The 16th Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference (16PBNC)
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The following events are included in the registration fee, and available for all the participants and their accompanying parties. See details given below as some events require advance registration or a ticket.
(The availability and time of each event is subject to change.)
Welcome Reception
17:00 - 18:30, Monday, October 13 at Hotel Aomori
A welcome reception is held as the first event of 16PBNC. All registered persons can attend the reception at no extra charge. Enjoy Aomori's traditional folklore performance "Aomori Nebuta-Bayashi", and sample fine foods and local liquors prepared by Hotel Aomori, while reacquainting yourself with old associates and meeting with new acquaintances.
Cultural (local) Exchange
17:00 - 19:00, Tuesday, October 14 at the Large Hall, Aomori City Cultural Hall
Hoping to make this a memorable experience, this program will introduce participants to Aomori by featuring the demonstration of Aomori's traditional performance arts at Aomori City Cultural Hall, including a Noh performance by the people of Higashidori Village.
Visit to Aomori Prefecture Tourist Center ASPM
ASPM provides comprehensive information about Aomori's local industries, tourism products and local performing arts. If you are buying souvenirs, this is the Must stop to drop by. An admission ticket is required to enter ASPM. Collect your free admission ticket at the information desk.
ASPM also offers the workshops detailed below.
Free circular shuttle bus services (Aomori City Cultural Hall - ASPM - Aomori Station) planned.
Shuttle bus details will be available at a later date.
Hands-on workshops at Aomori Prefecture Tourist Center ASPM
Workshop (1) 10:30 - 13:30, Wednesday, October 15
Workshop (2) 10:30 - 13:30, Friday, October 17
[Kogin embroidery demonstration section and handicraft experience section]
Tsugaru Kite painting / Tsugaru Kokeshi doll painting / Amber accessory making
* Advance bookings essential
* Free circular shuttle bus services (Aomori City Cultural Hall - ASPM - Aomori Station) planned
The booking method and shuttle bus details will be available at a later date.
Japanese rice cake making
12:10 - 12:50, Thursday, October 16 at the Front Entrance, Aomori City Cultural Hall
This program offers participants an opportunity to make and sample traditional Japanese food "Mochi (=rice cake)" at the venue. Enjoy the rice pounding performance and the taste of freshly prepared rice cake.
Japanese tea ceremony
14:00 - 15:00, Wednesday, October 15 at the Japanese Room, Aomori City Cultural Hall
A formal tea ceremony is conducted in the Japanese room of the venue. Have a first-hand experience of the tea-making ritual. An advance booking is required.
Japanese flower arrangement
14:00 - 15:00, Friday, October 17 at the Japanese Room, Aomori City Cultural Hall
This program showcases the art of Japanese-style flower arrangement. Come and learn new flower arrangement techniques. An advance booking is required.
The following events and tours are not included in the registration fee.
19:00 - 21:30, Wednesday, October 15 at Hotel Aomori, Price ¥15,000
This is organized as the official banquet for the conference. Savor a fine western-style dinner served with Aomori's local Sake of the highest quality. This official banquet is a fee-charging event and requires an advance booking.
Three Technical Tours are available for visiting nuclear energy related facilities.
Schedule of Technical Tours (PFD, 123kB)
09:00 - 17:40, Thursday, October 16; Tour price ¥5,000; A minimum of 20 bookings required
09:00 - 17:40, Saturday, October 18; Tour price ¥5,000; A minimum of 20 bookings required
Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited (JNFL), located in Rokkasyo-Mura, Aomori, owns and operates nuclear fuel cycle facilities including reprocessing plant, enrichment plant and low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal center, and is advancing MOX fuel fabrication plant project. The mission of JNFL is to establish nuclear fuel cycle technologies for the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
JNFL's reprocessing plant, which is Japan's first commercial plant, will commence full commercial operation after completing active testing in July 2008.
Tour participants will visit reprocessing plant, vitrified glass canister storage facility and LLW disposal center as well as the beauty of autumn in countryside of Aomori.
09:30 - 17:40, Saturday, October 18; Tour price ¥5,000; A minimum of 20 bookings required
The Higashidori Nuclear Power Station is located on the northeastern tip of Japan's Honshu mainland in Higashidori Village, Shimokita County, Aomori Prefecture, approx. 100km north-east of Aomori City.
Tohoku Electric Power Company and Tokyo Electric Power Company are planning to establish a total of four nuclear power plants on this site, and the Tohoku Electric Power Company's Higashidori Nuclear Power Station Unit 1, jointly developed by the two companies, is currently in operation. Preparation work is also underway for Tokyo Electric Power Company to build its Unit 1 nuclear power plant.
Tohoku Electric Power Company's Higashidori Nuclear Power Station Unit 1 is a boiling water reactor with the power output capacity of 1.1 million kW, a type most commonly used in Japan. It is the 54th commercial nuclear power plant, now in operation in Japan. Its construction work commenced in December 1998, and it has maintained stable operations since the start of commercial operations in December 2005, thereby serving an important role in the stable supply of electric power.
