Location, accommodation & travel information
Kobe is an old port city located on the main island of Japan in the Kansai region. The Kansai region is the heart of Japan, known for its rich history, culture, and outgoing locals with big personalities.
With a population of roughly 1.5 million, Kobe is the 7th largest city in Japan.
The port of Kobe was one of three in Japan to open to the world in 1868 after hundreds of years of isolation policy in Japan. Through its port, Kobe has developed its own unique cultural identity, taking on various influences from abroad which to this day give the city a distinct international flavour. This uniqueness is best represented in the city’s multicultural population, and its architecture and cuisine, which is a unique blend of colonial European and traditional and modern Japanese elements.
However, what makes Kobe truly unique in Japan is the proximity between nature and the city. With the Rokko Mountain range one side and the Seto Inland Sea on the other, nature surrounds Kobe on all sides, providing spectacular views and perhaps more importantly, incredible cuisine made with fresh local ingredients including Kobe Beef and Sake from the Nada Gogo brewing district.
With the comforts and entertainment of the city on your doorstep and nature at your fingertips, Kobe is the ideal place to experience the sensation overload that modern Japanese cities are famous for right along side the traditional, historical, culturally rich and peaceful side of Japan.
Kobe is ideally positioned in the centre of the Kansai region. Japan’s second largest city Osaka is just 23 minutes down the road where you can experience the famous neon lights and night life of Japan. Kyoto is 50 minutes via regular train and a blink of an eye on the bullet train. Explore the temples, shrines and quaint streets of the cultural capital of Japan. Nara and Hiroshima are also close by and offer a more relaxed old Japan escape away from the major cities of Kansai.
The Venue:
The conference will take place across two venues, which are connected to each other by a covered walkway. The Kobe Portopia Hotel and Kobe International Conference Centre, the Portopia Hotel is the largest hotel in Kobe, the hotel connects to the train station via undercover walkway, from here, the city centre can be reached in 10 minutes and Kobe airport in 8 minutes.
Kobe Portopia Hotel – for registration, plenary lectures, exhibition and poster sessions
Address: 6 Chome-10-1 Minatojima Nakamachi, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0046, Japan
Kobe International Conference Centre – breakout rooms for parallel sessions
Address: 6-9-1, Minatojima-Nakamachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo, 650-0046, Japan
International and Domestic:
Kobe is just 30 minutes by boat or 60 minutes by bus from Kansai International Airport making it closer than any other city in the Kansai area. Kansai International Airport is Japan’s 2nd largest airport after Narita, connecting to 73 cities. All directional signage is posted in four languages - Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean making it easy for international delegates to navigate.
Kobe can be accessed from Kansai Int’l Airport (KIX) via the high-speed Bay Shuttle ferry or limousine bus. From KIX it takes 30 minutes to get to Kobe Airport.
From Kobe Airport to the Kobe Convention Centre it takes just 8 minutes by train. This is the fastest transfer from airport to convention facility in Japan.
The Bay Shuttle ferry employs universal design principles. Ample corridor width, easy access slopes and wide rest rooms allow ease of use for wheelchair users. The Bay Shuttle arrives at Kobe Airport from where the Kobe Convention Centre can be reached in 8 minutes via the Port Liner transit rail system.
Limousine buses run directly from KIX to Sannomiya in the centre of Kobe. The limousine bus ticket counter has easy-to-follow instructions in four languages. From downtown Kobe, the Kobe Convention Centre located on Port Island can be reached in 10-minutes on the Port Liner transit rail system.
International Travel and Domestic Travel:
High-speed access via the Shinkansen (bullet train) from all over Japan
The Shinkansen stops at Shin-Kobe station every 15 minutes providing easy access from all over Japan. It takes just 12 minutes to reach the Kobe Convention Centre via the metro and Port Liner (or taxi).
Kobe airport offers domestic flights to and from all major cities in Japan including Tokyo and a host of more remote locations. The departure floor connects directly to the train station from where an 8-minute train ride will bring delegates to the Kobe Convention Centre.
Port Island’s automated transit rail system, Port Liner
Kobe airport and the city centre, Sannomiya, connect directly with the Kobe Convention Centre via the Port Liner rail system to provide Japan’s fastest and easiest transfer from train station or airport. From the Kobe Convention Centre it takes 10 minutes to reach the city centre and 8 minutes to reach Kobe airport.
Visas:
Visit Japan Web
https://services.digital.go.jp/en/visit-japan-web/ opens in new tab/window
This is a service that allows you to perform arrival procedures (immigration, customs) and "Tax-free shopping services" online.
All countries/regions listed below require a VISA to enter Japan and must submit the following documents to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
Information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan: https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html opens in new tab/window
The application process for each country/region is similar and requires the following documents:
1. Letter of Guarantee
2. Invitation Letter
3. List of Visa Applicants
4. Company Overview
5. Schedule of Stay
Country/Region specific application instructions and required documents linked below.
