Introducing our story and track record in the 50 years since our establishment.
Path to creation
November 8th, 1957
Construction of Japan’s first international conference center was approved by the Cabinet, and the resolution included the following requirements.
Proactively attract major international conferences to Japan.
Major international conferences in Japan should be held mainly in Kyoto, as well as Tokyo.
The scale of the international conference center should rival the UN Headquarters in New York City or the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
September 15th, 1959
The Cabinet decided to build the international conference center at Lake Takaragaike, Kyoto, for the following reasons.
1. Kyoto is the capital of Japan’s proud history and culture. 2. The city has an abundance of tourist resources, including famous temples and shrines, as well as traditional arts and crafts. 3. The Lake Takaragaike building candidate site has the classic beauty of a Japanese garden.
November 19th, 1962
A groundbreaking ceremony was held, and land leveling work began.
May 21st, 1966
The Kyoto International Conference Center opened.
Early construction
Full view of steel framework
First construction phase completed (1966)
A Convention Pioneer
The Kyoto International Conference Center has held nearly 17,000 conferences and events since its opening, forming Japan’s international conference history and convention infrastructure.
Conference History
March 1992 8th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties on CITES
April 1993 45th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission and Scientific Committee Meeting
September 1994 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference
December 1997 The Third Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(COP3) *The Kyoto Protocol was adopted at COP3 on 11 December 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005.
December 1998 22nd Session of the UNESCO Cultural and Natural World Heritage Committee
July 1999 4th UN Conference on Disarmament Issues in Kyoto
October 1999 63rd IEC General Meeting
March 2003 Third World Water Forum
November 2004 1st Science and Technology in Society Forum
May 2005 7th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
June 2006 20th IUBMB (International Congress of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
May 2007 40th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors Asian Development Bank
June 2008 G8 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Kyoto, International Media Center and Joint Press Conference
October 2008 Genji Millennium Commemorative Ceremony
July 2009 36th International Congress of Physiological Sciences (IUPS 2009)
November 2010 17th APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting
July 2011 23rd Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis
December 2011 15th Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting of the International Labour Organization
November 2012 Closing Event of the Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the World Heritage Convention
August 2013 International Geographical Union Kyoto Regional Conference 2013
April 2015 29th General Assembly of the Japan Medical Congress 2015 Kansai
June 2015 8th Round of Negotiations for the East Asia Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
October 2016 International College of Surgeons World Congress
