Chiba Update
Chiba Convention Bureau and International Center (CCB-IC)

Welcome to the Spring Editionof Chiba Update!
Our best wishes for productive
and fulfilling days ahead as thefiscal year 2022 in Japan starts.
Aside from the brand new fiscal
year, there are many exciting
events during the Springtime inJapan. The first thing to mention is
the incoming ceremonies ofschools,universities,andcompanies. Since the season
allows to enjoy the view ofbeautiful Sakura trees in fullbloom, many newcomers taking
commemorative photographs tocommemorate the event. The onevery common scene is theincoming elementary school
students carrying landel backpack
posing with cherry blossom
flowers for photographs. New
working adults are looking good intheir brand new suits anticipating
for the new world ahead of them.
In this issue, please check out
various cultural performances,videos, and cherry blossom
viewing destinations among
others. We hope that this will be
useful to you in your next Japanvisit planning.
Once again, it is our pleasure tobring you the latest happenings inChiba. Through this edition, wehope you will learn more about us
and will look forward to moreupcoming issues.

Spring 2022

CONTENTS
P1● Greetings● Convenient Conventions 101
Introduction to Chiba’s cultural performances
P2 Latest News
● The Chiba MICE Day 2022 organized by Chiba Convention Bureau washeld successfully● Chiba Convention Bureau created a promotional video featuring one ofthe convention cities of Chiba, Urayasu City
P3 What’s Up● Chiba among the 10 cities that has been introduced in theJNTO's Virtual Visit● The revised edition of the Chiba MICE guidebook, the Chiba MeetingPlanners Guide is now available online● The Narita City Wholesale Market is opened in its new location
P4 Upcoming Events● Recommended places for Sakura viewing in Chiba● Inbound Customized Tour, Mini Trip

Convenient Conventions 101

Introduction to Chiba’scultural performances
Chiba offers various live cultural performances for receptions andbanquet parties of business gatherings. Here are some cultural groups andperformances available for your event’s banquets, welcome receptions, and alike:
1. Narita Matsuribayashi
2. Yaegaki Shrine’s Gion Festival
3. Hanedaiko Drum Performance
4. Satomi Matsuri Hand-made armor parade
5. Nobuto Kagurabayashiren
6. Gyotoku Shrine’s portable shrine parade
7. Funabashi Bakamen Dance
8. Katori Shintoryu Sugitano Dojo
9. Sawarabayashi Te-odori
Click here or use the QR code too check out the Chiba Cultural Performances
introductory video (Japanese only).

1The Chiba MICE Day 2022 organized by Chiba Convention Bureau washeld successfully
The Chiba Convention Bureau has organized the Chiba MICE Day 2022 on
March 28, 2022. This is the first-ever Chiba MICE Day held online following thecancellation in 2021 due to the pandemic. The seminar aimed to bring
together the Meeting Industry-related organizations and industries throughknowledge exchanges with the home to further develop the industry in thePrefecture. It has been participated by representatives from various sectors
such as business event facilities, hotels, travel agencies, event organizing
companies, local government, tourism agencies, universities, media, andmore.
The Chiba MICE Day 2022 featured a lecture facilitated by Associate Professor
Yoichi Ochiai of University of Tsukuba, Faculty of Library, Information, andMedia Science on the theme of digital technology and SDGs, and how they
will impart to the future of business events.
The Meeting Industry has been badly affected by the pandemic resulting in
the cancellation or postponement of many business events, and the shift in
the format from face-to-face to hybrid or online gatherings became themainstream. The present situation foresaw the role of digital technology inthe future of the industry. With an eye on post-covid, Professor Ochiai sharedpractical knowledge and vision on his research field which is the digitaltechnology, and SDGs perspective. This is to provide a clear view of what toexpect ahead and how to prepare for the coming of the inbound clients once
the international boundary restrictions are lifted. The event has indeed
imparted great value in the development of business events in the Prefecture.

Chiba Convention Bureau created a promotional video featuring one ofthe convention cities of Chiba, Urayasu City
Chiba Convention Bureau in collaboration with Urayasu City has created apromotional video showcasing the advantages of the city as a business event
destination. Home to the world-renowned themed parks, Tokyo Disneyland
and Tokyo Disney Sea and known in Japan as ‘the town of Tokyo DisneyResort’, Urayasu City is one among the four designated International Meeting
Tourism City of the Prefecture by the Director of Japan Tourism Agency alongwith Chiba City, Narita City, and Kisarazu City. These cities provide an
attractive structure for international conferences and business gatherings
being equipped with various facilities and accommodations attracted to event
organizers, where attractive sightseeing resources within and in thesurrounding areas are also found.
The promotional video aimed to introduce various meeting venues ofUrayasu City including international chained hotels, convention venues, andvarious post-convention programs which is aimed to provide introductory
perspective about the City.
The city aims to promote and raise awareness of the city’s strength as abusiness destination, and further develop its potential in anticipation ofwelcoming more inbound visitors in the days ahead.
Click here to see the Urayasu City MICE Promotion Video.

