai streetacar – via
Wikipeda User Ogiyoshisan
Den-Den Town or Nipponbashi and the Doguyasuji kitchen and restaurant supply
shopping district. The area around the Tsutenkaku Tower is called Shinsekai (lit. New
World) this is the heart of Osaka’s downtown and features Spa World--Japan’s largest all
indoor waterpark and hot spring. (Tip: The Shinsekai area and continuing further south of
Spa World has, depending on the year, the highest crime rate in Japan. Please take care if
you choose to explore in these areas.) Culturally nearby are the Kabuki Theater, Bunraku
Theater and Yoshimoto Theater that features Osaka’s famous comedy groups.

Tsukashin Shopping Center mentioned above can be accessed by bicycle from Sonoda,
by train from Inano Station (one stop from Tsukaguchi on the Itami Line), and by a free
shuttle bus from Tsukaguchi Station.

Nishinomiya Gardens is only two
stations towards Kobe from Tsukaguchi
Station is this large very fancy shopping
mall with a large theater and many
restaurants.
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Kobe’s Harborland – via Wikipeda User 663highland
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
Sannomiya Station area in Kobe is the center of the city. The Flower Road shopping
street connects the Loft and Sogo Department stores at one end to the Daimaru
Department Store and Nankingmachi Chinatown at the other end.

Harborland/Umie area of Kobe is accessed by Kobe station and includes two large
tourist orientated shopping centers and the Anpanman Museum which is an attraction
for little children from all over Japan.
There are too many other shopping malls and shopping streets (商店街 shotengai) to explain
here. Please consult the IEC if you are looking for a particular item or store.
Foreign Groceries around Sonoda Gakuen

Kaldi Coffee Farm: In malls, train station
shopping centers and shopping streets around
Japan. Specializes in coffee beans but also has
a wide selection of N. American, European
and Asian foods. Average prices. Closest Kaldi
is in the Tsukashin Shopping Center.

Jupiter: Like Kaldi but rare in the Kansai area.

Seijo Ishii: Found typically near larger train
stations in more affluent areas. Smaller
Kaldi Coffee Farm – Sannomiya Shop
selection with higher than average prices.

SJ Kobe: Found in the Santica underground shopping street under Sannomiya Station.
Good selection of canned goods, beans and jams at average to below average prices.

Grandmarche: Larger supermarket like stores typically best accessed by car. Large
selection of frozen foods and drinks. Some items are exceptionally cheap while others
can be found cheaper in other markets. The closest store is a 5 minute walk from Hankyu
Itami station.

Gyomusuper: This is a warehouse style supermarket geared towards restaurant owners
but open to the public. Has a good range of Asian and Western sauces, frozen foods and
some canned goods. Good for normal shopping, fruit and vegetables also. Currently the
best place to get tortillas. Stores are located throughout Kansai but are best accessed by
car or bicycle. Prices are the cheapest to be found.
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
Yamaya/Rakuichi: These are primarily liquor stores but they do have a good selection of
imported goods and drinks. It’s currently the best place to get canned tomatoes, beans
and sodas. Prices are cheaper than average on certain goods.

Kobe Grocers: One of the oldest import food
shops in the Kansai area. They are particularly good for
Halal foods and Indian spices. The main store is in
Kitano up the hill from Sannomiya Station and two
satellite stores are located on Rokko Island and in front
of Shintetsu Okaba Station