China Application documents: https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page23e_000539.html opens in new tab/window
Russia Application documents: https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/short/russia.html opens in new tab/window
CIS countries : Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine, Georgia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgz, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan Application documents: https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page25e_000136.html opens in new tab/window
Philippines Application documents: https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/short/philippine.html opens in new tab/window
Vietnam Application documents: https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page23e_000538.html opens in new tab/window
Accommodation
Subsidised accommodation has been reserved for conference attendees at the Kobe Portopia Hotel, more details, and a booking link to follow soon.
WARNING - SCAM ALERT: Exhibitor Housing Services (EHS) & Exhibitor Housing Management (EHM), Traveller Point (TP) and Travel Hosting Team (THT)
Elsevier has been made aware that third-party companies are targeting Elsevier conference speakers and attendees with a fraudulent travel and hotel booking scheme.
The companies are calling/emailing conference attendees, using email addresses which appear very similar to official Elsevier email addresses, and claiming to be the “official” housing bureau and/or authorized by Elsevier to book hotel/travel accommodations for the conference. This is entirely false and should anyone contact you, please do not provide them with any of your details, but refer this to Elsevier. If you are in any doubt about an email regarding the conference, please check this with a member of the organising team via: conferencecs@elsevier.com opens in new tab/window
Accommodation
The night of the 24 February 2025 SOLD OUT
Subsidised accommodation has been reserved for conference attendees at the Portopia Hotel, Kobe. Check in is 15:00, check out is 12:00. Early check-in and late check check-out upon request.
Kobe Portopia Hotel 6 Chome-10-1 Minatojima Nakamachi Chuo Ward, Kobe Hyogo 650-0046 Japan Phone: +81 78-302-1111 Website: https://www.portopia.co.jp/ opens in new tab/window
Rates:
Weekday Rate – 21st, 24th, 25th & 26th February 2025 Single occupancy: 21,450 JPY Double occupancy: 26,400 JPY
Weekend Rate – 22nd, 23rd February 2025 Single occupancy: 28,050 JPY Double occupancy: 39,600 JPY
Rates are quoted per room per night in JPY, including breakfast, 15% service charge and tax.
It is also possible to extend your reservation to include the 20th, 27th and 28th if you wish, the rate for these nights will be the weekday rate.
The booking cut-off date is 31st January 2025.
Elsevier has learned that a third-party company, Exhibitor Housing Services (EHS), also operating under the name Exhibitor Housing Management (EHM), Traveller Point (TP) and Travel Housing team (THT) are targeting Elsevier conference speakers and attendees with a fraudulent travel and hotel booking scheme. The companies are calling and/or emailing conference speakers and attendees and falsely claiming it is the “official” housing bureau and/or authorized by Elsevier to book hotel and/or travel accommodations for the conference. This is entirely FALSE. Elsevier is not affiliated in any way with EHS, EHM, TP or THT.
The company makes a number of FALSE and FRAUDLENT claims about the conference designed to obtain your credit card information, including:
there are issues with your hotel reservation for the conference
the hotel room rate for the conference has increased and/or rooms are running out and must be booked with EHS, EHM, TP, THT as soon as possible
hotel rooms for the conference can only be booked through EHS, EHM, TP, THT
that EHS, EHM, TP or THT can get you a cheaper room rate than the conference organizers, or
hotel rooms for the conference are sold out and that they can help find you alternatives hotels.
Please be aware that this is a SCAM designed to obtain your credit card information and/or make phony charges to your credit card. Please exercise extreme caution when contacted by EHS, EHM, TP or THT. The EHS/EHM/TP/THT representatives are extremely pushy and prodding. We recommend that you do NOT give this company your credit card number, personal information, or any details about your hotel reservation. We have heard that conference speakers and attendees that have given EHS/EHM their credit card information have incurred substantial credit card charges (cancellation fees, service fees, etc). Additionally, the hotel room reservations are never made and the attendees are left without hotel reservations for the conference.
In the event that Elsevier contracts with ANY outside company, we will provide you that information DIRECTLY. If you receive a phone call from EHS/EHM or an e-mail sent from @ehshousing.com, please forward the information to the Conference support centre opens in new tab/window.
Please do not email credit card information under any circumstances.
Elsevier conferences accessibility policy
Please access our Accessibility policy and guidelines here
How to contact us to discuss any accessibility requirements
Please contact us at accessibleconferences@elsevier.com opens in new tab/window to discuss any requirements or questions. The conference organizer will contact you directly to discuss further.
Please let us have the details of any specific requirements by 12 January 2025.
Conference venue
Is there disabled parking? Yes, barrier free parking is available at the Port Island Shiminhirobachika Parking Lot located under Shimin Hiroba within the Kobe Convention Center. Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Avf1mkN4kUinWdL9A opens in new tab/window
SDGs Initiatives at the KICC_EH.pdf opens in new tab/window
Is the venue wheelchair accessible? All floors are accessible by wheelchair via elevators located on the 1st floor of the Kobe International Conference Center (see floor map provided for elevator locations).
