Conference Social Events
The following conference social events are provided to delegates and included in your conference registration fee. 

Guest/s are invited to attend the Welcome Reception (Wednesday, Sept. 5^th), Exhibit Reception (Thursday, Sept. 6^th), Social Outing (Thursday, Sept. 6^th- Transportation fee of $35 is required) and our ICP Banquet and Reception (Friday, Sept. 7^th).
Guest Fee: $185/person

Tuesday, September 4^th

We encourage all delegate to arrive on Tuesday in time to pick up your credentials and meet your colleagues.  A welcome drink, light appetizers and cash bar will be available for your enjoyment.

Dress: Casual

Wednesday, September 5^th

Conference delegates are invited to join us for lunch.  Menu items include: Smoked Salmon, marinade octopus, mixed sandwiches, spring rolls, pasta, fried chicken, New York pizza, fruit and coffee.

Our Welcome Reception will be an opportunity to meet all conference delegates and their guests.   A selection of western buffet, hand-rolled sushi, tempura and Japanese wheat noodles will be provided along with a hosted bar (liquor, wine, beer and soft drinks).  For your entertainment, artists will be providing drawings and portraits.  Candy making and Japanese tea ceremony will also be available for your entertainment. 

Amezaiku (candy sculpting) is a traditional Japanese folk art of sculpting candy into a variety of shapes, such as animals and other characters. It is said that, even in Japan, there may be only a handful of people who still practice this hundreds-year-old art form.  The Japanese tea ceremony (cha-no-yu, chado, or sado) is a traditional ritual influenced by Zen Buddhism in which powdered green tea, or matcha, is ceremonially prepared by a skilled practitioner and served to guests in a tranquil setting.

Guest Fee required for accompanying guest.

Dress: Business Attire

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Thursday, September 6^th

The Poster Session and Exhibit Reception will be held together and all delegates should attend.  The Program Committee considers posters an important contribution to the success of this conference. The poster presentations will be given particular emphasis at the conference. Many of the presentations will provide information that was thought to be better suited to the higher level of exposure and interaction that a poster presentation affords. For this reason poster presentations are seen as an extremely important venue for information exchange.

Posters will be displayed Thursday (1:00pm) thru Friday (1:00pm).  All poster presenter should remove posters during the Friday lunch hour.

A variety of hot and cold appetizers will be served and a beverage cash bar will be available for your enjoyment.  Immediately following our Poster Session and Exhibit Reception is our Social Outing.  Those colleagues who have elected to attend the Social Outing (transportation fee required for delegates and guest fee and transportation fee required for guest), please dress accordingly and be prepared to depart at 3:30pm.  See Social Outing (Elective Activities) for details.

Guest Fee required for accompanying guest.

Dress: Casual

ICP members are encouraged to attend your organization's business meeting and luncheon.  The business of the ICP will be presented and important issues will be discussed and/or voted on for approval.

ICP Members only

This is our gala event... Our conference banquet and reception will be held in the Sea Hawk hotel.  Dinner will be a combination of Western and Japanese cuisine and includes a hosted bar for your enjoyment.  Hakata gold lion and drum will provide our evening's entertainment.

Guest Fee required for accompanying guest.

Dress: Black tie invited, Dark suits acceptable & Evening Dress for ladies

Wednesday, September 5^th (10:00am - 5:00pm)

Karatsu Castle built by Hirotaka Terasawa, who was the first lord of the fief of Karatsu and the lord of Shima, over a 7-year period from 1602. The present castle tower was completed in 1966. On exhibit inside the castle are pieces of early Karatsu ware, ancient swords, spears and other artifacts. The top floor offers a panoramic view.

Imari - Okawachiyama village is one of the most important areas in Japan for ceramics. Porcelain has been made here since 1675. Surrounded on three sides by jagged mountains, and with a river running through the middle of the town, Okawachiyama is a must see for anybody who is interested in the ceramic arts. You can see artisans practicing their craft, there are shops and galleries selling extremely high quality porcelain, both art pieces and tableware. There are many working kilns still operating here. It is possible to purchase useful souvenirs for a few hundred yen, or thousands of yen for original pieces.

