MEES 2017 came and went today, and it was a roaring success. We had a number of amazing presentations. Here some photos of the event. Thank you for coming out everyone. We’ll see you all next year.
All photography ©2017 Jason Hill.
GETTING TO THE MEES CONFERENCE BY CAR
Our university is on located the outskirts of the city. It is easily accessible by car, serviced by a very limited number of public bus routes, and inaccessible by train.
So, for anyone coming to Hachinohe by public transport, we have arranged a free shuttle van service at points downtown and at Hachinohe’s two major train stations both to and from the university on the day of the conference. Please see the separate post “free shuttle van information” to reserve your spot.
For those coming on your own by car:
Here is the address for the university for Sunday’s conference (registration starts at 9am, opening comments from 10am):
八戸市美保野13-98
八戸学院大学
If you are heading towards campus using the Hachinohe – Kuji Expressway (八戸久慈自動車道), please exit at “Tanesashi-Kaigan Hashikami-Date” and head towards “Kabushima Tanesashi”. The campus is only a couple of minutes from that exit.
There is free parking available on campus and we will have staff members helping to direct guests on the day of the conference.
Please be aware that we share our campus with our Junior College, so be sure you are at the correct end of campus !
For those coming on your own, please double check your directions to Hachinohe Gakuin University campus (Google Maps, etc.) before heading out on Sunday, as we may not be available to respond to messages or e-mails asking for directions on Sunday.
Thanks & feel free to ask if you have any questions !
University Homepage link with map:
http://www.hachinohe-u.ac.jp/univ/accessmap/
FREE SHUTTLE VAN INFORMATION
(reserve your spot!)
We have a shuttle van arrangement with Kosan Taxi for free transport between the conference venue (Hachinohe Gakuin University) and points downtown and the two major train stations in Hachinohe. The times are convenient (within 30 minutes) for north and southbound shinkansens both before and after the conference. The schedule and pickup / drop-off schedule is posted below.
As passenger space in each van is limited, we need an estimate of how many plan on riding the shuttle vans in advance (both to and / or from the conference). Those who have reserved a place will have priority, and if we run out of space ,those without advanced reservations will have to find their own transportation.
Please be aware that the conference venue is roughly a 30-minute (direct) ride from Hachinohe station, and access is very limited via public bus and that there are no local train stations nearby. If you are not coming to the venue by car, our shuttle van service or hiring a taxi on your own will be the only convenient ways to get here.
So, please let us know (as a comment to this post or email to us) if you intend on riding the shuttle van (and if you will ride coming and / or going back).
Thanks !!
Here is the shuttle schedule we have arranged:
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Sunday, June 18
(heading to conference venue)
8:45am – Hachinohe Station (shinkansen) – shuttle bus DEPARTS from outside of the EAST (Main, front) EXIT (東口)
~9:05am – Hon-Hachinohe Station (local train / bus transfer) – bus pick up outside of the WEST EXIT (西口)
~9:15am – Mikka-machi (downtown main shopping street, in front of Sakurano Dept. Store)
~9:40am – Bus arrives at Hachinohe Gakuin University (conference starts from 10am)
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(returning to downtown / stations after conference)
15:50 – Bus leaves Hachinohe Gakuin University
~16:10 – Bus arrives Mikka-machi (downtown main shopping street, in front of Sakurano Dept. Store)
~16.25 – Bus arrives at Hon-Hachinohe Station (local train/ bus transfer)
~16:50 – Bus arrives at Hachinohe Station (shinkansen)
* northbound shinkansens arrive at Hachinohe at 8:34am this day
* southbound shinkansens depart Hachinhoe station at 17:06 this day
VENUE / CAMPUS MAPS
Here are some maps of our university campus. The MEES conference will be held in building # 8 (labeled with an ⑧ on the full campus map, with separate photo attached). Free parking is available in front of building ①.
* Please note that the shuttle bus departure time shown on the attached map (16:45) is incorrect. The correct departure time is 15:50.
PRE-CONFERENCE INFORMAL DINNER PARTY / NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY ON SAT, JUNE 17th
Come and join us for a fun and relaxing dinner the Saturday evening before the MEES conference ! Make new friends and share ideas over some drinks & eats!
This year, we will meet at the HACCHI Portal Museum, located in central downtown Hachinohe, and decide on where to go (within walking distance) from there, taking into account the number and preferences of those present. If the weather is agreeable, there are also outside eating/drinking options.