2Chiba among the 10 cities that has been introduced in the JNTO's Virtual
Visit
While it is difficult for travelers to go on places due to Covid19, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) has
produced virtual videos which feature the charms of the destination venues, aimed to attract overseas organizers ofinternational conferences. Chiba City is among the selected cities highlighted in the program.
The video is about 12 minutes long introductory virtual video in which a key person conducting a site-inspection visit isbeing toured by local experts visiting various facilities to learn the city’s strength as a host destination. The 10 cities
featured in the program are Otsu, Kitakyushu, Nara, Hiroshima, Yokohama, Fukuoka, Okayama, Chiba, Osaka, and Sendai.
In Chiba City, among the places that are highlighted are Chiba’s main convention complexes, Makuhari Messe, Chiba
University, Mihama-en Japanese Garden, Chiba Urban Monorail, and more. The video also showcased other state-of-theart institutions, local industries, latest innovations, exclusive venues along with various pre/post-convention programs forbusiness events. emphasized on the city’s advantage as a ‘convenient conventions’ destination due to its outstanding
access both locally and internationally, and the compactness of its convention complex and various programs that arewithin just a few distances around.
In addition to the virtual tour, the 360°images were also introduced.
For the JNTO’s Virtual Visit Chiba, please visit the homepage.

The revised edition of the Chiba MICE guidebook, the Chiba Meeting
Planners Guide is now available online
The revised version of the Chiba Meeting Planners Guide is now available
online. Check the updated list of convention venues, accommodation facilities,
Chiba-exclusive venues, post-convention programs, and more.
The Planners Guide aims to provide event organizers and alike, to a broaden
knowledge about the prefecture and its advantages as the best suitable
meeting destination in Japan.

The Narita City Wholesale Market is opened in its new location
The Narita City Wholesale Market offering wholesale foods and other essential
commodities from all over Japan was opened in the new location in January
2020. The new facility is situated on 9.3 hectares of land which is directly
accessible from Narita Airport via a special passage. The facility is composed of2 buildings in which one accommodates fruits and vegetables and the other thefishery products. Conveniently located beside the airport, and has a processing
and handling capability that makes it easier for the consumer to place an orderfor international shipments. It also offers one-stop export procedure services
for buyers' convenience.
In addition to various ingredients are fresh vegetables and marine products,
various items such as miscellaneous goods and packaging materials necessary
for the operation of restaurants and retail stores are available, connecting
producers and consumers. Although basically, the wholesale market is formerchants and professionals, it is available to the public every second andfourth Saturday of every month, where many activities such as tuna cutting
demonstration, roulette, and more can be enjoyed.
The food court section which will be available to the general public is scheduled
to open in September this year.
For details, see the Narita City Wholesale Market homepage.
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Recommended places for Sakura viewing in Chiba
The start of Spring also means Sakura flower viewing in Japan. Also, refer toas Hanami, this Japanese tradition of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers,
especially the cherry blossoms commonly practice around the end of Marchto early May. This tradition is said to be rooted centuries old during the Naraperiod (710-). During this time, parks are packed with people to picnic or
simply admire the full bloom of flowers.
Here are some places notable for cherry blossom viewing in Chiba.
1. Inohana Park
Enjoy the flower viewing with the view of the Chiba Castle. A festival is heldin the vicinity during this time.
2. Mobara Park
Located in the city center of Mobara. The red bridge in the center of thepond provides an extra Japanese feeling.
3. Sakura Castle Ruin Park
Popular cherry blossom spot with about 1,100 trees that bloom in Spring.
This park is among the top 100 castles in Japan.
4. Izumi Nature ParkLocated in a 43-hectare land with about 1,500 cherry blossom trees.
5. Shimizu Park
Among the top 100 cherry blossom spots in Japan with about 2,000 cherryblossom trees.
For more listing of Sakura viewing spots, please visit the Chiba, Japan TravelGuide.

Inbound Customized Tour, Mini Trip
Mini Trip is a travel agency in Isumi City, Chiba Prefecture which was established in May 2014. The agency provides
personalized travel services catering mostly inbound clients from Vietnam may it be a business trip or a personal trip.
Mini Trip offers various programs featuring destinations, local cultural and hands-on experiences, food culture, etc. ofIsumi City.
Mini Trip is also looking forward to expanding its target clients from small trips to luxury tours that will also cater not only
to inbounds clients from Vietnam but also from Thailand, Indonesia, and other Asian countries.
For more information, please visit the Mini Trip homepage.

For more CCB event schedule, please visit here.
Chiba Convention Bureau and International Center
14F Marive East, World Business Garden
2-6 Nakase, Mihama-ku, Chiba City Chiba Prefecture, 261-7114 Japan
Tel: +81-43-297-2752 Fax: +81-43-297-2753
Homepage: http://www.ccb.or.jp/mice/e/ Email: chibainfo@ccb.or.jp

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