Kobe Grocers – Kitano Main Shop
Costco: Costco is a membership warehouse
store with large quantities of household items, food,
clothing, cosmetics, snacks and many imported goods.
Yearly memberships cost ~¥4,000. It is best to access by car but busses do run from
Hankyu Sonoda Station.
Clothing
If you are bigger than the average Japanese size, clothing can be difficult to find. The Daiei
department store in SunSun Town has some items. Ubiquitous Uniqlo stores across Japan
also have good casual clothing. Cheaper stores like Shimamura, Itogofuku and Sanki have a
larger selection but the quality of the material, design, and English can be questionable.
Electronics
The easiest place to get a wide range of electronics near Sonoda is Yodobashi Camera in
Umeda. They have competitive prices on most goods and can sell duty free for those of you
on short term stays in Japan. A wider selection of new, discounted, used and retro goods can
be found in the DenDen Town area of Osaka mentioned above. DenDen Town is also the hub
for Otaku in the Kansai area with many video game, manga and anime specialty stores.
Books
English books are available at Kinokuniya in Hanyku Umeda Station or Junkudo in the ACTA
mall across from Hankyu Nishinomiya Kitaguchi Station. English Newspapers are available at
some convenience stores including the Asnas in Tsukaguchi Station
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Internet Connectivity
Exchange students can use computers on the Sonoda Women’s Campus with their assigned
usernames and passwords to access the Internet and office software. Please be aware that the
computers on campus and throughout Japan use Japanese keyboards. If you find yourself
unable to type in English try pushing the 半角／全角 button on the top left of the keyboard
next to the number 1 key. That should swap inputs between Japanese and English.
Wifi
Free WiFi connectivity is one of the major complaints from foreign tourists coming to Japan.
Thankfully with the build up to the 2020 Olympics this has been addressed to a degree.
Starbucks and Tully’s coffee shops both have free WiFi schemes that do require making a free
account and logging in. They also offer English instructions on their sites. Even many Hankyu
and Hanshin train stations (including Tsukaguchi) offer limited free WiFi. A consortium of
private and public entities has created the “Japan Connected Free WiFi” that includes a smart
phone application to help you find WiFi. More information can be found here:
http://www.ntt-bp.net/jcfw/en.html.
SIM Cards
If you have an unlocked smart phone, prepaid SIM
cards are available at Narita and Kansai International
airports from vending machines. These cards all have
a set usage period (7, 14, or 30 days) and a set
amount of data (1~10gb or 100mb a day). For long
term exchange students different SIM cards are
KIX- SIM card vending machines
available but can be expensive. Postpaid SIM cards require a credit card, and most likely a
Japanese bank based card, to make an account. SIM cards are also available at Yodobashi and
most large electronic stores near tourist centers. At the time of this writing (Summer 2015)
you should be able to get a 14 day card with 3gb of data for around ¥5,000 or less. Also note
that none of these cards include a phone number and cannot by used for traditional SMS.
Applications like Line (the most popular in Japan), Viber, What’s App, Facebook Messenger
and Skype are your best options to get incontact with people back home and in Japan.
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Pocket Routers
New pocket routers (AKA MyFi) all require 2 year contracts. Used ones can be bought and
placed on monthly contracts but require a credit card. Rental pocket routers are available
from a number of companies in all of the major airports. If you plan on needing Internet for
multiple devices this is a good option. Rental rates are around 1,000 per day.
Local Public Transportation
Japan has one of the world’s best and most efficient public transportation systems.
Amagasaki is served by 3 railways plus city operated and private bus lines. Most of the major
transportation corridors in the city head east-west connecting Kobe to Osaka. There are 3
parallel train lines Hankyu, JR West and Hanshin in order north to south. There are also three
major east-west roads, Yamatekansen, Route 2 and Route 43.
Hankyu Railway
Sonoda Gakuen is primarily served by the Hankyu Railway. Hankyu 阪急 comes from 阪
meaning Osaka (大阪) and 急 meaning fast. Hankyu Tsukaguchi Station is on the Kobe Main
line connecting Umeda (Osaka) to Sannomiya (Kobe). The Hankyu Line has a more residential
and affluent image. Be careful as there is also a Sonoda Station on the Hankyu Kobe Line.
Every type of train other than Limited Express red
singed trains (tokkyu 特急) stop at Tsukaguchi. In
the morning some special rush hour Commuter
Limited Express trains also stop at Tsukaguchi. You
can identify them by looking for the red signs with 4
characters in the name (tsukin tokkyu 通勤特急) If
Hankyu Train Crossing the Shukugawa River
you are going into Sannomiya or further into Kobe
from Tsukaguchi you should change to the limited express train at Nishinomiya Kitaguchi.
Conversely, if you are returning to Tsukaguchi from Sannomiya on the limited express train
you should change to a local train at Nishinoimya Kitaguchi.
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Hankyu will be your primary mode of transportation during your stay here and operates the
trains closest to Sonoda Women’s University. Hankyu has lines that head to Kyoto and
Takarazuka also along with many feeder lines including the one to Itami that leaves from
