5th US-Japan Joint Committee on Trade and the Economy

July 5-7, 1966

This was the first conference to be held at the Kyoto International Conference Center, and hosted cabinet members from the United States and Japan.

This conference has always held a significant political meaning, from the first meeting of the committee in 1961. When the 5th meeting of the Joint Committee was held, American expectations for Japan were increasing, making this an extremely important international conference. Both the United States and Japan had seven cabinet members serving as formal representatives. Central figures from both the American and Japanese governments attended this meeting. The seven representatives on the American side were (then) Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman, Secretary of Commerce John Connor, Secretary of Labor Willard Wirtz, Undersecretary of the Treasury Joseph Barr, and Council of Economic Advisers member Arthur Okun. The seven representatives on the Japanese side were Minister for Foreign Affairs Etsusaburo Shiina, Minister of Finance Takeo Fukuda, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Eiichi Sakata, Minister of International Trade and Industry Takeo Miki, Minister of Labor Hisao Kodaira, Minister of Transport Torata Nakamura and Economic Planning Agency Director Aiichiro Fujiyama. In total, 240 individuals gathered to participate in this international conference, including the spouses and other accompanying attendees. Reflecting the importance of the US-Japan economic relationship, 600 media personnel from 63 companies covered the conference, and of this considerable number, 47 personnel from 20 companies were connected to overseas media. This attests to the level of attention the 5th US-Japan Joint Committee on Trade and the Economy generated.

In addition, Secretary of State Rusk and other members of the American delegation praised the artistic nature, refined elegance, beauty and comfort of the Kyoto International Conference Center, calling it “one of the most magnificent buildings in the world.”

The Sixth International Congress

August 28-September 4, 1966

International Symposium on Macromolecular Chemistry

October 3-4, 1966

Junior Chamber International (JCI) World Conference

November 7-12, 1966

The Junior Chamber International World Conference (JCI World Conference) was held immediately following the opening of the Kyoto International Conference Center.
This conference was held by the Junior Chamber International, a youth organization that aims to create a bright and prosperous society under the three principles of training, service and friendship. Its members include ambitious young businesspeople in their 20’s to 40’s.

This was a lively conference that had strong feelings of solidarity and the energy of the JC. The entrance of the national flag at the opening ceremony was a dramatic scene that lent the stage a vivid hue.

In 1967, the following year, the Ordinary General Meeting of the Junior Chamber International Japan was held at the Kyoto International Conference Center from January 20-22. From that year forward, the Junior Chamber International Japan starts the fiscal year with various conferences and committee meetings including the Ordinary General Meeting, the President and Deputy President Conference, and the Board of Directors’ Meeting, as well as a New Year Ceremony in which the President for that year delivers a declaration of opinions to the entire country. Together these various assemblies have come to be known collectively as the “Kyoto Conference.”

Since that time, the Junior Chamber International Japan Kyoto Conference has been held every year, adding to its history together with the Kyoto International Conference Center.

5th Kansai Financial World Seminar

February 7-10, 1967

This is a traditional series of seminars in which executives from Kansai enterprises meet annually to debate the structure of the country, region and of enterprise management. At first, these seminars were hosted by the Kansai Association of Corporate Executives and the Kansai Productivity Center, but since 2003 have been hosted by the Kansai Association of Corporate Executives and the Kansai Economic Federation.

The seminar series traces its roots to a 1963 meeting of a number of members of the Kansai business world met in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture to exchange opinions with a mind for working toward an internationalized society in light of trade liberalization. Members included Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of Matsushita Electric (Panasonic), and Shiro Otagaki, the first President of Kansai Electric. Since that time, the seminar has been held each year in February, and from 1967 has been held at the Kyoto International Conference Center continuously with the exception of three years (1969, 1995, 2002) in which it was held in Osaka, and one year (2005) in which it was held in Kobe. In recent years, participants gathering to adopt items of agreement have come not only from the ranks of enterprise managers, but also from a wide range of fields including overseas enterprises, diplomatic missions in Japan, universities and municipal governments.

※These pictures are from 26th Kansai Financial World Seminar in 1988.

