Shin-Socrates 2026
Qualia Structure · Lake Toya · Hokkaido

Shin-Socrates
2026

A five-day, discussion-oriented meeting of the Qualia Structure community — posters, small groups, and extended floor discussion on the shore of Lake Toya.

📅  Sep 29 – Oct 3, 2026 📍  Toyako Manseikaku Hotel Lakeside Terrace 🗣️  Posters & Discussion
▾
01 — About

A meeting built around discussion

Shin-Socrates 2026 builds on the style of our previous grant meetings and summer schools, with an even stronger emphasis on pre-meeting preparation, poster sessions, small-group discussions, and extended floor discussion — rather than a talk-heavy conference format.

The meeting brings together Qualia Structure and Kobo/KAKENHI PIs and their lab members, past summer school participants and lecturers, and authors of the Qualia Structure book project, to deepen collaboration and advance structural approaches to qualia and new ways of understanding other minds.

02 — Venue

Lakeside, all under one roof

Toyako Manseikaku Hotel Lakeside Terrace

21 Toyako Onsen, Toyako-cho, Abuta District, Hokkaido 049-5721, Japan

A lakeside hot-spring hotel at Toyako Onsen. All sessions, posters, and most meals take place inside the hotel — with meeting rooms and café/lounge spaces reserved for small-group discussion.

Open in Google Maps ↗
Toyako Manseikaku Hotel seen from the Lake Toya waterfront Toyako Manseikaku Hotel · photo: Totti, CC0

Meeting rooms

Six rooms are reserved across the week. Each one has its own colour, used here, in the day-by-day programme below and on the detailed programme. The whole meeting gathers in Genseirin for the introductions and posters on the opening afternoon and again on Day 2 morning, and in Shiki for the reception, the social dinner and the final morning. From Day 2 afternoon the sessions run in Horai, the posters go up in both Horai and Suisen, which adjoin on the same floor, and Suma and Suminoe take the parallel discussions. Sizes and capacities are the hotel's own figures; room assignments are provisional.

Genseirin
Large hall · up to 200 people
Floor seating · Central Bldg 3F
Main track
Day 1 — informal discussions from 9:00, opening, intros & posters · Day 2 morning — introductions & posters continue
Horai
60 tatami · up to 50 people
Tables and chairs · East Bldg 2F
Main track
Days 2–4 — sessions, with a projector; posters on the walls · Day 0 — early arrivals
Shiki
100 tatami · up to 80 people
Floor seating · West Bldg 2F
Main track
Day 2 evening — reception · Day 4 evening — social dinner · Day 5 — floor discussion & wrap-up
Suisen
25 tatami · up to 20 people
Tables and chairs · East Bldg 2F
Poster session
Days 2–4 — the staffed poster slots, next door to Horai
Suminoe
36 tatami · up to 25 people
Floor seating · East Bldg B1
Discussions with a small group
Days 2–4 — parallel sessions
Suma
36 tatami · up to 25 people
Floor seating · East Bldg B1
Discussions with a small group
Days 2–4 — parallel sessions
The Genseirin hall, a large tatami room with a painted mural along the far wall
Genseirin（原生林）
Horai and Suisen, carpeted rooms laid out with long tables and chairs
Horai & Suisen（蓬莱・水仙）— tables and chairs
Suminoe and Suma, tatami rooms with low tables and floor seating, looking out on the garden
Suminoe & Suma（住の江・須磨）— tatami, floor seating
The Shiki hall, a tatami room set with long low tables and legless chairs
Shiki（四季）— tatami, floor seating

Meeting-room photos: Toyako Manseikaku Hotel Lakeside Terrace.

Landsat satellite image of the Lake Toya caldera, with Mount Usu to the south
The Toya caldera from space — Mount Usu and Showa-Shinzan sit on the southern rim · Landsat image: GLCF, CC BY-SA 3.0
A lakeside shrine torii at Lake Toya
Lakeside shrine at Toyako · photo: Jesper Rautell Balle, CC BY 3.0
03 — Program

Five days at the lake

Current working version — details may be adjusted. The meeting opens at 15:00 on Tue, Sep 29 and closes at 13:00 on Sat, Oct 3 (lunch included on the final day).

Detailed program by room  → Session titles, poster slots and rooms for Days 0–5. Most blocks open or close with a short reflection slot.

