GASTRONOMY AND TOURISM

August 7-9 2025

Conference Notice Ⅱ

[Call for Papers, Registration and Payment Information ]

April 20, 2025

1. Main Theme

 Gastronomy and Tourism

2. Dates

August 7th – 9th, 2025 (Thu. – Sat.)

3. Venue

Ritsumeikan University Biwako–Kusatsu Campus (BKC)
Address: 1-1-1 Noji Higashi, Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture, JAPAN

• Please note that Kusatsu City in Shiga Prefecture, where BKC is located, is in the Kansai region. It should not be confused with Kusatsu Town in Gunma Prefecture, known for its Kusatsu Onsen hot springs, which is situated more than 400 kilometers away from our campus.

• The nearest station to BKC is JR Minami-Kusatsu Station (Station Code: JR-A25). BKC is a 15-20 minute bus ride from the station.

Estimated Travel Times:

• From Osaka Kansai International Airport (KIX): 2 hours and 40 to 50 minutes by train and bus.

• From Osaka Itami Airport (ITM): 2 hours and 10 to 20 minutes by train and bus.

• From JR Shin-Osaka Station: 1 hour and 20 to 30 minutes by train.

• From JR Kyoto Station: 40 to 50 minutes by train.

4. Organization

Co-Hosts:

 Society of Asian Food Studies (SAFS)

Ritsumeikan Research Center for Gastronomic Arts and Sciences (RCGAS)

   Society of Ritsumeikan Gastronomy Management

Society of Japanese Food Studies

Zhejiang Merchant Institute, Zhejiang Gongshang University

Institute of Thai Studies, Chulalongkorn University

Operator:  Committee of Asian Food Study Conference (AFSC)

Co-Operator: Ritsumeikan Asia-Japan Research Institute (AJI)

Sponsors: (Recruiting)

Supporters: (To be confirmed)

5. Tentative Schedule 

August 7th（Thu）

　14:00 Registration (for delegate passes and conference materials);

　15:00 Opening Ceremony, Ceremony for Lifetime Achievement Award on Asian Food Studies; Keynote speeches;

18:00 Welcome Dinner. 

August 8th（Fri）

　9:00-18:00 Panel Sessions; Poster Presentation;

12:00 Buffet Lunch. 

August 9th（Sat）   

    9:00  Special session “Gastronomy and Tourism in Shiga Prefecture”;

    Closing Ceremony;

    Afternoon Field trip (Optional).

   Notes:

    Special session and Field trip are co-organized with the Society of Japanese Food Studies.

    Suiyuan Book Award on Chinese Food Studies included in Closing Ceremony.

    For details of  Field trip please refer to No.11 below. 

August 10th（Sun）   

• The Conference of the Society of Japanese Food Studies will take place at the same venue (BKC). The conference will be held in Japanese (no translation services available). Registered delegates of Society of Asian Food Studies (SAFS) are free to join in as audience.

6. Topics for Presentation

•  Gastronomy and food landscapes in tourism;

•  Localization and Globalization of Gastronomy;

•  Fermented foods;

•  Beverages as tourist attractions;

•  Japanese food culture;

•  Gastronomy and food industry;

•  Artificial intelligence and changes of foodways;

•  Other topics related to food studies.

7. Dates of Importance

–  April 20, 2025: Early-bird registration opens;

–  May 30, 2025: Abstract submission deadline:

–  June 30, 2025: Early-bird registration and fieldtrip reservation closed;

–  July 1, 2025: Regular registration opens;

–  July 20, 2025: Presentation (PPT/Scripts) submission deadline;

–  July 30, 2025: Conference Notice III (including detailed agenda);

–  August 7, 2025: Registration closes.

[Important Notes]

The acceptance notifications for presentations will be fully dispatched by late June. Official invitation letters will be issued solely to those who require them. Should you need one, we kindly request that you contact us at your earliest convenience. Please note that expedited invitation letters will only be processed upon completion of the registration and payment. For expedited invitation letters or assistance, please email and cc to:

• Committee of Asian Food Studies Conference (AFSC)

• Ritsumeikan Research Center for Gastronomic Arts and Sciences (RCGAS)
  (See "Contact Us" section for details)

8. Application

Please read the QR-code（Bottom left） or take the link to fill the submitted form.     https://x.gd/wC5D5H

Interested researchers are encouraged to submit the title of presentation, a brief abstract by May 30th, 2025.

