E-Newsletter

Record-breaking success of SIGGRAPH Asia in Tokyo

Last December, SIGGRAPH Asia was back in Japan for the third time since the conference started in 2008. However, it was the first opportunity for Tokyo to host the Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques in Asia, which has grown significantly in scale and importance over the last couple of years.
The prestigious event was held at the Tokyo International Forum, the capital’s leading conference facility, and attracted more than 9,000 international and local participants, including some of the industry’s most respected creative minds. Participants were captivated by the technologies from all over the world showcased at SIGGRAPH Tokyo, from fields such as research, science, art, animation, gaming, interactivity, education, and other emerging areas.

The four-day conference featured a diverse variety of programs, as well as a three-day exhibition that served as a business platform for industry players to market their innovative products and services. This year’s event was the largest exhibition showcase in SIGGRAPH Asia’s history, which will serve as a model for future events in Tokyo and the Asia region as a whole.

Students who participated in the event had the greatest opportunities for accessing valuable experiences in SIGGRAPH Asia’s history. Just a few of these opportunities included: engaging with world famous specialists while helping them prepare their sessions; finding career opportunities at the Job Fair in the SIGGRAPH Asia Exhibition’s Recruiting Zone; free access to all event zones in exchange for a fixed number of hours spent doing volunteer activities, and a first-hand look at how this international community cooperates and fosters future generations of its elite specialists.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) and Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB) jointly contributed to the success of the conference and exhibition by providing welcome desks for arriving attendees at both of Tokyo’s airports, a Tokyo City Information Desk at the event site, Japanese cultural programs, complimentary Tokyo city tours, and support from volunteer staff.

Incentive trip participants united in the exciting Awaodori dance

Last December, TCVB organized an unusual entertainment event for a large incentive-trip group from an Indonesian financial company. The Awaodori dance, one of the most popular entertainment offerings among TCVB’s “Tokyo’s Special Offers”, was not simply performed a local dance troupe during the gala dinner. Instead, this time over 100 event participants joined in with the performers in the lively dance.
Participants, each dressed in a yukata (casual summer kimono) of their choice, enjoyed dancing energetically while shouting “yatto-yatto” in response to the cheerful yells of “yatto-sa” given by the performers. These calls provide the rhythm to which this dance is performed, typically by a large number of people.

All of the participants and event organizers mentioned the wonderful, united team spirit they felt while dancing in the venue, a traditional tatami-room at Odaiba Tokyo Oedo-Onsen Monogatari, a hot spring theme park.

If you would like the team spirit of your workplace strengthened by this dance, or any one of the many other event options we offer for incentive-travel groups, please contact TCVB with your request.

New edition of the Tokyo Meeting Planner’s Guide 2019-2020

TCVB wins the TTGmice 2018 Best Print Campaign

Tokyo Unique Venues

Forest Terrace Meiji Jingu

Forest Terrace Meiji Jingu was constructed in the almost 100-year-old forest in Meiji Jingu Shrine’s vast 700,000 square-meter premises. As a result, the place itself feels exceptionally vast and tranquil. This venue was renovated in October 2018, and features a fusion of natural, traditional, and modern design elements. These characteristics make it perfect for welcoming delegates for parties and receptions.

The main banquet hall, the Keyaki, is 326 sq. meters in area and can accommodate up to 150 people for a standing reception. This beautiful space is sure to vitalize the hearts and minds of its visitors. The luxurious interior décor emphasizes the warmth of the wood furnishings, while the large glass-screen walls create a feeling of being in the middle of a forest. There are also two smaller halls: the 218 sq. meter Kusu can accommodate up to 120 people, and the 99 sq. meter Shii up to 40.
Surrounded by a lush forest, this unique venue is waiting to welcome and provide an unforgettable memory for visitors coming to Tokyo for business events.

For more information on unique venues, please visit: https://businesseventstokyo.org/venues/event_venues/ or contact TCVB

Tokyo to host the 31st Inter-Pacific Bar Association Annual Meeting and Conference in 2021

The 31st Inter-Pacific Bar Association Annual Meeting and Conference (IPBA 2021) will be held on April 21-24, 2021 at the Hotel Okura Tokyo.

IPBA 2021, the fourth such gathering to be held in Japan, is expected to attract over 1,300 specialists, including 800 foreign participants from more than 60 countries. These specialists will engage in discussions of legal, business, and policy issues, and perform detailed analyses of the new opportunities and challenges facing the Asia-Pacific Region, as relevant to the IPBA 2021 theme, “Wisdom for the next 30 years.”

The IPBA convention’s triumphant return to Tokyo – the birthplace of the organization – is sure to provide a variety of significant benefits for the Asia-Pacific Region, such as enabling better cooperation and exchange of resources among professionals throughout its many diverse countries.
The TMG and TCVB will continue to support the IPBA in order to ensure a successful and unforgettable 31st IPBA Annual Meeting and Conference in Tokyo.

For further information, please click here.

Accolades:

Tokyo Michelin Guide 2019: Onigiri shop gets Bib Gourmand Status!

The Michelin Guide has announced its Tokyo star rankings for 2019. The Japanese capital continues to outshine every other city on the planet, with the world’s highest number of starred restaurants, now 230 in total (13 three-starred, 52 two-starred, and 165 one-starred establishments).
This year, Onigiri Asakusa Yadoroku, a small shop that has been serving onigiri rice balls since 1954, was awarded a one-star status, helping Tokyo defend its record for the twelfth consecutive year.

Happo-en Garden is TripAdvisor’s third best free tourist attraction in all of Japan

The garden of Happo-en, a uniquely picturesque venue of traditional-style buildings surrounded by a Japanese garden which dates back nearly 400 years, was awarded third place in TripAdvisor’s “Free Tourist Attractions Chosen by Travel Enthusiasts in 2018”.