Tsukaguchi station.
JR West
JR West3 has a small JR Tsukaguchi Station also. It is a 15 walk directly east from the
university. JR Tsukaguchi is on the Fukuchiyama (AKA Takarazuka) Line that travels into the
mountains above Amagasaki and serves the residential communities up there before
continuing on all the way to the Japan Sea. You will most likely never use JR Tsukaguchi
Station, but it is good to realize there are two stations with the same name in this area.
The JR Kobe Line (AKA Sanyo Main Line) is a major train route that connects Yamaguchi at
the bottom of Kyushu up to Osaka and Kyoto. From Shiga Prefecture northeast of Kyoto to
Himeji at the western end of Hyogo, JR West runs one of the busiest and fastest commuter
train routes in the country. JR Amagasaki and Tachibana stations are the two JR stations in
Amagasaki that you might encounter on your trip here. Both are accessible by bus from
Sonoda Gakuen. If you are planning to travel regionally, but not on the Shinkansen, you will
most likely use JR. JR tickets can be purchased at ticket counters called “Midori no Madoguchi”
(緑の窓口) in bigger stations during daytime hours there should be an English speaking
attendant to help you.
Hanshin Railway
Hanshin is the third railway that connects Osaka to Kobe and runs through Amagasaki.
Hanshin stands for Osaka and Kobe the “han” 阪 comes from Osaka 大阪 same as with
Hankyu while the “shin” 神 comes from Kobe 神戸. Archaic Hall, the city run event space,
hosts various events for all of the Sonoda Gakuen schools and is located near Hanshin
Amagasaki Station. Like Tsukaguchi, it is important to remember that there are two
Amagasaki Stations—JR and Hanshin—and they are both quite far away from each other.
3
JR stands for Japan Rail. Prior to deregulation and privatization JR was called JNR (Japan
National Railways). The JR group is broken into 6 regional passenger rail companies. All of
Kansai is served by JRWest.
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The Hanshin Main Line runs from Umeda (Osaka) to Sannomiya (Kobe) but continues on as a
different private railway called Sanyo to Himeji. From Amagasaki a spur travels to Nanba in
Osaka and continues on as the Kintetsu Railway line to Nara, east of Osaka Prefecture.
Unless you have a host family on the Hanshin Line or plan on attending a Hanshin Tigers game
at Koshien Stadium the chances of you riding the Hanshin Line are small.
Riding the Trains
Screen capture from the Hankyu Railway website
The above screen capture is the instructions for Hankyu
but is generally the same for the other railways. The
prepaid Lagare Card can be used on any of the private railways and subways—basically
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anything other than JR trains. These cards different names depending on the railway that is
selling them but they all are called Suttro Kansai Cards and will have logo below on them
somewhere. Suttro Kansai is a consortium of Railways and bus operators in Kansai that
manages tickets between the various companies. You can buy these cards in denominations
from ¥1,000 to ¥5,000 from the ticket machines, some kiosks and some ticket offices in the
stations.
IC cards have become the most common way to
pay for travel in Kansai. There are two major
cards. PiTaPa is a post-pay system and requires
you to apply for one and it connected to a bank
account or credit card. It is managed by a group of the private railways like the Suttro Kansai
cards. More useful to exchange students is the Icoca card from JR West. You can buy this card
at any JR West ticket machine. The initial cost of the card is ¥2,000. That includes ¥1,500 of
money to spend and a ¥500 refundable deposit if you return the card. The cards can be topped
up at any train station that accepts Icoca or PiTaPa.
If your paper ticket, Suttro Kansai or IC card does not cover the cost of your journey it will be
rejected at the automatic turnstile. You have to then take the ticket or card to a fare
adjustment machine. All of these have English menus. There you can pay the difference and
receive a ticket to exit the station with. You can also top up your IC card at some of these. Be
careful as no refund is given if you overpay for your trip.
Busses
Busses in Japan have various systems for riding and paying. Almost all busses have a change
machine that that takes up to ¥1,000 notes. Sometimes the change machine automatically
removes the bus fare, other times you have to then place the fare into the box to pay. The bus
driver will most likely help you with this. Sometimes you pay as you disembark other times
you pay as you board. On busses that have you pay as you disembark sometimes the pricing is
tiered based on distance traveled. When you get on the bus, almost always from the back in
this case, there is a small machine with paper tags coming out of it. Take one and make note
of the number. At the front of the bus a display will have a list of numbers and the fare owed.
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Place your money and paper tag in the fare box to pay. If you board the bus from the start of
its route you will not receive a number. Your fare will be the one listed as なし (none). Some
busses accept Suttro Kansai prepaid cards the same as the private railways while others also
accept IC card payments—either ICCOCA , PiTaPa or both.
Bus stops are typically only written in Japanese but are announced and displayed inside the
bus. Once the announcement for your stop is made, push one of the numerous stop buttons
to signal the driver. Busses only stop at their predetermined bus stops.
Amagasaki is served by an extensive city run bus service. One ride is ¥210 and you pay as you
