Yokohama has been chosen as the host city for the 12th International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society Congress (ISRS) in 2015 and the Asian-Pacific Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (A-PHPBA) Regional Congress in 2017, in the latest reflection of the Japanese port city's appealing qualities as the nation's center of innovation and research.

Fighting off competition from Hong Kong, Yokohama successfully won the ISRS 2015 bid thanks to Japan's strategic plan for maximizing attendance for the congress, as well as the nation's working knowledge in dealing with the dangers of radiation and nuclear plants acquired through its recovery from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster, according to Dr. Motohiro Hayashi at the Tokyo Women's Medical University.

Moreover, "Japan has played an integral role in the development of stereotactic radiosurgery over the last few decades," commented Dr. Hayashi, who chairs a local organizing committee for ISRS 2015. The event will be held at PACIFICO Yokohama, Japan's largest convention complex.

As for the A-PHPBA Regional Congress in 2017, Japan won by a majority vote in a bid against Indonesia. Co-hosted by the Japanese Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery (JSHBPS) and the A-PHPBA, which is part of the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA), the congress is expected to attract over 3,000 researchers from within and outside the country.

Home to the RIKEN Yokohama Institute, Yokohama's coastal district is one of the world's leading centers for regenerative medicines and other life science fields. It has been designated by the Japanese government as a "Comprehensive International Strategic Zone for the Life Sciences."

Kana Nomoto from the Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau (YCVB) said: "The successful bids to host ISRS 2015 and A-PHPBA 2017 are testament to Yokohama's attractiveness as the nation's center of innovation and research. We are proud that our city's powerful image as 'Japan's First Port of Call' gives confidence to conference organizers around the world."

Accessible from both Haneda and Narita airports, which handle over 1,500 direct flights a week from 40 countries, Yokohama is known for its success in attracting large attendances to its conventions. PACIFICO Yokohama is the city's largest all-in-one convention complex with a plenary capacity of 5,000. Thirteen hotels located within a 15-minute walking distance offer some 3,400 rooms for accommodation.

Photos: http://www.welcome.city.yokohama.jp/eng/convention/media-center/

Source: YCVB