The plant's hardware characteristics include the seawater sea exchanger building, the use of "9x9 fuel" for reducing the fuel cost and the amount of radioactive waste generated, and Mark-I advanced reactor containment vessel.
Visitors should be able to attain full understanding of the facilities.
Bring a photo ID on the day of the tour.
08:00 - 18:45, Saturday, October 18; Tour price ¥5,000; A minimum of 20 bookings required
J-Power is currently implementing a nuclear energy program in the town of Ohma with the aim of developing the first full-MOX ABWR (Advanced Boiling Water Reactor that uses Mixed Oxide Fuel in its whole core) in Japan. This project enjoys support from the government and all electric utilities in the nation for its potential to increase the flexibility of "Pluthermal" , the use of plutonium in light-water reactors.
The town of Ohma, located on the northern-most tip of Japan's Honshu main island, is renowned for its beautiful landscapes and a rich variety of sea products. Especially Ohma Maguro (tuna fish) is considered to be the highest quality tuna harvested in Japan. Enjoy the gorgeous flavor during your visit to Ohma.
RFS (Recyclable-Fuel Storage Company) is located in the city of Mutsu. If conditions permit, you can have a first-hand look through the site of the interim storage facilities, now under construction. The city of Mutsu is also home to the Mutsu Science Museum, which gives you a historical overview of Japan's first nuclear vessel, "Mutsu" .
You may leave the tour group at Ohma and go to Hakodate by ferry instead of returning to Aomori. You may board the ferry that departs Ohma Ferry Terminal at 13:50, and arrives at Hakodake 15:30 (Higashi Nihon Ferry 9). You must make your own arrangements for the remainder of your trip.
The following tours, originating from Aomori, have been prepared to coincide with the 16 PBNC.
These tours cover most attractive sightseeing routes in areas around Aomori Prefecture.
Schedule of Optional Tours (PFD, 142kB)
Lake Towada in the autumnal display (1-day course)
09:00 - 17:00, Wednesday, October 15; Tour price ¥8,000; A minimum of 20 bookings required
09:00 - 17:00, Saturday, October 18; Tour price ¥8,000; A minimum of 20 bookings required
Lake Towada, one of the Tohoku region's most notable scenic sites, is known for its mysteriously deep blue color of the water.
The area presents panoramic beauty particularly during the season of autumnal tints, attracting numerous visitors from across the nation as well as from overseas.
The Cape Hakka Scenic Lookout provides the full view of the lake, second to none. Himemasu trout farming was successfully developed in the Meiji Era, and has since produced the delicacy as an important tourism resource. Together with the nearby Oirase Gorge and Hakkoda group of volcanos, the Lake forms a central part of the Towada-Hachimantai National Park. Japan's notable travel writer Keigetsu Omachi from the Meiji Era admired the beauty of the lake, saying, "There is only one Mount Fuji and only one Lake Towada in this whole world".
The bronze "Statue of Maidens" by Kotaro Takamura is the icon of Lake Towada.
Oirase Gorge stretches 14km from Lake Towada to Mt. Yaki. The promenade and motorway, developed alongside the river, represent one of the most famous sites for autumnal tint viewing in Japan. On the way from Lake Towada / Oirase Gorge to the Aomori city center is the Kayano Chaya tea stand, where you can try the Sanbai longevity tea. Drinking three cups of this tea is believed to give you longevity.
Tachineputa Festival and the castle town of Hirosaki (1-day course)
09:00 - 16:50, Saturday, October 18; Tour price ¥8,000; A minimum of 20 bookings required
The Tsugaru district, the western half of Aomori Prefecture, is home to distinctive cultures, including the world-famous Nebuta Festival and other unique local festivals. Among them is the Tachineputa Festival, held every summer in the city of Goshogawara. People chanting "Yattemare, Yattemare" carry massive floats measuring 22 meters tall and weighing 17 tons in a procession through the city center, attracting visitors with the overwhelming display of power and energy.
The Tachineputa Museum in the city reproduces the atmosphere of the festival throughout the year.
This area is also the birthplace of one of Tsugaru's, or Japan's most notable authors, Osamu Dazai. His works receive high acclaim even from outside Japan. This tour takes you to Shayokan, the house in which he was born and raised.
Standing nearby is a museum dedicated to Tsugaru Shamisen, a type of Japanese lute with a distinctive performance style of striking the strings hard and fast. If time permits, you may be able to hear this unique Shamisen performance. Hirosaki, the central city of the Tsugaru district, features Hirosaki Castle, the residence of the local Tsugaru clan. This is one of the most famous cherry blossom viewing sites in Japan with vast parkland in the compound open to the general public.