Tour includes: Round trip transportation from Sea Hawk hotel, English/Japanese speaking guides and lunch.
Trip Cost: $135 per person

Thursday, September 6^th ICP Social Outing (3:30pm - 10:00pm)

Dazaifu Tenmangu is a shrine built over the grave of Michizane Sugawara venerated by the Japanese throughout the country as the God of literature or calligraphy.  Michizane endured a life of extreme hardship. He died in 903 at the age of 59. Michizane is celebrated as a man, pure in heart and deed. In the vast precincts of Dazaifu Tenmangu, spreading over 3,000 acres, 6,000 plum trees surround a tranquil garden, a suitable setting for a shrine.

Kyushu National Museum is the most recent of national museums in Japan opened in October 2005. A striking wood and glass building in the hills next to Dazaifu Tenmangu., it hosts important collections of Japanese artifacts related to the history of Kykushku. The collections cover the history of Kykushku from prehistory to modern times with particular emphasis on the cultural exchange between Kykushku and neighboring China and Korea.

As with all ICP Social Outings the Kyushu National Museum will be a spectacular venue to hold our conference banquet, present outstanding poster awards and network with your international colleagues.  We are making plans for an evening of entertainment that will leave a lasting impression.   Social outings are complimentary for conference delegates and their registered guests. 

Transportation Cost: $35/person  (must be conference delegate or registered guest)                    Dress: Casual

Friday, September 7^th (10:00am - 3:00pm)

Fukuoka City Tour will visit attractions in and around Fukuoka city.  Sites inlcude: Fukuoka Castle built in the beginning of the 17th century by Nagamasa Kuroda, the first daimyo (feudal lord) of Chikuzen.  Kushida Shrine is said to have been built in 757 for the citizens of Hakata at the end of Heian era. It is the center of Gion Yamakasa summer festival.

Tocho Temple is the main temple of the Shinon cult, Kyushu school and enshrines God Kobo Dashi. It is the oldest Shingon Temple in Japan and contains the largest “sitting Buddha” statue made of wood. The Rokkakudo is a masterpiece of design and functionality and is included in the city’s designated buildings.  Time will be provided for Shoppings at Yodobashi (The biggest electronic store in Fukuoka).

Tour includes: Round trip transportation from Sea Hawk hotel, English/Japanese speaking guides and lunch
Trip Cost: $135 per person

Saturday, September 8^th (5:00pm - 10:00pm)

Hita & Yakatabune Dinner- We will travel to the charming mountain town of Hita, its rich culture born during the days it was under control of the Edo shogunate, sprawls between two highland rivers in a lush valley in Oita Prefecture. It’s just 90 minutes from Fukuoka.  Hita’s old district, Mameda-machi, is very appealing with “old Japan” charm and architecture. 

The highlight of the evening will be a Yakatabune dinner on the lake. Partying on the flat-bottom boats (“yakatabune” literally means “roof-shaped boat”) is an ancient tradition. The experience hasn’t changed much over the centuries; lots of great food, served Japanese-style on floor-level tables on tatami mats all the while dress in traditional Kimono robe. Our evening includes traditional music. An evening you will want to share with your colleagues and one to remember.  
Make sure you stay the extra day!

Tour includes: Round trip transportation from Sea Hawk hotel, guides, Yakatabune dinner and entertainment..
Trip Cost: $150 per person

Sunday, September 9^th
Post Conference Tour to Kyoto via the Bullet Train (3 days/2 nights)

Kyoto  When in Japan... Do not miss the opportunity to take the Shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto.
Shinkansen trains boasts speeds up to 300 kilometers per hour. It’s a 2 ¾ hour train ride to Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto and makes this a must-see city with its thousands of serene temples, gardens, castles, shrines and 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Kyoto has a worldwide reputation as Japan’s most beautiful and historic city. A city with traditional elegance, picturesque settings, nestled in forested hills and home to the Japanese imperial family from 794 to 1868.

A two night stay will provide the opportunity to see the best of Kyoto. Accommodations will be at the ANA Kyoto Hotel (Deluxe 3 Star property). Tours will provide a unique opportunity to share this special place with your colleagues.

Trip Schedule:     Departs: Sunday, Sept. 9th (8:30am)     Returns: Tuesday, Sept. 11th (5:15pm) to Sea Hawk Hotel, Fukuoka
Trip Cost: $1,380 per person
Includes: Transfer from hotels, train ticket, 2 nights lodging with 2 breakfasts and guided tours.