World Newspapers Conference

May 7-8, 1967

The 36th Session of the General Assembly of the International Criminal Police Organization

September 24-October 4,1967

The XXIst Congress of Federation Internationale des Editeurs de Journaux et Publications

May 13-17, 1968

The First Conference of Commissioners General for the Japan World Exposition

May 27-30, 1968

The 35th International Foundry Congress

October 7, 1968

Japan-U.S. Kyoto Conference

January 28-31, 1969

The Third Conference of Commissioners General for the Japan World Exposition

May 26-30, 1969

1969 Annual Assembly of the International Institute of Welding

July 12-19, 1969

World Traffic Safety Conference

March 24-26, 1970

International Future Research Conference

April 10-16, 1970

The 4th World Women's Buddhist Convention

April 18, 1970

The 3rd General Meeting of the Pacific Basin Economic Co-operation Council

May 21-23, 1970

Fourth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Deffenders

August 17-26, 1970

World Conference of Religion and Peace

October 16-21, 1970

The indirect origin of the World Conference of Religion and Peace is the 2nd Vatican Conference, held in 1965. At this conference, (then) Pope Paul VI of the Roman Catholic Church advocated the proactive facilitation of discussion and mutual cooperation between the world’s various religions. The conference was then established to seek out world peace by Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Baha’is, Confucianists, Jainists, Shintoists, Sikhs, Zoroastrians and members of other faiths. At the assembly held in 1969 the location for the first conference was deliberated, and Kyoto was chosen as the most appropriate location given its living shrine and temple tradition, Japan’s tolerance of other religions, and its pacifist constitution.

Before the start of the conference, prayers were offered in the main hall each day for fundamental unity, equality and dignity for humanity as a family of people.

International Conference on Mechanical Behavior of Materials

August 15-20, 1971

The 11th Japan-American Conference of Mayors and Chamber of Commerce Presidents

October 20-23, 1971

Fourth International Fermentation Symposium

March 19-25, 1972

Fifth World Congress of Anaesthesiologists

September 18-23, 1972

The 13th PATA Workshop

February 22-23, 1973

ICSID '73 KYOTO (International Council and Societies of Industrial Design)

October 11-13, 1973

8th General Meeting of Pacific Basin Economic Council

May 14-16, 1975

6th International Congress on Congress Organization

December 1-4, 1975

23th World Ophthalmology Congress

May 14-20, 1978

6th International Conference on Liquefied Natural Gas

April 7-10, 1980

XVI International Congress of Entomology

August 3-9, 1980

XVIIth IUFRO World Congress (International Union of Forestry Research Organization)

September 7-12, 1981

Tenth International Congress of Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology

September 13-18, 1981

The Fifth International Congress of Pesticide Chemistry(IUPAC)

August 29-September 4, 1982

Internaitonal Conference on Magnetism 1982

September 6-10, 1982

XVIIth International Congress of Internal Medicine

October 7-12, 1984

Kyoto Conference on Prostaglandins

November 25-28, 1984

The 9th Quadrilateral Trade Ministers Meeting

February 10-11, 1985

4th International Congress of Chemotherapy

June 23-28, 1985

1985 International Symposium on Lepton and Photon Interactions at High Energies

August 19-24, 1985

4th International Congress of Oriental Medicine

October 19-21, 1985

1st “Kyoto Prize” Presentation Ceremony Award Recipient Lecture and Workshop

November 10-12, 1985

The Kyoto Prize is an international award sponsored by the Inamori Foundation that spotlights the accomplishments of individuals that have contributed to the development of science and culture and those who have deepened and enhanced the spirituality of humankind.

Each year a total of three awards are presented, one in each of the three established categories. These include the Advanced Sciences (electronics, biotechnology, medical technology, materials science and information science), Basic Sciences (biology, mathematical sciences, geoscience, space science and life science), and Arts and Philosophy (music, art, movies, drama, philosophy, and ideas).

Since the first presentation ceremony was held in 1985, this event has been held at the Kyoto International Conference Center each year on November 10, during the height of Kyoto’s autumn foliage season. Each year, approximately 1,400 people from academia, politics, industry, and embassy personnel from many countries attend the event. The dates have become established customs, with the presentation ceremony held on November 10, the recipients’ commemorative lectures held on November 11, and the recipients’ commemorative workshops held on November 12.

The Kyoto Prize does not give consideration to nationality, race, sex, age or creed. They are given to individuals who have contributed significantly to the scientific, cultural, and spiritual betterment of mankind. These awards have been presented at the Kyoto International Conference Center since their establishment as international awards sent forth from Kyoto, receiving high acclaim across the globe.

