View this email in your browser (https://mailchi.mp/e2ce0416492f/host-your-next-congress-in-japan-kyushu?e=20...) ** Welcome to the latest Japan Meetings & Events e-newsletter for Associations. ------------------------------------------------------------ We look forward to providing associations with relevant information and updates regarding hosting your future congress in Japan. ** Once again, let's start with a Japanese saying to kick off this e-newsletter: ------------------------------------------------------------ 石の上にも三年 - ishi no ue nimo sannen “Three years on a stone” Meaning: Perseverance pays dividends. (Even a stone will get warm after three years of sitting on it!) We are excited about the following changes to travel restrictions in Japan. Since 11 October 2022, the visa-waiver program from 68 countries (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=733c1f6d2a&e=202c24bde1) has been reinstated. FIT travel is allowed to resume. Daily pax arrival caps have been removed. At this stage, travellers are still required to either: Be triple vaccinated and provide a vaccine certificate, OR Have a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours before departure. Click here for more information (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=ab005ba7fd&e=202c24bde1) Kyushu is the third largest of Japan’s five main islands and has roughly 10% of the population. Also known as the Land of Fire because of its volcano Sakurajima, Kyushu has been listed as one of the 50 places mentioned in TIME Magazine's "World's Greatest Places 2022 (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=afcb470445&e=202c24bde1) ". Both Kyushu’s nature and high-quality food make it a premiere destination for people from all over Japan and the world. Connected to Honshu (the ‘mainland’) by train via the Kanmon Railway Tunnel, Kyushu’s cities such as Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Kitakyushu are quick and easy to access via Japan’s famed shinkansen (bullet train). Festival Parade in Fukuoka Fukuoka (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=2be1f475f1&e=202c24bde1) is Kyushu's largest city and bustling commercial centre, and has a long history as Japan’s gateway to the rest of Asia. Its well-developed transportation network makes getting around so easy and planners also love the warmer weather here for an event destination. Festivals also abound including the traditional Hakata Okunchi (pictured above) in October and Hakata Gion Yamakasa in July. Transport: Fukuoka Airport has a direct connection from Tokyo either by air (1.5 hours) or by Shinkansen train (5 hours). Also accessible from Osaka by air (1 hour) or by Shinkansen train (2.5 hours). Fukuoka city centre is only 10 minutes away from Fukuoka Airport by taxi, bus or metro to JR Hakata Station. Key Business Sectors: Hydrogen energy development, second largest producer in Japan of industrial robots, one of the leading Japanese start-up incubators for video games, film production, fashion and cosmetics, and also the regional agricultural production hub of Kyushu accounting for 20% of national market share. What to Visit: Go watch the national sport of sumo wrestling at the Fukuoka Kokusai Centre (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=5ad74f66a6&e=202c24bde1) or enjoy the magnificent coastline and watersports. Online Familiarization Event: On Tuesday, 31st January 2023 (AEDT 16:00), the Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau will be showcasing new and exciting MICE unique venues in Fukuoka City, during an online event. For more information and to participate in this free event please register here (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=252cbecb63&e=202c24bde1) . (Or get in touch with Fukuoka CVB here (mailto:mpf@welcome-fukuoka.or.jp?subject=Online%20Familiarization%20Event%20(from%20e-Newsletter)&body=Dear%20Fukuoka%20CVB%2C%0A%0A) .) Saikai National Park - The '99 Islands' of Nagasaki The tagline for Nagasaki (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=587e4cb22a&e=202c24bde1) is 'A city of legacies', so-called for its world-wide reputation for peace initiatives due to its history, and cultural diversity as the sole place in Japan open to the West at one time. As a result of a former period of exclusive trading, Nagasaki has been greatly influenced by both the Dutch and Chinese, as well as the Portuguese, making for an intriguing blend of cultures. Transport: Nagasaki has its own airport which is located about 30kms NE of the city centre, which receives direct flights from Tokyo. Since September this year, a new shinkansen train line now shortens the train ride from Fukuoka to Nagasaki. As for navigating Nagasaki itself, this is best done by tram or on foot. Key Business Sectors: Medical science is one of Nagasaki's best-known academic sectors. Home to the Institute of Tropical Medicine at Nagasaki University, it is the only research base of this kind in Japan. Due to the city's experience in radiation medicine, the leading Atomic Bomb Disease Institute here has provided radiation disaster support for accidents such as Chernobyl and Fukushima. Harvesting the second highest catch of fish in Japan is thanks to the world's largest ocean current, 'Kuroshio', which runs along the coast of Nagasaki and provides excellent fishing grounds. It is focused on advancing marine aquaculture and