We would appreciate it if those planning to join us would let let us know in advance by WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14th.
Thanks & hope to see you all there !!
Date: Saturday, June 17
Meeting Time: 6:00pm
Place: inside HACCHI Portal Museum (はっち 八戸ポータルミュージアム）1st Floor ‘Hacchi Square’ (Public Meeting Space)
* If you are running late the evening of the 17th, please contact Barry Grossman or Greg Anthony (phone, facebook messenger, e-mail, etc)… just posting here on facebook might not get noticed the weekend of the conference!
Google Maps Location:
https://goo.gl/maps/HUJox3cvNQm
PRESENTER LINEUP AND CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Hello everyone !
Just under a month to go until the 2017 MEES conference ! We want to thank everyone who submitted presentation proposals this year. We are proud to announce our full day’s lineup of six presentations for Sunday, June 18th!
Please check out the full conference schedule below. The lineup and full presentation descriptions are also attached to this post as 4 separate image files.
Details on the pre-conference dinner party (evening of Sat. 17th), shuttle busses to and from the venue, and bento reservations will be posted here soon.
Conference Schedule:
09:00 – 10:00 Registration
10:00 – 10:10 Opening Comments
10:10 – 11:10 Plenary Session – Marc Helgesen (Miyagi Gakuin Women’s University) ‘DIY NeuroELT – Make Your Text More Brain-friendly’
11:20 – 11:50 Session 1 – James Hobbs (Iwate Medical University) ‘Neuropsychology and the Nervous Presenter’
12:00 – 12:30 Session 2 – Robert Walsh (University of Maryland University College-Asia) ‘Service Learning for Higher Education in East Asia’
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch Break (bento available on site)
13:30 – 14:00 Session 3 – Robert Walsh and Norie Chida (University of Maryland University College-Asia) ‘A Bridge Across Cultures: An Intercultural Interview Project at University of Maryland University College’
14:10 -14:40 Session 4 – Mike Morris (Hachinohe National Institute of Technology) ‘So You Got Stuck with the English Writing Class’
14:50 – 15:20 Session 5 – Yukako Kimura (St. Ursula Eiichi Elementary and Middle School) ‘Creating Workshops with Young Learners’
15:20 – 15:30 Closing Comments
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HOTEL LOCATIONS / DINNER PARTY / GETTING AROUND
(Hachinohe city is set up weird !)
In particular, this information is for those staying at a local hotel AND planning to attend the Saturday evening dinner party. We wanted to let you know about the distance and travel time required to the dinner party if you stay at one of the hotels close to “Hachinohe Station”.
There are 2 main train stations in Hachinohe: “Hachinohe Station” and “Hon-Hachinohe Station”.
“Hachinohe Station” 八戸駅 has access to shinkansen lines and local trains. However, it is located on the extreme outskirts of the city and about a 15 minute ride to the closest downtown station (Hon-Hachinohe Station). There are a couple of hotels close by (Toyoko Inn, Hotel Mets) that are very convenient to Hachinohe station, but as the location is remote from the city center, there is very little else close by within walking distance. If you stay here, please be aware that the Saturday evening dinner party location is a 20-30 minute bus ride …or 30 minute+ train & walking) away. If you do this and take the train / bus, we recommend checking timetables / maps and planning out your trip downtown and back in advance. Of course, taxi is also an option.
“Hon-Hachinohe Station” 本八戸駅 is the closest local train station to downtown Hachinohe. There is no shinkansen access here. And, although it is the closest station to downtown, it is still a good 10 minute walk to the city center, called “Mikka-machi” (where the Saturday evening pre-conference dinner party will be held).
“Mikka-machi” 三日町 is what the locals call downtown Hachinohe. There are a number hotels in / near downtown (Super Hotel, Daiwa Roynet, Citypark, etc.). This is where the nightlife is and where the dinner party will be held. There is convenient access to and from “Hachinohe Station” via local bustops in “Mikka-machi”.
Our free shuttle van service to and from the conference on Sunday will stop at “Hachinohe Station”, “Hon-Hachinohe Station” and “Mikka-machi”.
Hachinohe’s layout have you confused yet?! 
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If you have any questions or concerns about hotels and getting around in Hachinohe, just drop us a message in advance.
Thanks!
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I’ll have more updates when they become available.