8th World Buddist Women's Conference

October 8-9, 1986

Ikebana Fifth World Convention

October 15-21, 1986

World Conference of Historical Cities

November 18-21, 1987

United Nations Conference on Disarmament Issues

April 19-22, 1989

The 23rd General Assembly of the Japan Medical Congress

March 27-April 10, 1991

日本アカデミー賞授賞式

1992年(平成4年)　3月19日～3月20日

8th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties on CITES (Convention Int'l Trade Endangered Spieces Wild Fauna Flora)

March 2-13, 1992

45th Annual Meeting of International Whaling Commission

April 19-May 14, 1993

International Forum on the Wisdom of Humanity

June 8-9, 1994

4th World Congress of Endoscopic Surgery

June 15-19, 1994

ITU Plenipotentiary Conference '94 Kyoto

September 19-October 14, 1994

3rd APEC Finance Minister Conference

March 16-17, 1996

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is an economic cooperation structure in which 21 countries (12 at the time of its establishment) and territories in the Asia-Pacific Region participate. In terms of economic scale it accounts for 60% of the world’s total GDP, approximately 50% of the world’s entire trade volume, and approximately 40% of the world’s population. As “the world’s trade center,” APEC works toward continued, sustainable growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific Region through activities related to the liberalization of trade and investment, the facilitation of business, the security of its people, as well as economic and technological cooperation.

The APEC Finance Minister Conference is a forum for debate on economic issues facing the APEC region. In order to engage in debate on macroeconomics, capital flows and a wide variety of other economic issues, the APEC Finance Minister Conference was established at the 1993 APEC Summit held in the United States’ city of Seattle. The 3rd Conference saw attendance from the finance ministers of 18 APEC member countries and territories.

In consideration of the outcome of the November 1995 Osaka APEC Summit, in-depth deliberations were held primarily on the three topics of financial capital market development, the introduction of civilian capital moving toward the preparation of social capital, and the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in trade and investment. These topics were in addition to deliberations held on recent macroeconomic trends. As a result of these deliberations a joint declaration was adopted.

The XXIIIrd General Assmbly of the International Astronomical Union

August 17-30, 1997

The 3rd Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(The 3rd Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC, Kyoto 1997 [COP3])

December 1-11, 1997

The 3rd Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC, Kyoto 1997 (COP3) worked to set reduction targets for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that have a significant impact on the global environment. It was the largest-scale United Nations-related conference held in Japan. 161 signatory and observer countries participated, as well as a total of 9,850 registered participants. This included 2,273 regional representatives, 3,865 observers from IGO’s, NGO’s and other groups, and 3,712 representatives from 483 media outlets. The conference was extended one day to include December 11, on which date the Kyoto Protocol was adopted and the conference was concluded.

Events Leading to the Kyoto Conference

At the 1st Session of the Conference of the Parties held in Berlin in 1995, a speech was given by government representatives expressing that consideration would be given to the invitation to come to Japan. Using this opportunity, the Kyoto International Conference Center, Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto City, Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Kyoto Convention Bureau worked as one to proactively attract the conference to Kyoto.

In 1996, the following year, after receiving the consent of the Cabinet in regards to the Japan invitation, six municipalities including Kyoto, Yokohama, Kobe and Miyazaki made bids for the conference. At the 2nd Session of the Conference of the Parties Plenary Session held in Geneva, Kyoto was decided to be the event venue.

Some of the reasons that Kyoto, and the Kyoto International Conference Center in particular, were chosen as the site for this important conference were given as follows:

The site has adequate know-how regarding the handling of such conferences, and has previously hosted many international conferences including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference, the Conference of the Parties to the Washington Treaty, and the Kyoto United Nations Conference on Disarmament Issues.
Kyoto has allure overseas as the center of Japanese culture.
The site has facilities prepared including the large, medium and small conference rooms needed by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat and those providing conference services to the United Nations to host the conference. Also available are multiple small rooms for the work of office and other staff as well as event halls and other venues for the work of NGO’s, the press and other entities.
The site has an advanced capacity for handling the latest communication conditions.
The conference operations staff is well trained for international conferences, and is capable of flexible, situation-based correspondence as needed by the progress conditions of the conference.

11 Charged Days

The details of the conference were covered each day as top news in newspapers, radio and on television. EBU, CNN and other media carried news from the event overseas, and internet access hits numbered over 100,000 a day. News of what was happening in Kyoto raced across the world. In the following section we will provide a brief overview of what happened during those eleven days.

