Yokohama: Japan’s conference capital for a sustainable future
The first Japanese port to open to the world in the 19th century, Yokohama is now an enduring symbol of innovation and global exchange
Yokohama has grown into Japan’s second largest city, boasting easy access to two international airports, a robust public transportation system and world-class facilities including PACIFICO Yokohama, the city’s flagship conference centre, which consistently hosts more international conferences than any other convention venue in Japan.
Thinking globally
Left to right: Professors Naomi Yamashita, Vanessa Evers and Yoshifumi Kitamura
Left to right: Professors Naomi Yamashita, Vanessa Evers and Yoshifumi Kitamura
Yokohama attracts prominent conferences dealing with contemporary subjects, such as astronomy, nuclear technology and global health. The city hosted the 2025 CHI conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, which broke the conference’s all-time attendance record by attracting more than 5,000 participants. The conference’s chairs, Professors Naomi Yamashita, Vanessa Evers and Yoshifumi Kitamura, cited Yokohama’s easy international access and excellent facilities such as conveniently located hotels, train stations and restaurants as some of the deciding factors for hosting the conference in the seaside city. They also praised Yokohama’s access to global company headquarters and its dedication to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thanks to the city’s many local suppliers, they were able “to find more sustainable alternatives for all sorts of things,” such as replacements for single-use plastics.
Local impact, global legacy
Through Yokohama’s Next Generation Project, CHI’s organisers held a symposium to introduce CHI’s fields of research to the people of Yokohama. Conference organisers can leave a lasting impact on the community by contributing to legacy programmes such as this, or through the Furusato Nozei Program, which encourages donations to support the development of rural areas or disaster readiness and relief efforts.
‘Thinking locally’ was also the philosophy behind laying on activities that encouraged attendees to experience Japan’s traditional heritage. Yokohama City Visitors Bureau introduced local suppliers who offered hands-on workshops to attendees at the event, including tatami mat weaving and the tea ceremony.
The Yokohama City Visitors Bureau also offers exclusive, sustainability-focused cultural experiences for conference organisers and attendees, including a private meal at the historic Tanakaya, one of Yokohama’s oldest restaurants, and a guided tour of the bustling Central Wholesale Fish Market.
Innovation-led conference district
The waterfront Minato Mirai 21 is the ultimate sustainable conference district: compact, walkable and full of green technology such as the eco-friendly, localised heating, cooling and renewable energy used throughout its infrastructure. At its heart sits PACIFICO Yokohama, a global MICE icon boasting a wide range of sustainability initiatives including rainwater utilisation, rooftop greening and an exceptional near 90 per cent recycling rate. The convention centre has achieved carbon neutral energy consumption and recently obtained the ISO 20121 Event Sustainability Management Systems certification.
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