Are there accessible elevators close to the conference rooms? All floors of the conference center have accessible elevators near the conference rooms. Out of the three main elevators, the one on the right, when facing the elevators, features buttons placed at a lower height and braille. This elevator is marked with a pictogram.
Are there accessible restrooms near the conference rooms (same floor/near accessible lifts? Excluding the 5th floor, all floors feature accessible restrooms that are in front of the conference rooms at the Kobe Conference Center.
Meeting rooms
The conference rooms at the conference center are split over four floors. All rooms are near elevators and each floor is compact making the travel distance minimal throughout.
Link to the Floorplans opens in new tab/window
Catering: on request we can arrange for early access to the catering space/assistance with the collection of catering please contact us at accessibleconferences@elsevier.com opens in new tab/window
Please contact us ataccessibleconferences@elsevier.com opens in new tab/window if you would like to have an orientation tour of the venue by 23 February 2025.
How to reach the venue and hotel
For general information on accessibility in Japan ‘Accessible Japan’ is a good place to start. Much of the information here applies to all major Japanese cities.
https://www.accessible-japan.com/ opens in new tab/window
Accessible public transport:
In the city:
Weblink opens in new tab/window for accessibility and using trains in Japan.
All the rail companies that operate in Kobe facilitate access to platforms via elevators. Tactile paving is also in place throughout the city and train stations, including platforms to assist the vision impaired. Ticket vending machines are generally placed low enough to allow wheelchair users to purchase tickets and they also feature braille. For more information on braille in Japan, please see here: https://www.accessible-japan.com/japanese-braille/ opens in new tab/window
If you are traveling alone and using a wheelchair, are vision impaired, or require assistance for any reason, train station staff can assist with purchasing tickets and boarding. For wheelchair users, station staff will guide you to a wheelchair friendly carriage and assist by providing a ramp that will allow you to navigate the gap between the carriage and the platform.
Between the airport and venue:
Kobe Airport to the Kobe Convention Center:
Train:The Kobe Convention Center can be reached in 8 minutes from Kobe Airport via the Portliner rail network. Take the Portliner from Kobe Airport Station to Shimin Hiroba Station. The station and convention center are connected via an undercover walkway. One-way tickets costs 250 yen and can be purchased at ticket machines. Credit cards can also be used to tap in and out of stations without purchasing a ticket. If you would like to use your credit card, look out for the ticket gates that provide this service, as not all gates support credit cards.
Delegates can also download train pass apps onto their phones such as ICOCA or SUICA. These can be charged and topped up using a credit card. Once you have charged your app with some money, simply open the app on your phone and tap in and out of the station gates. Physical versions of these IC cards can also be purchased at certain stations where they can be topped up using cash. These can be used Japan wide, so if delegates plan on travelling, downloading an IC card app onto a smart phone or buying a physical card will make travel via trains and busses convenient.
Link to Portliner home page: https://www.knt-liner.co.jp/en/ opens in new tab/window
Transport cards on your phone: https://www.japanlivingguide.com/expatinfo/transportation/ic-cards/ opens in new tab/window
For iPhone: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207154 opens in new tab/window
Taxi: It is a five-minute taxi ride from Kobe Airport to the Kobe Convention Center.
Go is the most used app for calling taxis in Japan and features English language support: https://go.goinc.jp/lp/inbound opens in new tab/window
Kansai International Airport (KIX) to the Convention Center:
Bay Shuttle (ferry): Tickets can be purchased in the arrival lobby at KIX. A bus will take passengers to the ferry terminal located just outside of the airport. These buses can accommodate two wheelchair users in the morning time slots. The ferry will transport passengers to a dock next to Kobe Airport form where another short bus ride will take them to Kobe Airport. From here, delegates can make their way over the Kobe Airport and take the Portliner railway directly to the convention center and hotel. The Bay Shuttle takes 30 minutes from KIX to Kobe. Ticket prices are heavily discounted for non-residents of Japan and cost 500 yen: https://www.kobe-access.jp/eng/ opens in new tab/window
Bus: Airport buses are frequent but do not allow wheelchair users to ride on the bus in their chairs. Wheelchairs must be stored in the undercarriage luggage department of the bus and passengers must use the pre-installed bus seats.
Train: If you are arriving at KIX and traveling to Kobe by wheelchair, the most economical option is the train. However, it will take over an hour and requires swapping trains.
Between hotel and venue:
Same as above. The Kobe Portopia Hotel is in the Kobe Convention Center and is access via the same Portliner station, Shimin Hiroba Station.
Between hotel and dinner venue:
For wheelchair users, a taxi is the best option to get to the dinner venue, the Meriken Park Oriental Hotel Kobe. From the Convention Center it will take approximately 10 minutes. The front desk at the Portopia Hotel can assist in booking accessible taxis.
The front desk at the Kobe Portopia Hotel will assist in booking accessible taxis. The Conference Center office on the 2nd floor can provide delegates with a number to call a taxi but does not provide a taxi call service.