Opening

Delegations and observers from all countries began entering the venue at around 8:00 am on December 1, 1997. At each of the three entrances, United Nations security personnel and guards conducted tests of articles being brought into the site using metal detectors and luggage inspection fluoroscopes. A long line resulted up to the reception area.

The opening ceremony began at 10:00 am. Environment Agency Director General Hiroshi Oki (titles given are current to the time) was elected to serve as the chairperson. Foreign Minister Keizo Obuchi represented the Japanese government in providing the greeting of welcome, and following this Kyoto Prefecture Governor Teiichi Aramaki, Kyoto City Mayor Yorikane Masumoto, and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Executive Secretary Michael Zammit Cutajar offered greetings. Following this, the operational methods were determined for issues such as procedural rules and agenda items to be adopted. In addition to the main conference scheduled until December 10th, Plenary Meetings, closed-door conferences, closed-door assemblies and other international negotiations began. Raul Estrada (the Argentinian ambassador to the People’s Republic of China) was selected as the chairperson of the lower-level Plenary Meeting.

The Kyoto International Conference Center is Utilized to Maximum Capacity

The Kyoto International Conference Center put forward a fundamental policy that aimed to make the conference venue environmentally-friendly. Trash separation was thorough in its implementation, recyclable tableware was introduced, ecologically friendly office supplies were used, the number of vending machines was reduced, chlorofluorocarbon-replacement measures were enacted for air conditioners, and reservoir water was utilized. In addition, the room temperature setting of 19-20 degrees Celsius at the Kyoto International Conference Center was lower than normal, causing slight discomfort to some participants and staff.

As the conference entered its middle stretch, closed-door general conferences and assemblies were held in succession, as were bi-lateral negotiations between governmental representatives and discussions between multiple countries. In addition, from the first day NGO’s and other entities held special events and press briefings each day that totaled between 40 and 60 in number. Some of these lasted until deep in the night. During the conference a number of other conferences and assemblies were held, and as a result the Kyoto International Conference Center in its entirety was utilized to the fullest.

Protocol Adoption at the End of the Convention Extension

Following six days of lower level deliberations, the planned two day cabinet level assembly began on the 8th, attended by Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and other world leaders and cabinet members. This assembly was conducted amidst strict security measures. Before the cabinet level assembly, a meeting between Prime Minister Hashimoto and U.S. Vice-President Al Gore was held in the tranquil atmosphere of the Special Conference Room.

The 9th was planned to be the day preceding the end of the event, but even on this date the course of the conference was impossible to see. With a mixture of impatience and stress, constant back-room negotiations took place, along with murmurs of a possible extension to the conference. Plenary Meetings too were only being convened intermittently, and it was unknown as to when they would reconvene. Shortly after 3:00 am on the 10th the Plenary Meeting reconvened amidst the peak of the delegations’ fatigue, but it closed again after only 15 minutes.

Even on the final day of the 10th, the Plenary Meeting deliberating the Kyoto Protocol reconvened in the afternoon only to take a recess in the evening. The next time it would reconvene was in the early hours of the 11th. Following this was an additional interruption, and the Plenary Meeting finally announced the end of their deliberations on the 11th at 10:10 am with a final draft of the Kyoto Protocol in hand.

As an aside, as the meeting times were extended, the seven language simultaneous interpretations being provided were limited to Japanese and English in the latter phase of the deliberations. The simultaneous interpretations being provided for the conference and the Plenary Meeting to that time were in the six languages of English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic, and were conducted by simultaneous interpreters arranged by the treaty bureaus. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the request for the Japanese simultaneous interpreters.

At the final session of the conference held on the afternoon of the 11th, the proposed Kyoto Protocol that had been worked on deep into the night was announced, and the Kyoto Protocol was adopted. The Kyoto Protocol detailed a plan in which carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases would be reduced over the five year period of 2008 to 2012 by 6% in Japan in comparison to 1990, by 7% in the United States and by 8% in the European Union for an average of 5.2% across developed countries over the same period. The Kyoto Protocol was thus adopted as the first legally-binding protocol containing target values, and the conference concluded after 11 days including the extension.