get on. If you plan on riding the city bus 3 or more times a day the one day pass is a cheaper
option at ¥500. You can buy the passes from the drivers.
Maps
Multilingual maps of the JR West lines can be found online at the link below.
https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/travel-information/routemap/
Maps of the private lines can be found at each of the Railway’s websites but the Suttro Kansai
has a large PDF map for use with their Kansai Thru Pass two and three day tickets. It’s quite
detailed and recommended.
http://www.surutto.com/tickets/kansai_thru_english.html
Timetable Applications
Almost every Japanese smartphone user has a timetable application on their phones. Most of
these are Japanese only but there are a few multilingual ones. Most common is the Google
Maps application which can handle trains, busses and walking directions. Other websites like
Norikae-Annai and Hyperdia, links below, are accessible on computers and the browser in
your phone.
Norikae-Annai: http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/
Hyperdia: http://grace.hyperdia.com/en/
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Travel Outside of Kansai
There are many options for travel beyond the Kansai area. We are more than happy to help
assist you with your planning in the IEC. Long term exchange students please remember you
must file a Travel Notification Form (旅行届 ryokotodoke) with the IEC before leaving if your
trip includes an overnight stay.
Shinkansen
Amagasaki is served by two Shinkansen stations: Shin-Kobe and Shin-Osaka. The latter being
the larger station. The Shinkansen is the quickest and most convenient way to travel between
major cities in Japan but it can be costly. When you buy your ticket can choose your seat
(shiteseki 指定席) for a premium price or choose to be in the open seating area (jiyuseki 自
由席). If you miss your scheduled train your ticket is still valid for travel in the open seating
area for the remainder of the day. For each trip you will get two tickets. One is the cost for the
distance covered and the second is the limited express surcharge. The second ticket will have
your seat number on it. You will need both tickets to board and you can insert both tickets at
once into the automatic turnstile.
Limited Express Trains
JR offers limited express trains to various locations not served by the Shinkansen network. For
JR seating and ticketing rules are the same as with the Shinkansen. Two private railways also
offer Limited Express trains in the Kansai area. Kintetsu has express trains that travel to
Nagoya—the longest network of any private railway in Japan. Nankai offers Limited Express
trains to Koya-san, a popular historical and Buddhist landmark, to Kansai International Airport
and Wakayama city. Both Kintetsu and Nankai let you buy the extra Limited Express tickets
before entering the station, on the platforms, or on the train. It is best to get your limited
express ticket prior to boarding your train however to avoid confusion.
Discount Train Tickets
If you have a tourist visa in your passport there are many rail passes for JR that you can
purchase. Some of these tickets only cover small areas while others cover the entire nation.
These tickets are extremely cheap when compared to the normal costs. Visitors with visas
other than tourist can only access the passes available to normal Japanese. On the private
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railways there are many discount one day passes to attractions and popular areas such as
Kyoto, Himeji and Nara and full all you can ride passes for multiple days over a set period for
the entire private railway network. On the JR lines there are specials for multiple day trips to
areas outside of Kansai that sometimes include Shinkansen and express train tickets. Three
times a year JR also sells the Seishun Jyuhachi Kippu (青春１８切符). This allows 5 days of
unlimited travel during a set period of time. It is good for any local train but not for any limited
express and Shinkansen trains. If you want to travel cheap and don’t mind going slow, this
ticket can be very fun.
Airports
Kansai is served by three airports: Kansai International Airport (KIX), Itami International
Airport4 (ITM) and Kobe Airport (UKB). International flights either leave from KIX or from ITM
making a domestic connecting flight to Narita International Airport (NRT) in Tokyo. Domestic
flights primarily leave from ITM but some also leave from KIX, mostly connecting flights for
international routes, and UKB. You,
most likely, will never use UKB.
Besides the two major domestic
characters Japan Airlines (JL) and All
Nippon Airlines (ANA) there are a
number of discount (aka LLC – low
cost carriers) that fly domestically
Image from 宿.com (yadyad.com)
such as Peach and Skymark.
Highway Busses
Highway busses travel both during the day and overnight. They can be a cheaper option to
certain locations not conveniently served from Osaka by train or plane. Many of these busses
are female only and have special semi-private seating. Willer Express offers English language
reservations on their website: http://willerexpress.com/en/
4
ITM is also called Osaka International Airport
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Manners
Japan’s sometimes confusing manners are an obstacle course for anyone who has decided to
travel here. Thankfully, for short or long term exchange students, most Japanese people are
very forgiving. No one expects tourist and exchange students to understand and follow all of
the manners, but there are a few major ones that everyone should follow to make their stay a
pleasant one.

