News

 

 

Yokohama Weather Forecast (updated June 2nd, 2025):

Please refer to the following website for the weekly weather forecast in Yokohama.

AccuWeather – Yokohama Weekly Weather Forecast

Please use it to prepare for your packing. LOC will be distributing folding umbrellas to all participants as a novelty item at the time of registration, so you do not need to bring one with you (to make your luggage a little lighter!).

 

 

Weather forecast (updated May 30, 2025):

The end of June is the rainy season in Japan. This year, the rainy season has already begun across Japan, with rain falling every other day. At the end of June, the humidity will increase, temperatures will exceed 25C (77F), and the number of rainy days will increase.

From around June 5th, LOC will be posting the Yokohama weather forecast on this page (the top page of the IRG56 website). Please use it to prepare for your packing.

LOC will be distributing folding umbrellas to all participants as a novelty item at the time of registration, so you do not need to bring one with you (to make your luggage a little lighter!).

 

 

Dress Code recommendations (updated May 30, 2025):

The end of June in Yokohama is a time of high humidity and over 25C during the rainy season. From May to September in every year, Japanese companies and government recommend "Cool Biz" which means "no tie and no jacket ". In those offices, workers wear lighter clothes in summer, and this helps save the energy used for air conditioning. Short sleeve shirts and polo shirts are also recommended, as long as they have a collar.

LOC will also adopt this system for IRG56 Yokohama, from the welcome reception on the first day to the dinner party (excluding excursions). This will be convenient for overseas participants to bring their luggage to Yokohama, as it will make their luggage lighter. In addition, folding fans will be distributed as a novelty item to be used during the conference.

 

 

Excursion(updated May 30, 2025):

Six buses will head to three locations in Kamakura (1. The Great Buddha of Kamakura, 2. Hase-dera Temple, 3. Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine). Kamakura is an old town, so the roads are narrow. It is also a popular spot with many tourists. Therefore, instead of heading to the same location in six buses (= 200 people at the same time), we will split into three groups of two buses and change the order of visiting each group. Please note that after splitting into three groups of two buses at the departure point, Pacifico Yokohama, we will not meet up with the other two groups until the dinner venue in Chinatown.

As it may rain on the day, please bring the folding umbrellas that were distributed on the first day. Also, at the registration on the first day, we will distribute T-shirts as novelty goods. Please wear this when participating in the excursion. Kamakura is unimaginably crowded (experiencing that may be one of the fun parts of traveling!). Even adults can get lost, so we recommend wearing the IRG56 T-shirt.

Yokohama Chinatown, where the dinner restaurant is located, is also a narrow town. There is not enough space to pull over six buses when we finish dinner. Therefore, we will disperse at the restaurant. LOC will distribute subway tickets to everyone when they leave the restaurant. For more information, please see the Excursions page.

 

 

Meal Information (updated May 26, 2025):

The LOC is offering two banquet menu options for Thursday, June 26: a Japanese-French course and a vegetarian course. Details are provided below.
If you would like to request the vegetarian option, please notify the LOC chairs, Makoto Yoshida and Hiroshi Matsunaga, by email no later than Saturday, June 7, to facilitate ordering.

Hiroshi Matsunaga: mhiroshi@ffpri.affrc.go.jp
Makoto Yoshida: ymakoto@cc.tuat.ac.jp

Special Japanese-French Menu
-Assorted appetizers (Abalone and mushrooms marinated Japanese-style, Tuna with bottarga, Sea scallop with salmon roe)<
-Chilled steamed egg custard with conger eel, shrimp, green soybeans, and yuzu
-Pot-roasted sea bream with shrimp and clam risotto
-Beef sirloin, pavé style, with marinated egg yolk, wasabi, potato and mushroom tart, and green vegetables
-Roasted green tea crème brûlée with green tea ice cream
-Freshly baked bread

[Vegetarian] Special Japanese-French Menu
-Salad of nuts, dried fruits, and beans with apple vinegar dressing
-Japanese mushrooms and vegetables in kelp broth, chilled steamed egg custard with yuzu
-Gratin of eggplant, onion, zucchini, and spaghetti
-Plant-based hamburger with soy sauce-marinated egg yolk, served with potato gratin and green vegetables
-Roasted green tea crème brûlée with green tea ice cream
-Freshly baked bread

In addition, the LOC has arranged the following vegetarian-friendly options for other meals:
Welcome Reception: Assorted canapés, cheese platter, dry snacks (e.g., mixed nuts)
President’s Reception: Buffet including chicken, fish, plant-based hamburger steak, roasted tofu and mushrooms with yuba sauce, vegetable fried rice, assorted desserts, baguette, etc.
Lunch Boxes (Bento): Typically include a variety of small dishes, which may contain meat, fish, or other items.
Chinese Dinner (Excursion): A course meal that includes meat, fish, and vegetables will be served. The menu features: assorted appetizers, braised whole shark fin with matsutake mushrooms, king crab stir-fried with scallion and ginger sauce, thinly sliced Wagyu beef stir-fried with Japanese pepper, original Peking duck, crab meat xiaolongbao, shrimp stir-fried with mayonnaise sauce, mapo tofu, plum pickled vegetable fried rice, and dessert.

 

 

For Posters and Corporate Exhibits (updated May 14, 2025):

Please put up your posters and company exhibits on the poster boards in the foyer of rooms F201, F203, and F205 by the evening of Tuesday, June 24. After your presentation, please remove them by the morning of Wednesday, June 25.

 

 

 

The IRG56 meeting of the International Research Group on Wood Protection will be held on June 22-26, 2025 at the Pacifico Yokohama Convention Center in Yokohama, Japan.

Previous IRG meetings have been held in Japan in Kyoto in 1991, and in Nara in 2001. The original intention was to hold this IRG meeting in 2021, but the Covid Pandemic interrupted those plans.

This location was chosen as providing the following advantages:

• one of the most spectacular scenic vistas in Japan, especially famous for its beautiful night views

• excellent meeting facilities of a size appropriate for the IRG meeting

• a wide range of suitable and affordable hotels in Yokohama in close proximity to the Pacifico Yokohama Center more than capable of accommodating all IRG meeting attendees

• suitable viewpoints to see beautiful and icon Mount Fuji, perhaps the most recognized symbol of Japan

• close to Tokyo Haneda International Airport and Tokyo Narita International Airport and major train stations, making it easy to access numerous sightseeing spots

• opportunities for many pre- and post-conference activities

So count on attending the IRG56 meeting in Yokohama, Japan for what promises to be an excellent and stimulating IRG meeting.