This reception will be held to welcome our IPBA Scholars, New Members and Women Business Lawyers, and is open to all members. The WBLC (Women Business Lawyers Committee) will invite a prominent guest speaker, coordinated by Ms. Yoshiko Koizumi, a partner of City-Yuwa Partners, to epitomize the success of women in the legal world. The address will be followed by an Exchange on Cultural Intrigues, an hour-long interactive session over refreshments that highlights the interesting facets of various nations and traditions which are sometimes misunderstood, to facilitate better understanding and greater accommodation across cultures.

ICC Kyoto boasts an exquisite Japanese-style garden that faces the Takaragaike Lake in a stunning example of water and nature in harmony. Please join us for a welcome reception held at ICC Kyoto’s lobby and famous garden to gather with and meet Conference participants. Renew acquaintances with colleagues and friends while taking in the beauty of the lake from one of ICC Kyoto’s eight bridges. The reception will feature a geisha performance and will be preceded by a tea ceremony which is free of charge and available to everyone between 14:00-18:00.

Join us for dinner at your choice of one of these two beautiful historic temples. Please kindly note that as space is limited at each venue, you are asked to choose either Ninna-ji Temple or Kodai-ji Temple in the “Kyoto Night” section of our Registration website. Due to the limited capacity of each venue, reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Ninna-ji Temple was founded in 888 and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. Nearly all of the buildings that comprise the Ninna-ji Temple complex have been honored as National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties, and Ninnaji is also home to the Omuro School of Flower Arrangement (Ikebana). The temple’s collection includes over 600 spectacular works of sculpture, painting, calligraphy, lacquer, and ceramics, which are on display only twice a year. (For those of you interested in seeing the collection, it will be on display from April 1st to May 29th, from 9:00-16:30 at the “Reiho-kan” Building, for an admission fee of JPY 500.)

Kodai-ji Temple was established in 1606 by the widow of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, Japan’s great warrior and political unifier. The temple itself is famous for its array of “Kodai-ji Makie” (Japanese lacquer with gilded patterns in the distinctive Kodai-ji style) and for its garden, which was designated a historical site and place of scenic beauty by the Japanese government. Kodai-ji is located in the heart of Gion, Kyoto’s bustling geisha district, lined with wooden “machiya” (townhouses) and “ochaya” (teahouses where geisha entertain). After visiting Kodai-ji, we will adjourn to the adjacent Garden Oriental Kyoto for dinner. Formerly the private residence of Seiho Takeuchi, one of the founders of “nihonga” (Japanese-style painting), the Garden Oriental is the perfect place to unwind and become acquainted with Kyoto’s natural beauty and formidable artistic traditions.

Our annual gala will be held at the Westin Miyako, one of Kyoto’s most beautiful modern hotels. The Westin Miyako is nestled amongst rolling hills and epitomizes the perfect fusion of tradition and modernity. The gala event will feature an elegant multicourse dinner, traditional Japanese music, Silent Auction, and the performance of a Noh play entitled “Shakkyo,” about finding paradise. Although we have no limitation on seating capacity, reservations are required to participate in the Gala Dinner through our Registration website.

Point of Departure and Point of Arrival:Kyoto International Conference Center

This tour will take you to an impressive factory of Panasonic located near the Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan, where various kinds of home appliances are being developed and manufactured. Panasonic, a Japanese company and world leader in innovative technology, is trying to promote and achieve a low-carbon society by manufacturing eco-friendly products in line with its corporate philosophy of “contribution to social development and rich life through creation.” Through this factory visit, you can experience the eco-friendly world envisioned by Panasonic as well as meet and network with other participants, while enjoying the beautiful scenery of Lake Biwa.

To make reservations for this factory visit, please access the website below no later than March 31, 2011 at 17:30 (Japan Standard Time). Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.