Natchan Rera catamaran ride to Hakodate (1-day course)
09:00 - 20:40, Saturday, October 18; Tour price ¥15,000; A minimum of 20 bookings required
The city of Hakodate, in southern Hokkaido, is just one hour by fast catamaran or approx. 2 hours by train from Aomori, and features numerous Christian churches and western architecture to produce an exotic atmosphere. The Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse is a newly-developed waterfront attraction that houses a shopping mall, beer halls and restaurants. From Mr. Hakodate, on the western edge of Hakodate, you can overlook the whole of Hakodate City, and even Aomori across the Tsugaru Strait on a sunny day.
(Mt. Hakodate is considered to offer one of the three best night views of the world, alongside Hong Kong and Naples.)
The tour also takes you to the western-style Fort Goryokaku historic site, which was the stage of a civil war (Boshin War / Goryokaku War) 140 years ago.
The undersea tunnel linking Hokkaido and Aomori (Seikan Tunnel) is the world's longest tunnel (even longer than the Channel Tunnel across the Strait of Dover).
<If leaving the tour group in Hakodate>
You may leave the tour group at the Hakodate Airport (at 16:30) or Hakodate Station (17:30) without returning to Aomori. The tour price in this case is ¥10,000. You must make your own arrangements for the remainder of your trip.
Nebutanosato and Apple Picking (short tour)
14:00 - 17:30, Wednesday, October 15; Tour price ¥3,000; A minimum of 20 bookings required
The nationally-famous annual Aomori Nebuta Festival is held in early August, with local people chanting "Rassera" and pulling floats on wheels, lit from the inside and designed in the shape of warriors. In recent years, the procession has been performed overseas, including Brazil, Hungary, Moscow, London, South Korea and Los Angeles. Nebutanosato is a museum that displays Nebuta floats all year round, and runs Nebuta-pulling workshops. Aomori produces 50% of domestic apples in circulation. The local Fuji variety boasts the world's largest production in volume, and is most widely farmed in Japan. You can hand-pick and sample fresh apples at a local apple orchard. *Note that the apples you can pick at the orchard may not necessarily be of the Fuji variety.
Sannai Maruyama Site and Aomori Prefectural Museum (short tour)
14:00 - 17:30, Thursday, October 16; Tour price ¥3,000; A minimum of 20 bookings required
Sannai Maruyama Site is among Japan's largest historic sites of Jomon Era settlement from 5,500 to 4,000 years ago. There was a communal settlement that went for an extended period of time. The archaeological survey that started in 1992 identified numerous remains of ancient residences, graves, waste disposal sites and roads, providing specific information as to how the settlement was set up as a whole and what the natural environment was like in those days. In 2000, the area was given the government designation as a special historic site, and there is a move to secure its listing as a World Heritage Site in the future. The Aomori Prefectural Museum is a general museum with permanent displays on the prefecure's archaeological sites, nature, history, ethnicity, industries and prominent persons.
Autumnal Hakkoda Mountains and Sukayu Spa famous for its mixed-bathing Sennin Buro (short tour)
13:00 - 16:30, Tuesday, October 14; Tour price ¥3,000; A minimum of 20 bookings required
10:00 - 13:30, Friday, October 17; Tour price ¥5,000; A minimum of 20 bookings required (with lunch)
[Attention] Its tour on October 14 is operated.
Hakkoda Mountains is a term referring to a group of volcanoes towering on the southern end of Aomori City, and is one of Japan's 100 scenic mountains. The area experiences among the heaviest snowfalls in the world. Around 100 years ago, a division of foot soldiers set off on a snow march in a military drill, and found themselves stranded in a record-setting blizzard, leaving 199 of the 210 soldiers dead (Death March of Hakkoda Mountains Incident).
The entire mountains wear the seasonal colors for a panoramic autumnal display.
The Sukayu Spa is a large-scale spa-themed inn, attracting a large number of visitors for its abundant supply of hot spring that provides a range of benefits. Its most notable feature is the huge Sennin-Buro (thousand men's bath). The gymnasium-looking building, made entirely of Hiba cypress timbers, houses two baths and Utaseyu massaging waterfalls. Although there are separate change rooms for men and women, the inside facilities are for mixed-bathing, with a central marking for the main bath indicating a general separation point for men and women.
Dinner over a live performance of Tsugaru Shamisen (short tour)
18:40 - 21:00, Thursday, October 16; Tour price ¥7,000 ; A minimum of 20 bookings required
With authentic Tsugaru Shamisen (Japanese lute with a distinctive string-striking performance style) performance in the background, enjoy Kenoshiru soup (Local favorite for winter, popular especially among the people of Tsugaru. It is typically made of vegetables, mountain herbs and a variety of soy-based products such as fried tofu, fresh tofu and reconstituted freeze-dried tofu, simmered together and flavored with soy paste or soy sauce.) and other Aomori delicacies. The female proprietor, who handles both cooking and Shamisen performance, offers family-style hospitality. Another recommended item on the menu is Jappajiru soup containing Kinkin flatfish.
* The menu is subject to change.