Shoes: Shoes should be taken off when entering a home, some hotels and in other
facilities. The entrance will almost always have a small step up indicating the point where
outdoor shoes must be removed. In most schools, from kindergarten to high school,
indoor shoes must be worn. Guests will be provided with slippers in this case. In side
houses a small step up also means that slippers should be taken off. Only socks or bear
feet are permitted on traditional tatami floors.

Clothing: Japanese clothing is actually quite modest and conservative in many ways
despite the short skirts favored by many young women. Low cut dresses and tops in
particular might attract unwanted attention in both work and casual situations. Socks
and tights with holes in the feet are also considered rude. All exchange students should
bring some something formal but still comfortable to wear.

Cell Phones: Talking on your cellphone on the train or in public is considered quite rude. If
you must take a call on a train it is best to make it short and talk quietly. In a crowded
public space people typically walk to an empty corner to take their call. Also, on trains
cellphones should be set to their silent or vibrate only mode. This is typically called
“manner mode” on Japanese phones.

Public Consumption of Food: Eating while walking is uncommon in Japan. On the train
eating anything more than a small candy or gum is not done.

In a group: Japan is a busy place with many busy people. In a group if you stop please try
to congregate in a place that does not inhibit movement around you.

Meals: Wait for everyone to get their orders before you begin, especially at restaurants
and with drinks. Chopsticks should not be pointed at people or stabbed into food. In
particular never stab your chopsticks into rice and leave them there.
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
Greetings: The simple good morning and greetings like that is very important in Japanese
culture. Even if you do not speak any Japanese try your best to greet people cheerfully
and with a slight bow.