9. Call for Workshop (Panel Session) Proposals 

For whom interested in organizing a workshop beyond the scope of the Topics for Presentation, please email Committee of Asian Food Studies Conference with the proposal (Microsoft Word) attachment containing:

① Workshop title;

② Organizer’s CV;

③ Participants’ details (only for actual speakers): Name & affiliation; Role (e.g., presenter, discussant);

④ Whether additional speakers may join (if thematically relevant);

⑤ Proposal summary (purpose, schedule, roles, etc.):

Word limits: 800 words (English), 600 characters (Chinese), 2400 characters (Japanese)

10. Registration Fee

·       Regular Price: 20,000 JPY (from 1 July onwards)

·       Early-bird Price: 16,000 JPY (by 30 June, 23:59 JST)

·       Field Trip Price (Optional): 10,000 JPY (by 30 June, 23:59 JST)

·       Ritsumeikan Food Management Society Members: Free

[Important Notes]

① The early-bird discount is only applicable to those who complete payment by 23:59 Japan Standard Time (JST) on 30 June. Payment terms remain unchanged for attending delegates and enrolled university students.

② Registration fee includes:

· Conference materials package;

· 1-year membership for the Society of Asian Food Studies;

· Welcome dinner (Thursday, 7 August);

· Buffet lunch (Friday, 8 August);

· Refreshments during conference sessions.

③ The registration fee is applicable for individual participants only. For group presentations, the registration fee must be submitted based on the number of participants.

l  Payment Method: Exclusive online payment via Peatix:

https://safs2-afsc15-ritsumei.peatix.com/view

Click the link or scan the QR code（Bottom right） to complete registration.

Receipts will be automatically generated after payment. For details, please refer to: https://a0.icnn.cn/gs2VdK

11. Field trip (Optional)

 Participation Fee: JPY 10,000 per person

 Reservation Deadline: June 30

    Included in the Excursion:

Ø    Chartered bus transportation from Ritsumeikan University Biwako–Kusatsu Campus (BKC) to the venue (approx. 20 minutes, one-way)

Ø    13:00 Lunch buffet at Biwako Hotel

Website: https://www.keihanhotels-resorts.co.jp/biwakohotel/

Ø    Walk to Ōtsu Port;

Ø 15:00 Sightseeing cruise on Lake Biwa aboard the Michigan

Website: https://www.biwakokisen.co.jp/

Ø 16:00 Official program ends at Ōtsu Port.

    Dismissal Location: Ōtsu Port

     Nearest Stations from Ōtsu Port:

• Approx. 6-minute walk to Biwako-Hamaōtsu Station (OT12) on the Keihan Ishiyama-Sakamoto Line.
  　From there, it takes about 4 minutes to Keihan Zeze Station (OT09), where you may transfer to JR Zeze Station (JR-A28), located within a 1-minute walk.

Alternatively:

• Approx. 20-minute walk directly to JR Ōtsu Station (JR-A29) on the Biwako Line.

Optional Post-Program Activity: Visit to Lago Ōtsu (Taneya Complex)
For those interested, a cruise will depart from Ōtsu Port at 16:20 and arrive at Lago Ōtsu at 16:35.
Website: https://taneya.jp/lago/tsukuru/detail/732
We will be pleased to guide those who wish to join.

12. Contact Us

Committee of Asian Food Study Conference (AFSC)

Website: www.asianfoodstudyconference.com

E-mail: asianfoodstudies@outlook.com (English, Chinese, Japanese)

Facebook: @AsianFoodStudyConference

Society of Asian Food Studies (SAFS)

Website: www.asianfoodstudies.org

Ritsumeikan Research Center for Gastronomic Arts and Sciences (RCGAS)

Website: https://rcgas-ru.org/

E-mail: syoku@gst.ritsumei.ac.jp (Japanese)