Kyoto Tango Railway's Amanohashidate Station in Monju, Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture, is working to accommodate foreign tourists. Monitors displaying tourist information in multiple languages and foreign currency exchange machines have been installed to improve convenience and satisfaction for inbound tourists.
The tourist information center inside Amanohashidate Station is crowded before and after trains arrive. It receives a variety of inquiries, such as "I want to go to Amanohashidate View Land" and "I want to take a bus to Ine, but when is the next bus?"
As a result, the Amanohashidate Tourist Association, which operates the tourist information center, and the Northern Kyoto Regional Collaboration Urban Area Promotion Corporation (Umi no Kyoto DMO) began operating a monitor this month.
The monitor's 55-inch screen displays information about local buses and tourist buses heading for Ine, tourist boats heading for Ichinomiya Pier, and the monorail timetable for View Land. It is available in English, Chinese, and Japanese, and the same content switches in sequence.
In addition, in light of the increased congestion on public buses due to the increase in tourists, information is being distributed encouraging people to use other means of transportation and disperse their travels.
Foreign currency exchange machines that can handle 14 different currencies have also been installed, making it easy to exchange currency before visiting temples and shrines such as Chion-ji Temple, or before using restaurants that do not accept cashless payments.
Nagahama Toshiyuki, secretary general of the Amanohashidate Tourist Association, said, "We hope this will make sightseeing after getting off the station smoother. We also want to use the monitors to publicize various events."
