CONTACT
IkiCHI:Harnessing Ikigai to Find Communal Purpose (CHI 2025)
The ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) CHI (pronounced “kai”) conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems was held from April 26 to May 1, 2025, at PACIFICO Yokohama. With its unique blend of tradition, multiculturalism, and innovation, Yokohama was the perfect setting for the conference, whose goal was cross-disciplinary collaboration and which attracted over 5,000 participants, a record-breaking number. The conference also embraced the theme of ikigai, referring to anything that gives one a sense of purpose or a reason for living.
Bridging Continents
The site for the conference’s debut in Japan was carefully considered. Professor Yoshifumi Kitamura, local relationship chair, cited Yokohama’s excellent facilities such as conveniently located hotels, train stations, and restaurants as some of the deciding factors. Professor Naomi Yamashita, general co-chair, added, “Yokohama is close to the airport and near the bay, and it isn’t super crowded like Tokyo.” Professor Vanessa Evers, general co-chair, concurred: “It’s a wonderful environment and a nice place for families.”
Event organizers discuss the CHI 2025. From left to right: Professor Vanessa Evers, Professor Naomi Yamashita, Professor Yoshifumi Kitamura
Lessons in tea ceremony were a part of CHI 2025.
Yokohama, Japan’s first port to open to the world in the 19th century, also reflects CHI’s multifaceted, global community. “This is the first conference with a majority of attendees coming from Asia Pacific,” said Professor Evers. She and Professor Yamashita were responsible for arranging Japanese cultural experiences for attendees, including calligraphy, Zen meditation, and tea ceremony. Potential language barriers were an initial concern, but the Yokohama City Visitors Bureau was a big help, facilitating communication between the organizers and local vendors.
Yokohama: At the Intersection of Industry and Academia
As a city, Yokohama plays a pivotal role in Japan’s tech and education ecosystems, creating an atmosphere that helped attract international businesses and academics to CHI 2025. “I found a real benefit here in the integration of industry and academia,” said Professor Evers. Additionally, thanks to Yokohama’s large number of R&D headquarters and proximity to Tokyo, CHI was able to get many sponsors both global and domestic.”
PACIFICO Yokohama provided the ideal space for the exchange of scholarly thought and industry showcases.
Professors Yamashita, Evers, and Kitamura at Yokohama’s CHI 2025.
Eye on the Future
For Professor Evers, one truly memorable part of the conference was meeting the new Asian-Pacific delegates who were able to attend CHI for the first time: “These were younger students coming here to Yokohama and meeting people from all over the world.” They and other young people were CHI 2025’s key demographic.
“Teaching and learning materials are shifting from analog to digital. Many new techniques have to be developed to provide better educational opportunities,” Professor Kitamura explained. Professor Yamashita envisions a large role for AI in this area: “As AI becomes smarter, each student can have tailored experiences.” This is especially so in times of disruption, like during the COVID pandemic. The intention was for CHI participants to become inspired not just by the academic content of the conference but also by the collaborative spirit of Yokohama. The YCVB played an important role by connecting the organizers with local suppliers and facilitating hands-on workshops such as tatami weaving, calligraphy, and miyadaiku carpentry. This allowed participants to experience traditional culture while supporting local businesses.
Practice and Ethos Made Easier in Yokohama
CHI 2025’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) went far beyond just a marketing catchphrase. “The conference center was very helpful in suggesting sustainable options for our conference activities, such as finding an alternative to plastic for our tags,” Professor Evers said. “In some cities or countries, yes you can try, but you ultimately have to go with plastic. In Yokohama we were able to find more sustainable alternatives for all sorts of things.” Additionally, many of these sustainable replacements were provided by local Yokohama businesses.
An environment of equality was another important conference goal, which was also easy to achieve thanks to the conference’s setting. “We wanted all people to feel at home.” PACIFICO Yokohama helped make that possible by tailoring the venue to the conference’s needs and goals, such as by allowing CHI 2025 to provide gender-neutral restrooms.
CHI saw a record-breaking number of participants at its 2025 conference at PACIFICO Yokohama.
Lasting Legacy
Professor Kitamura was responsible for explaining CHI’s fields of research to the people of Yokohama during his “Touching the Future, Creating a World of HCI” symposium about how human-computer interaction research is being conducted and the role international conferences play in advancing it. The goal was to prepare high school students for choosing their university, field of study, and, ultimately, their very future. The professor’s symposium, part of Yokohama’s Next-Generation Project, drew over 200 attendants from across all age demographics—an achievement for which he gives credit to Yokohama. “They not only supported the planning and operation, but also helped us to distribute flyers and posters to high schools.”
The professor also appreciated the opportunity to share Japanese culture with international visitors. The conference theme of ikigai proved very conducive to that.
An example of this was the staff wearing happi: a traditional Japanese coat often worn during festivals. Professor Evers said that opting for happi over, say, T-shirts brought color and whimsy to CHI 2025 along with a more relaxed atmosphere, which helped her find peace within herself—possibly her ikigai. For Professor Yamashita, it was “building stronger connections and gaining a better understanding of how to work with other people.” While planning out the conference, Professor Yamashita learned something pleasantly surprising: “Yokohama is paying so much attention to sustainability. They also place a lot of importance on the international society.” Given its convenient location, enthusiastic support from the city, and a track record of being dedicated to sustainability, Yokohama not only was ideal for CHI 2025 but is also a perfect venue for all conferences and exhibitions. The city welcomes everyone with open arms.