wall plugs
 

ok so i am deciding if when i go to tokyo for the 2014 TAS at makuraharemesse (sp) if we'r gonna stay at a westernish hotel or ryokan.

anyways, all my electroncs (battery charger/computer/phone cord charger/etc) are 110 (120) based...and if i recall isn't the tokyo 220? anyways, is it advisble to purchase her in the usa, the wall adapter things or get them whilst in japan? each night, phone, camera battery (3 batteries each for each camera i'll be bringing - canon 7d and sony nex-5) and computer.....how about power strips...get that there also?

haaalp?? :confused::confused::confused:

Most charger-type units are 110/220 compatible. The chargers for my phone, computer, camera, etc will adjust for proper voltage on the fly. Check the actual charger unit. It should show the operating voltage. If it says something like 110/220, you are good to go.

The one lesson I learned early on is to bring a 3-prong to 2-prong (blade type) adapter as many of my plugs have the 3rd (ground) prong. The wall outlets are all 2-blade type. My first trip years ago involved a shopping adventure at Yodobashi Camera, trying to find an adapter.

You don't say where you are coming from. The above is for North American plugs. For other types, you may need another plug adapter to allow you to plug into the 2-blade wall outlets.

Another point you want to pay attention when you buy adopters. If you look closely to the plugs from the U.S. or Canada, you notice that the blade on left is slightly wider than the blade on right. However, in Japan both blades on the socket is same size.

I once made that mistake. I had three prong to two prong adopter I had in the U.S. and thought I was all set to Japan. However, the two prong side of this adopter was the U.S. version with the blade on left is slightly wider. The adopter did not fit into the socket in Japan.

However, pretty much all recently built U.S. chain hotels, Hilton, Hyatt, Westins, etc. in Japan has sockets in each room which will work with the U.S. plugs.

To be specific, the electricity in the U.S. is 120 volts with 60 Hz. Electricity in eastern half of Japan, which includes Tokyo, is 100 volts with 50 Hz where western half of Japan, which includes Osaka, is 100 volts with 60 Hz.

Don't forget to bring an ethernet dongle or wifi travel router if your hotel doesn't state that it has wifi in room and your devices require wifi. Many hotels in Japan provide wired ethernet access as the standard rather than wifi.

sorry about that...yes in japan it's 100v, 50Hz in the north and 60Hz in the south.....thanks, guys.

The only thing to note is that most electronic equipment built for 110 will work fine on 100V. However, you can have a problem with stuff like power tools, etc. that draw a lot of current.

It basically depends on who's providing power -- 60 Hz if Chubu Power, 50 Hz if TEPCO. Oh, and the dividing line is in Shizuoka (along the Fuji River), Nagano, and Niigata, FYI.

http://www.sharp.co.jp/support/advice/images/map.gif

http://www.chuden.co.jp/ryokin/infor...iki/mame_area/

Here's a list of what areas in the "mixed" areas receive what frequency of power: http://www.chuden.co.jp/ryokin/shiku...rtz/index.html

It's not true that they don't use polarized sockets in Japan. I read about that, but newer house buildings all have them. It must be in really old houses.

It doesn't matter for electronics since these plugs aren't polarized. Anything from the US works in Tokyo apart from clocks. If you are running a power device then the top end is a bit less powerful. E.g a vacuum cleaner. But you don't notice it.

If you have a US 3 plug grounded then you need an adapter. They sell them for 50 cents at Home Depot in the US. I picked up a dozen and use them for power strips mainly. Old houses in the US don't have ground-plug sockets.

You must have some really old clocks. Don't forget to wind them up regularly. My clocks all use crystal oscillators, which have DC input power.

in the us, almost all two prong plugs are polarized.

http://www.amazon.com/Cables-Unlimit...ref=pd_sim_e_5

will those mechanically fit in a japanese two prong equal sized slot wall socket?

ok so as long as i get the adapter i'll be ok, right? things might charge a littttttttle slower (100v vs 110v)....but should have no problem...as long as the voltage on the actual item(s) shows 100-220v, right?

Provided the device says it accepts voltages as low as 100 volts, you're fine. They'll charge exactly as fast as they do on 120 or 240 volts.

There is no definitive answer. For the most part, hotels and other tourist-oriented facilities have the US-style 2-prong outlets with one side wider than the other. My $.99 adapter has worked in every hotel I've visited - until last week in a small place in the outback of Hokkaido. The plug just wouldn't go into the wall outlet. Luckily, I still had an old Japanese adapter I picked up years ago squirreled away in the bottom of my laptop case and it fit fine. I'd say in most hotels you are liable to use, the answer is yes. If not, ask the concierge for directions to the nearest Yodobashi or other electronics store and buy one. The hotel may actually have them. Or, you can go to Radio Shack or similar and buy an adapter specifically made for travel.

Trim the wider blade a bit with a cutter, like you'll find with a needle-nosed plier.