Host family considerations: In a host family situation it is important to try your best to see
everything from the host’s view. Japanese people, in general, dislike direct
confrontations and will most likely never mention any thing you do which was taken as
rude. This makes it very difficult to mediate sometimes. Do your best to ask permission
and look at what the other family members are doing to see what is and what is not
acceptable in your host family. Also, it is very important to bring a gift for the host family.
Bathing
Bathing in Japan is an important part of the culture here.
Baths are poured once and shared among the family
members. Traditionally the father gets to use the water
first, but in reality the order of who uses the baths is up to
each family. The bath is for soaking and relaxing only.
Washing of with soap and shampoo is done in the shower
before entering the bath. Towels should not be put into
the bathwater and do your best to dry yourself before
leaving the bath as to not track water into the sink area.
Public Baths
Image: Wikipedia user MC MasterChef
Public baths and hot springs (sento 銭湯 and onsen 温泉) have extra manners to be aware of.
These are typically found on posters written in multiple languages but more information can
be found here: http://www.iloveyu.jp/manners-risks/. If you are in a host family they will likely
take you to a hot spring of some type during your stay. These are gender separated, but you
will be required to be nude to enter the baths. For many visitors to Japan this is a highlight of
their trip, but it is also a source of nervousness. As this is a common thing in Japanese society
group nudity is not a big issue and is definitely not a sexualized or body shaming experience. It
is very much an everyday thing for most people and guests should try to think of it like that.
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Public bathing is part of the bonding rituals that help create the peaceful society that Japan is
famous for. Besides all of that it is the most relaxing thing you can imagine. The typical
Japanese bath is 41c so do be careful about overexposure. Depending on the type of bath you
might need to bring your own soap and shampoo besides that it is common to bring a change
of clothes, a big towel, a small towel for use in the
bathing area, toothpaste and a toothbrush plus any
other toiletries that you need. It is polite for women
who are menstruating to refrain from entering the
baths either at home or in a hot spring. Lastly, other
Image: Wikipedia user sanmai
than typical sento people with tattoos are not allowed.
As going to the sento is very common, please make sure to tell your host family and the IEC if
you have a tattoo so we can plan accordingly.
Image: Sento Manners Poster, Tokyo Public Bathhouse Association
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Toilets
Sadly you will not find the magical high tech toilets in at Sonoda Gakuen, but you will run into
them in hotel rooms, host families, and stores. In houses and places where you have taken
your shoes off when you enter there will be special slippers for use in the toilets. Make sure
not to wear them out of the toilet room. If you do, do not worry. Everyone will get a big laugh
about it. Printed on the flushing handle or remote control on very fancy models is a 大 for big
and a 小 for small. Many toilets have a water spigot at the top for washing your hands with
the water that is filling the tank. Sometimes there is soap but it is not customary to always use
soap after using the toilet. Most public toilets do not have hand towels including those at
Sonoda Gakuen so most people carry a small pocket towel with them at all times. Some,
mostly older train station, restrooms do not have toilet paper. Make sure to check in the stall
if you need any. Tissues will almost always be for sale in a machine near the entrance for ¥50.
Western Style (sitting) 洋式
Western style toilets are the same back home but many also have a
heated seat and automated bidet called a washlet. There should be
icons for the rear, women’s, and stop buttons. Besides that there are
settings for the strength of the water, the heat of the water and the
heat of the seat. The most expensive models also have massage and
air dry features.
Japanese Style (squatting)
Image: Wikipedia
和式
user 浪速丹治
Japanese style toilets are still common in older
buildings and there is a good chance that you will
encounter one during your stay. You use them by
squatting forward facing the tank with the door
behind you.
Image: Wikipedia user Poco a poco
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Keyaki Dorm Rules