marine renewable energy, and shipbuilding has also played an important economic role in the region. What to Visit: The Nagasaki Peace Museum and Peace Park (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=0a53e875fd&e=202c24bde1) , a memorial for the atomic bomb victims of the city from the second world war; the Goto Islands (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=f3c1234d04&e=202c24bde1) , an excellent diving destination; Gunkanjima (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=2d35f44605&e=202c24bde1) (battleship island), an abandoned mining community which featured in the James Bond film 'Skyfall'; and the night views from Mt Inasa (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=24aa7ab998&e=202c24bde1) , Nagasaki's highest peak. Kokura Castle Kitakyushu (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=1b903277ca&e=202c24bde1) has underpinned industrial modernisation and rapid economic grown in Japan through its heavy industries such as iron and steel, machinery, and chemical companies, but not without consequence. It has subsequently worked to overcome the severe pollution problems that arose as a result of that development, and in 2011 it became the first city in Asia to be selected by the OECD as a Green Growth City that has succeeded in balancing the environment and economy. Transport: Kitakyushu has its own airport 30 minutes by car from Kokura Station, the city's main train station which also connects to the shinkansen bullet train line. Alternatively, Fukuoka Airport is only 1 hour away. Key Business Sectors: Leading industries are environmental and next generation energy with the construction of an offshore wind-generated power plant starting this year. A global manufacturer of industrial robots, there is a growing cluster of corporations and researchers that support this industry. The northern Kyushu area, including Kitakyushu, is home to four automobile manufacturers with a production capacity of 1.54 million vehicles a year and the Kitakyushu Science and Research Park is developing next-generation vehicles with fully-automated driving functions that utilise artificial intelligence. What to Visit: The fascinating TOTO Museum (#TOTO Museum) and Yaskawa Robot Village (#Yaskawa Innovation Centre) ; wander around Kokura Castle (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=233c9a8f91&e=202c24bde1) and its gardens, Moji Port (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=127659c83d&e=202c24bde1) and its historic buildings or even cross over the Kanmon Straits to experience Karato Market (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=ff81a74ae8&e=202c24bde1) , filled with fresh, local seafood. A large variety of meeting venues are on offer across the Kyushu Region ACROS Fukuoka Located in the waterfront area, Fukuoka International Congress Centre (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=0f36f22416&e=202c24bde1) is the heart of the convention zone and is a highly functional, multi-purpose venue for conferences and exhibitions including adaptable meeting rooms and simultaneous interpretation booths. A capacity for 5,000 attendees and it offers 19 other conference rooms as well as an exhibition space divisible into four separate areas. ACROS Fukuoka (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=6b98b69b02&e=202c24bde1) , an acronym for ‘Asian CrossRoad Over the Sea’, is situated by Tenjin Station and is famous for its 60m ‘living’ wall of more than 50,000 plants. It includes a concert hall with excellent acoustics that can be used for academic societies and lectures. The conference hall can accommodate 1,871 people seated theatre-style with a multi-purpose exhibition space of 700m2. The facility is equipped with simultaneous interpretation booths capable of handling up to six different languages as well as large, medium and small conference halls. In the same convention zone, Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall A (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=cea60f2dcf&e=202c24bde1) is a versatile facility used for many different types of large-scale events and exhibitions including an arena for sports events, and a hall for concerts with a maximum capacity of 15,000. Opened in Spring of 2021, Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall B (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=114eae63fd&e=202c24bde1) , located adjacent to Hall A, boasts an extensive, pillarless space of 5,000m^2. Download Fukuoka Planning Resources here (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=c7d766c962&e=202c24bde1) Dejima Messe - Nagasaki A cutting-edge convention centre, Dejima Messe Nagasaki (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=073c6377ea&e=202c24bde1) opened in late 2021 with direct access to JR Nagasaki Station. The facility offers a conventional hall capacity for 3000 people, an exhibition hall of 3,800m2 divisible into two and over 20 meeting rooms. Nagasaki Brick Hall is a full-scale dual convention facility comprising of a Main Hall (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=779bfdc3c2&e=202c24bde1) and the International Conference Hall (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=0bd977ba8d&e=202c24bde1) . The Main Hall is a multi-purpose space that can be used for lectures and conventions with seating for 2,002 attendees. The Conference Hall features