22nd Session of the Cultural and Natural World Heritage Committee of the UNESCO

November 30- December 5, 1998

63rd IEC General Meeting Kyoto Japan

October 18-29, 1999

The Kyoto Meeting on Poliomyelitis Eradication in the Western Pacific Region

October 27-30, 2000

WACS2002 (World Association of Chefs Societies)

March 24-28, 2002

The 26th International Congress of Internal Medicine

May 26-30, 2002

18th International Congress of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine

October 20-25, 2002

3rd World Water Forum

March 16-23, 2003

The World Water Forum is an event where water specialists, governments, NGOs, enterprises and a wide range of other stakeholders gather. It was started for the purpose of resolving the various issues related to water including water-related conflicts, water shortages, water pollution and flooding. This event was held over a period that included March 22nd, a date designated as World Water Day by the United Nations.

Following the 1997 meeting in Marrakech, Morocco and the 2000 meeting at the Hague in the Netherlands, the 3rd World Water Forum was held for the first time in Asia. With 24,060 participants from 182 countries and territories, the World Water Forum was held primarily in Kyoto, with other stages including Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture and the Yodo River Basin in Osaka Prefecture.

Immediately preceding the meeting at the Hague, there were discussions expressing the desire to hold the next meeting in Japan. Using this opportunity, efforts to lure the meeting to Kyoto commenced. Concerned parties with the (then) National Land Agency and the Ministry of Construction were approached on the subject, collaboration with local administrations was planned, and persons connected to the government were lobbied. From the planning stage to implementation, close contact and cooperation was maintained with the concerned parties under the leadership of Water Forum Secretary General Hideaki Oda.

The March 16th Opening Ceremony was attended by His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince of Japan and Her Imperial Highness the Crown Princess of Japan. The ceremony began with a greeting of welcome from 3rd World Water Forum Steering Committee Chairman Ryutaro Hashimoto and World Water Council President H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Abu-Zeid. Following this were words from His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince of Japan, as well as speeches from Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco and Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. A video message from French President Jacques Chirac was then shown. His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince of Japan and Her Imperial Highness the Crown Princess of Japan also attended the March 23rd Closing Ceremony.

His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince of Japan attended as the Honorary President, and he delivered a commemorative lecture entitled, “Waterways connecting Kyoto and Local Regions – Focusing on Ancient and Medieval Water Transport on Lake Biwa and the Yodo River.”

Parallel to the cabinet level international conference, the World Water Forum also saw a considerable number of meetings and presentations held by related organizations, institutions, NGO’s and other entities. With 38 separate topics and more than 350 subcommittees, this was an international conference that covered a wide range of issues. The Kyoto International Conference Center worked in unison with the World Water Forum Steering Committee in contacts and coordination.

As a result of this Forum, a number of pronouncements were made including the appeals from subcommittees, the World Water Action Report, the Cabinet Declaration, the Water Action Compilation and the Provisional Forum Proclamation. With these and other thoughts toward the resolution of water issues, the conference ended in success.

18th International Congress on Acoustics

April 4-9, 2004

2nd Pharmaceutical Sciences World Congress (PSWC2004)

May 30-June 3, 2004

Kyoto Meeting on Threats, Challenges and Change

July 6-7, 2004

16th International Congress of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFFA)

August 22-27, 2004

1st Science and Technology in Society Forum (STS Forum)

November 14-16,　2004

The topic of the 1st Science and Technology in Society Forum (STS Forum) was that of “lights and shadows of science and technology.” The forum was held in the vibrant autumn foliage of the ancient capital of Kyoto.　This forum was established at the behest of Former Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy and House of Representatives Member Koji Omi, and is also casually referred to as the “Science and Technology Version of the Davos Forum.” Approximately 500 persons from a wide range of standings and 50 countries participated in the holding of the forum, including scientists, members of the financial world, cabinet members in charge of policy and others. Truly, the wisdom of humankind had gathered in Kyoto.

His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince of Japan attended the Opening Ceremony of the 1st Forum, and expressed his approval of its goals. Afterward, (then) Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi delivered the keynote address, expressing his conviction that the power of science and technology will make environmental protection compatible with economic growth.

At the conference, a lively exchange of opinions on the future of humanity was conducted in relation to the “light and shadow” of science and technology policy. The incredible advances made in science and technology have shone light in terms of comfort and abundance in people’s lives. At the same time they have cast shadows in terms of global warming and other environmental issues, as well as in questions related to safety and the ethics of life. In addition there are planet-wide issues that require handling that cannot be solved by one country alone. Problems like those faced by humanity in the 21st century must be continually discussed.

The 2nd Forum was held from September 11-13, 2005. Continuing on from the 2004 forum, 650 scientists, politicians, industry leaders, opinion leaders, and 10 Nobel laureates from a total of 68 countries and territories participated.
From the second year forward, the forum has been held each year in Kyoto. The STS Forum NPO was established to operate the forum.