Curfew is 23:00

Trash
the like are not acceptable excuses.
-Check the monthly schedule
-Returning home is not an acceptable excuse.
-Separate trash correctly
In the case of an illness in the family please
-Put it out from 7:00-8:30
consult the dorm mother
Mailbox
-If you are going to miss the meeting you
-Do not place anything in your mailbox
must write an excuse



Shoebox

Welfare Fund
-In April and October ¥1,200 is collected
shoes in your room)
from each student.
-Do not leave your shoes in the entryway
-This money is used for helping new students
Laundry
move into the dorm, the Christmas party,
-Open from 7:00
and other events

Bicycle Duty
-As many students need to use the machines
-If you have bicycle duty, check the duty
please take your clean clothing in a timely
sheet.
manner
-Begin checking at 22:30
-Do not over fill the machines
-Mark the duty sheet when you are finished
1F Lobby
-Place the placard on the next person’s door
-The lobby closes at 23:00
-Mark down if anyone has a new bicycle
-You can use coupons from newspapers.


-Part time work or promises to friends and
-Only for indoor shoes (put your outdoor
-Start your last wash from 22:15 at the latest

-

Overnight Stay Requests
-Visitors must leave by 22:00
-Overnight stay requests must be made a
-Small snacks are OK, but you must clean up
week in advance.
after yourself.
-You can only stay at the place you entered
Night Time / Water Heater
on the form
-Check the timing on your water heater
-You must have stayed in the dorm for a year
Dorm Meeting
before being able to do overnight trips
th
-4 Tuesday of every month at 22:30
-You can get your parent’s / relative’s
-During long school breaks and New Year’s
approval and stamp
this schedule might change.
-Please turn in all forms by 21:00
-There is a penalty even if you miss the
-You are allowed 5 overnights in one month
meeting one time.
-You can extend an overnight trip only once
a month
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

Guests

Early departures
-Family and friends are allowed as guests
-Leaving the dorm prior to 7:00 is possible if
-Visitors are allowed from 7:00-22:00
you request it in advance.
-You are allowed to meet your visitors in the
-Reasons other than returning home, club
1F lobby
activities, or school activities will not be
Deliveries
permitted.
-Enter all deliveries on the sheet

Overnight Guests
-Please schedule deliveries of chilled and
-It is possible for your mother or sisters to
frozen foods for a time when you will be in
stay with 1 week advance notice
the dorm.