simultaneous interpretation booths in six languages and is the perfect venue for lectures, meetings and academic conferences for 542 seated, theatre-style. There are also 10 meeting and VIP rooms available. Download Nagasaki Planning Resources here (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=4154a4bf10&e=202c24bde1) Kitakyushu International Conference Centre Kitakyushu International Convention Zone is directly connected to the bullet train exit of JR Kokura Station, only five minutes away on foot. Featuring an international conference center, exhibition center, and hotels, it is an ideal location for large-scale conventions being conveniently located only 30 minutes away by subway and bullet train from Fukuoka Airport, one of Japan’s busiest hubs. Within this area are the following venues: Kitakyushu international Conference Centre (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=c3755cc3b6&e=202c24bde1) - designed by the prominent Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the 'Nobel Prize of Architecture'. With a conference seating hall capacity of 585 plus seven other conference rooms, this facility has a capacity of 1,370 people in its 1,616m2 area. The West Japan General Exhibition Centre Main Building (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=7ce5b736ff&e=202c24bde1) features three separate halls. The 5,520m2 large exhibition hall is a flexible, pillarless space that can be divided into three. The medium exhibition hall is 1,410m2. With a total area of 7,140m2, this venue has a capacity of 8,920 people. The conference and exhibition space with the largest capacity of 10,216 people (8,389m2 area) is the West Japan General Exhibition Centre Annexe (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=8bbd51443b&e=202c24bde1) .Similarly divisible into three separate spaces, the moveable partitions allow for conferences and meetings as well as technological displays. The hall seats 10,000 attendees theatre-style and five smaller conference rooms are also available. Download Kitakyushu Planning Resources here (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=d63dcbcb24&e=202c24bde1) FUKUOKA The Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=3b4969a8f6&e=202c24bde1) (pictured) is an oceanfront hotel with incredible views of Hakata Bay and into Fukuoka PayPay Dome, home of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Baseball team. As well as offering 264 guest rooms and a very convenient location connected to Nakasu-Kawabata metro station, Japanese hotel chain and 5-star Hotel Okura Fukuoka (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=5e40edb60f&e=202c24bde1) brews its own craft beer 'Hakata Draft' in a special brewery in the basement! NAGASAKI The prestigious Nagasaki Hilton Hotel (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=7be1ded0dc&e=202c24bde1) (pictured) is situated adjacent to Dejima Messe (the convention and exhibition halls), a one-minute walk away. Only recently opened in Autumn 2021 it offers 200 fresh and sophisticated guest rooms. Hotel New Nagasaki (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=8c3820e318&e=202c24bde1) is adjacent to JR Nagasaki Station with Nagasaki Ekimae tram stop nearby - an ideal location to either walk to Dejima Messe or take a short tram ride to Nagasaki Brick Hall. KITAKYUSHU All 295 guest rooms are generously sized at 30 m² or larger at RIHGA Royal Hotel Kokura (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=3f7173d851&e=202c24bde1) (pictured). Offering beautiful night views of downtown Kitakyushu, the hotel is also only a 5-minute walk from the Kitakyushu International Convention Zone. JR Kyushu Station Hotel Kokura (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=bbd8466a71&e=202c24bde1) is conveniently connected to JR Kokura Station and is approximately 10 minutes on foot from the Kitakyushu International Convention Zone. Coming Soon The Ritz-Carlton will open its 7th hotel in Japan in Spring 2023 in the Tenijin area of Fukuoka's CBD, with 162 guest rooms. In early 2024, the Marriott Hotel will open its first hotel in Kyushu with 200 rooms in Nagasaki City, directly linked to Nagasaki Station. Upcoming Meetings and Events in Japan (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=e643a81d2a&e=202c24bde1) Visit Japanmeetings.org (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=602b3cb247&e=202c24bde1) Download Resources for Convention Planners (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=51b2e50e92&e=202c24bde1) View the Japan Virtual Site Tour (https://gainingedge.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ecff7b7b23ff03219da8552ad&id=e386e96b38&e=202c24bde1) ** Thank you. We look forward to assisting you with planning your next event in Japan. ------------------------------------------------------------ ============================================================ Disclaimer You are receiving this email because your email address is on our subscribers' list. If you are not interested in receiving more emails like this one, please click on the Unsubscribe link below. Every effort has been made to provide accurate information at the time of publication and we encourage you to contact the featured suppliers or the destination’s Convention & Visitors Bureau directly, to find out more detailed information. 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