Day 0
Mon, Sep 28 · optional
  • 16:00–23:00Informal discussions for early arriversHorai
  • —An informal afternoon excursion (ferry to the island in the lake) may be arranged for early arrivers.
Day 1
Tue, Sep 29
  • 9:00–13:00Informal discussions for early arriversGenseirin
  • ~12:00Chartered bus departs New Chitose Airport (arrives at hotel ~14:00)included
  • 15:00OpeningGenseirin
  • 15:30–16:30Introductions & Poster Session 1 (3-min self-intros · Poster Group 1)Genseirin
  • 17:00–18:00Introductions & Poster Session 2 (Poster Group 2)Genseirin
  • EveningDinner on your own · Genseirin remains available until 23:00
Day 2
Wed, Sep 30
  • 8:30–9:00Reflection timeGenseirin
  • 9:00–12:30Introductions & Poster Session (3-min self-intros, continued from Day 1)Genseirin
  • 13:00–14:00Lunchincluded
  • 14:00–18:50Posters & parallel discussions in separate roomsHorai · sessionsSuisen · postersSuma Suminoe
  • 19:00ReceptionincludedShiki
Day 3
Thu, Oct 1
  • 8:30–9:00Reflection timeHorai
  • 9:00–11:50Posters & parallel discussions in separate roomsHorai · sessionsSuisen · postersSuma Suminoe
  • 12:00–13:00Lunchincluded
  • 13:30Excursion to Upopoy — National Ainu Museum and Parkexcursion
  • ~18:30Return to hotel
  • EveningDinner on your own (no official program)
Day 4
Fri, Oct 2
  • 9:00–12:50Posters & parallel discussions in separate roomsHorai · sessionsSuisen · postersSuma Suminoe
  • 13:00–14:00Lunchincluded
  • 14:00–17:50Posters & parallel discussions in separate roomsHorai · sessionsSuisen · postersSuma Suminoe
  • 19:00Social DinnerShiki
Day 5
Sat, Oct 3
  • 8:30–9:00Reflection timeShiki
  • 9:00–12:00Floor discussion & wrap-up sessionShiki
  • 12:00–13:00Check-out
  • 13:00Meeting ends — lunchincluded
  • 14:00Chartered bus departs for New Chitose Airport (arrives ~16:00)included
04 — Excursion

Afternoon at Upopoy

On Day 3 (Thu, Oct 1), we take an afternoon excursion to Upopoy — the National Ainu Museum and Park in Shiraoi.

A traditional Ainu kotan (village) by the lake at Upopoy Traditional kotan at Upopoy · photo: Indiana jo, CC BY-SA 4.0

Upopoy is Japan's national center for the revival and development of Ainu culture — the indigenous people of Hokkaido. The park brings together the National Ainu Museum, a recreated traditional kotan (village), and live performances of traditional song and dance on the shore of Lake Poroto.

  • 13:30 — Depart the hotel by chartered bus (after lunch)
  • ~14:30–17:00 — Museum & park visit (ride is 1–1.5 h each way)
  • ~18:30 — Return to the hotel; evening free

Participation will be confirmed via the follow-up survey. Details: Upopoy official site ↗

05 — Access

Getting to Lake Toya

We will run chartered buses between New Chitose Airport (CTS) and the hotel on the first and last days — about 2 hours each way. Confirmed bus, driver, and boarding details are listed below.

Bus Information

Tuesday, September 29

New Chitose Airport → Toyako Manseikaku Hotel Lakeside Terrace

Around 12:00–14:00

🚌 Large Coach

License plate
Muroran 200 U 2222 （室蘭200 う 2222）
Driver
Mr. Iwatsuki (岩槻)
Mobile
090-3114-1516

⏰ Schedule · Latest arriving flight: NH1107

  1. Flight NH1107 arrives at New Chitose Airport
  2. Depart New Chitose Airport
  3. Travel by expressway
  4. Arrive at Toyako Manseikaku Hotel Lakeside Terrace

After everyone has arrived

  • Please use the restroom before boarding the bus.
  • Please call the bus driver when the group is ready.
  • Go outside the terminal and wait near the boarding area marked 23–27.
Saturday, October 3

Toyako Manseikaku Hotel Lakeside Terrace → New Chitose Airport

14:00–Around 16:00

Two buses will be provided: one large coach and one medium-sized bus.

🚌 Large Coach

License plate
Muroran 201 A 5 （室蘭201 あ 5）
Driver
Mr. Tsushima (対島)
Mobile
090-3778-5456

🚌 Medium-Sized Bus

License plate
Muroran 230 E 55 （室蘭230 え 55）
Driver
Mr. Kaneko (金子)
Mobile
090-4876-4666

⏰ Schedule

  1. Depart Toyako Manseikaku Hotel Lakeside Terrace
  2. Travel by expressway
  3. Arrive at New Chitose Airport

Before departure

Please make sure to be ready to leave the hotel before 14:00.

Getting there on your own

🚆 From New Chitose Airport — train + bus

JR Rapid Airport to Minami-Chitose (5 min) → Limited Express Hokuto to JR Toya Station (~85 min) → Donan Bus to Toyako Onsen Bus Terminal (20 min) → 5-min walk to the hotel.

🚌 From New Chitose Airport — direct bus

Donan Bus runs directly from the airport to Toyako Onsen Bus Terminal (approx. 2.5 h), a 5-min walk from the hotel.

🚌 From Sapporo Station

The hotel's paid shuttle “Express Toyako” (hotel guests only, reservation required): departs Sapporo Sta. North Exit 13:15 → arrives 15:45, ¥1,100 one way (return 10:00 → 12:30). Alternatively, Donan Bus from Sapporo Bus Terminal (~3 h), or JR Hokuto to Toya Station (~1 h 54 min) + bus.

🚗 By car

Approx. 2 hours from New Chitose Airport or Sapporo via the Do-o Expressway; exit at Abuta-Toyako IC, then ~10 min on local roads. Parking is available at the hotel.

Details: hotel access page ↗

06 — Organizers

Organized by

MO
Masafumi Oizumi
c-oizumi@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
KS
Keisuke Suzuki
ksk@chain.hokudai.ac.jp
07 — Registration

Registration fee

Payment is by credit card.

Meeting fee

¥6,000
per participant · everyone

Social dinner

¥5,500
per participant · optional · Day 4, Fri Oct 2, 19:00
💳 Pay Registration Fee