Part-Time Work
-Sign the sheet when you pick up your
-You must fill out the part time work
deliveries
information sheet
-All jobs must finish by 22:30
The Japanese Language
Japanese is ranked as one of the most difficult languages to master, but thankfully the
pronunciation and grammar is relativity easy. Basically the language works in a subject –
object – verb order however the subject is often dropped. Singular and plural nouns are also
not differentiated. There are levels of politeness that change depending on the status of the
person. There is a common form of Tokyo Japanese that is promoted by the government,
however regional dialects are powerful. At and around Sonoda you will hear a combination of
common Japanese and Kansai dialect. While both Kansai and common Japanese is easily
understandable some dialects like those in Iwate Prefecture or Kagoshima Prefecture are
unintelligible even to native speakers.
Written Japanese
Japanese is written in 4 scripts, 3 of which are used in conjunction with each other. Chinese
characters are called Kanji (漢字) most of these are similar their Chinese counterparts but
some have been developed in Japan. Each Kanji has multiple ways it could be vocalized. The
first script children used is Hiragana (ひらがな) this is used in place of Kanji or in conjunction
with Kanji. Each character represents a vowel + a consonant, or a vowel + 2 consonants. Next
is Katakana (カタカナ) which works the same way as Hiragana, but is used for foreign words
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or sounds like “oomph” or “bark.” Both Hiragana and Katakana have been used for native
Japanese words that do not have a Kanji counterpart such as particles. Lastly Japanese also
use Romanji (ローマ字) which is the transliteration of Japanese into Latin (AKA Roman) script.
This is used mostly for the benefit of non-Japanese speakers and Japanese language learners.
There are various methods of Romanji so sometimes “ち” can be Romanized as “chi” and “ti.”
The former is more prevalent. Chinese written language came to Japan sometime around
2,500 years ago along with Buddhism via the Korean peninsula. Kanji was adapted to fit the
Japanese language however imperfectly. Initially Katakana was developed to be used at
pronunciation guides and with official documents while hiragana was later developed for
casual writing.
Image: Hiragana Chart from Tofugu.com
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Image: Katakana Chart from Tofugu.com
Greetings & Daily Words
good morning
Ohaiyo Gosaimazu
おはようございます
good afternoon
konnichiwa
こんにちは
good evening/night
konbanwa
こんばんは
Hello (on a phone)
moshi-moshi
もしもし
excuse me
sumimasen
すみません
sorry (casual)
gomen
ごめん
sorry (polite)
gomennasai
ごめんなさい
“let’s eat” prior to eating
itadakimasu
いただきます
“we ate” after eating
gochisosama
ごちそうさま
yes / no
hai / iie
はい／いいえ
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Important Kanji
days of the week
tea
茶
cha
Sunday
日曜日
nichiyobi
water
水
mizu
Monday
月曜日
getsuyobi
coffee
コーヒ
kohi
Tuesday
火曜日
kayobi
alcohol
酒
sake
Thursday
水曜日
suiyobi
milk
牛乳
gyunyu
Friday
木曜日
mokuyobi
sugar
砂糖
sato
Saturday
土曜日
doyobi
shellfish
貝
kai
numbers
others
1
一
ichi
woman
女
onna
2
二
ni
man
男
otoko
3
三
san
entrance
入口
iriguchi
4
四
shi
exit
出口
deguchi
5
五
go
small
小
sho
6
六
roku
middle
中
chu
7
七
nana/shichi
large
大
dai
8
八
hachi
year
年
nen
9
九
kyu
month
月
getsu
10
十
jyu
day
日
niche
20
二十
nijyu
hour
時
ji
100
百
hyaku
minute
分
pun/fun
200
二百
nihyaku
city
市
shi
1,000
千
sen
sky
空
sora
2,000
二千
nisen
river
川
kawa
10,000
万
man
mountain
山
yama
20,000
二万
niman
train
電車
densha
car
車
kuruma
food
chicken
鶏肉
toriniku
station
駅
eki
beef
牛肉
gyuniku
left
左
hidari
pork
豚肉
butaniku
right
右
migi
fish
魚肉
gyoniku
book
本
hon
meat
肉
niku
desk
机
tsukue
rice
米・ごはん
kome/gohan
chalkboard
黒板
kokuban
bread
パン
pan
chair
椅子
isu
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Japanese Titles
Japanese never address each other using their first names in formal situations. First names
and nicknames can be used in casual, familiar, or group situations. There are a great number
of titles most of these are only used for last names but some can be added to first names.
さん
san
general use polite form
様
sama
more elevated polite form
先生
sensei
teachers / doctors
教授
kyojyu
professors
ちゃん
chan
used for younger girls in a casual manner sometimes with
the first name
君
kun
used for younger boys in a casual manner sometimes with
the first name
Extra School words
principal
校長先生
koucho sensei
vice principal
教頭先生
kyoto sensei
Japanese
国語
kokugo (lit. country language)
English
英語
eigo
math
数学
sugaku
science
理科
rikai
PE
体育
taiiku
social studies
社会
shakai
calligraphy
書道
shodo
art
美術
bijyutsu
school lunch
給食
kyushoku
student
学生・生徒
gakusei / seito
preschool (day care)
保育園
hoikuen
kindergarten
幼稚園
yochien
elementary school
小学校
shogakko
junor high school
中学校
chugakko
high school
高校
koko
2 year college
短大
tandai
4 year college/university
大学
daigaku
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Sonoda Women’s University International Exchange Center – Incoming Exchange Guidebook