The work to spread the interests of all humankind to the world of tomorrow began in Kyoto.

Fortieth Anniverasry of US-Japan Cooperative Medical Science Program

December 6-11, 2004

Commemorative Event to Mark the Entry into Force of the Kyoto Protocol

February 16, 2005

7th ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting

May 6-7, 2005

The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) is a leadership and cabinet-level series of meetings that seek to increase mutual understanding and strengthen collaboration between Asia and Europe. At the 7th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting 13 foreign ministers from Asian countries including Japan, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members participated, as did 25 foreign ministers from Europe and the European Union Foreign Minister.
Delegations from 13 Asian countries including Japan, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea and ASEAN members gathered to meet with delegations from 25 European countries and one international institution in the midst of Kyoto’s refreshing spring breezes.

At the meeting, (then) Minister of Foreign Affairs Nobutaka Machimura led the proceedings. The Asian and European delegations confirmed their intent to strengthen collaboration in order to work on a wide range of issues including the handling of threats to peace and security, promoting United Nations reforms and trade liberalization.　The Opening Ceremony was held at the Kyoto State Guest House, which had only opened in April of 2005. The Kyoto International Conference Center brought in a range of machinery including music equipment and simultaneous interpretation receivers, and its experienced staff participated in the operation of the event. The State Guest House possesses a Japanese elegance fitting in style for Kyoto, and the Opening Ceremony was the first event held there. The Kyoto International Conference Center will continue to work together and collaborate with the Kyoto State Guest House, and at the same time will work to attract international conferences that see the attendance of state guests and cabinet-level dignitaries.

During the conference, closed-door foreign ministers’ meetings were held between ASEAN Plus 3 (Japan, the People’s Republic of China, and the Republic of Korea) and separately between Japan, the People’s Republic of China, and the Republic of Korea, as well as a number of related meetings. In particular, the wide Kyoto International Conference Center lobby was well utilized during the bilateral meetings between foreign ministers that sporadically occurred before and after the ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Conference.

At these kinds of inter-governmental conferences, the conference schedule and venue layout are occasionally not decided upon until immediately preceding the start of the conference. At this conference too there were moments in which it was a fight against time, but thanks to the concentration of staff experienced in numerous inter-governmental conferences these situations were handled with alertness and agility.
The wives of the countries’ ministers enjoyed exchanges with local high schools, the tea ceremony, flower arranging, Kyoto cuisine, strolls through the Kyoto Imperial Palace and other events in the companion program. Our sincerity and friendliness conveyed more than words ever could. Through these experiences, the guests felt firsthand Kyoto’s traditional culture and the hospitality of the people.

At this conference, discussions between Asia and Europe took a step forward toward addressing the global issues faced by international society.

7th World Symposium on Choral Music in Kyoto, Japan

July 27-August 3, 2005

20th IUBMB International Congress of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

June 18-23, 2006

40th Asian Development Bank Annual Meeting

May 4-7, 2007

G8 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Kyoto, 2008 International Media Center

June 26-27, 2008

STS forum 2008, The 5th Annual Meeting

October 5-7, 2008

Genji Millennium Commemorative Ceremony

November 1, 2008

The 36th International Congress of Physiological Sciences

July 27-August 1, 2009

World Tribology Congress 2009（WTC IV）

September 6-11, 2009

THE EARTH FORUM KYOTO

February 13-14, 2010

14th International Congress of Endocrinology

March 26-30, 2010

The 1st International Particle Accelerator Conference

May 23-28, 2010

7th Combined Meeting of Orthopaedic Research Societies

October 16-20, 2010

The 17th APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting

November 5-6, 2010

XXIII Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis 57th Annual SSC Meeting

July 23-28, 2011

The 15th Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting of the International Labour Organization

December 4-7, 2011

19th International Mass Spectrometry Conference

September 15-21, 2012

The Closing Event of the Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the World Heritage Convention

November 6-8, 2012

The Closing Event of the Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the World Heritage Convention was hosted by the Japanese Government (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Ministry of the Environment and Forestry Agency) in cooperation with the UNESCO World Heritage Center. The event took place over three days.

The World Heritage Convention was adopted in 1972, and 962 locations are listed including the pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China, and the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. 190 countries are signatories to the convention.

At the Opening Ceremony, serving President Nishibayashi, who was then the Ambassador in Charge of Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provided a greeting of welcome, stating “I would like to consider the present, past and future of World Heritage Sites in order for the World Heritage Convention to play an important role looking to the future.” Following this, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova stated, “This convention is a model of international cooperation, and it has in itself become a shared heritage of humankind. It must be protected for the future.” Additionally, photograph panels and video presentations introducing Japan’s World Heritage Sites were shown at the front of the venue.

600 individuals from 60 countries participated in the scheduled three days of the Closing Event. As a result of the debates, the event closed with the “Kyoto Vision” announcement, which stressed the importance of preserving World Heritage Sites and of how we interact with local societies.

11th World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry

June 23-27, 2013

IGU Kyoto Regional Conference 2013

August 4-15, 2013

The International Geographical Union (IGU) Kyoto Regional Conference 2013 (IGU Kyoto Regional Conference 2013) was held over a six day schedule with the Kyoto International Conference Center as the main venue. This was the first time in 33 years the conference was held in Japan. The main theme of the conference was “Traditional and Modern Knowledge for the Future of the Globe.” The number of participants far exceeded initial estimates, totaling 1,400 people including 688 participants from inside Japan and 743 overseas participants (61 countries and territories). This was an unusually large number for an IGU Regional Conference.

Kyoto’s selection as the conference venue truly connected itself for the theme of the conference. Kyoto is the ancient capital of Japan, and adding to this the Kyoto International Conference Center was selected as the location for the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol (December 1997). On the issue of working on global environmental problems and increasing global understanding, comprehensive debates on the true future of the world were conducted with the goal of adding new history to our commemorable venue. These included a total of 1,256 announcements including those from plenary sessions, commission sessions, general sessions, joint sessions, special sessions, poster exhibitions, and others.

At the conference, lively debates unfolded for lasting global development and the resolution of environmental problems on a wide range of topics. These included global changes, population fluidity, biological diversity, natural disasters, geoparks and other debate topics.

Fumihito, Prince Akishino and his wife Kiko, Princess Akishino attended the Opening Ceremony of the IGU Kyoto Regional Conference 2013 held on the 5th, as well as the Award Ceremony for the 10th International Geography Olympiad.

In addition, the March 11th, 2011 earthquake, Fukushima nuclear disaster and unparalleled calamities that followed reverberated not only in Japan but across the world. This gave an incredibly large number of people an opportunity to reflect on their present values, what takes priority in life, and how they live their lives. The IGU Kyoto Regional Conference 2013 provided a good opportunity to exchange information, consider, and build networks in relation to these massive problems.

29th Japanese Association of Medical Sciences General Meeting: 2015 Kansai

April 11-13, 2015

The Japanese Association of Medical Sciences General Meeting is the largest event in the Japanese medical world, and the 2015 29th General Meeting was held across the Kansai region centered on Kyoto. At the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences General Meeting, the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences works in cooperation with the Japan Medical Association to advance and develop medicine and other fields related to medicine. The General Meeting is comprised of 122 subcommittees, and its goal is to comprehensively debate important medical and medical treatment issues from academic and practical standpoints. The first General Meeting was held in Tokyo in 1902, and General Meetings have been held every four years since that time. The 2015 meeting was the 29th time the event was held.

As the previous General Meeting in 2011 changed formats to an academic lecture meeting due to the impact of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, this became the first General Meeting held in eight years in terms of substance.

The “All Kansai” efforts included special lectures as well as academic and medical history exhibits held across Kyoto City with the Kyoto International Conference Center as the main venue. In addition, a variety of pre-events and collaborative events targeting the general public were held in Kobe, Osaka and other locations in the Kansai area’s six prefectures. A total of more than 400,000 members of the general public participated, taking the event to a scale not seen before.

The main theme of the event at the Kyoto International Conference Center was “Aiming for Innovation in Medicine and Medical Care: The Construction of Bonds for Living with a Healthy Society.” Leading medical research was introduced, and approximately 30,000 people participated. His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince of Japan attended the Opening Ceremony, and world class conductor Yutaka Sado marked the start of the meeting with a concert together with the Super Kids Orchestra.

Following, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Laureate and Kyoto University Professor Shinya Yamanaka took the podium to deliver the Special Lecture.

These individuals connected to the medical field not only increased others’ understanding of the research. In some lectures it was possible for individuals connected to enterprises and the general public to participate, making it an extremely significant and publically open conference.