Japanese August 29-30, 2003: Beppu Bay Conference What a new community will be after 50 years? The first day: Oita All Nippon Airway Hotel (Oita) The second day: Sofia Hall in Soft Park (Oita)
	Institute for Hyper network Society cerebrates its 10th anniversary of the foundation this year. In commemoration with it, an international conference called "Beppu Bay Conference" is held today. Domestic speakers meet in a waiting room at 12:30.
They introduced themselves over the massive papers. The overseas guests will join from the USA, France, and Korea. I met Mr. Howard Rheingold from the USA after a long time. He remembers me, saying "Have you been going well?" I was delighted and answered in English "Yes, Welcome to Oita."
	The attendants flock in the lobby in twos and threes.
Session 1 Our vision and reality: A global future vision.
The site is at Peacock Hall on the fifth floor. I sit on a reserved seat. The session started soon. Mr. Hirose, Governor of Oita Prefecture, makes a few words in the opening. Mr. Utsumiya on the left and Mr. Rheingold on the right in red suit.
	The chairpersons of the session are Mr. Aizu and Mr. Korida. The theme of the session is on the screen.
The first keynote addresser is Mr. Howard Rheingold who had attended the first conference held in Hiji town in 1990. This time he presents his latest idea of "Smart Mobs, the Next Social Solution" detailed in his book.
	Mr. Ono, the president of Coara Co., Ltd., soon started to record the meeting using WebLog technology.
Ms. Korenaga and Ms. Mizutani report the meeting on my back.
	Large displays are set on the floor in the center of the square-arranged tables. All the attendants can view the screen.
The second key presenter is Mr. Anthony Townsend (Taub Urban Research Center, New York University, Research Scientist.) He introduced his experience in Big Apple NYCwireless and Wi-Fi. On the right is Mr. Go Seon Gyu from Korea. He spoke about the latest status of the Internet usage in Seoul City under the title of "Electronics self-governments and electronics democracy."
Session 2 Our imagination power is tested: Future network society after 10, 20, and 50 years.
	Mr. Shumpei Kumon, the chairman of the board of directors of Institute for Hyper network Society, always makes me happy by presenting a wonderful key word. This time wording is "Computer and Chimin (intellectual people) evolve together."
Mr. Ono, the president of Coara, speaks very quickly as usual about the history of Coara since 1985. Coara started as a small group of text based PC communication, then evolved into an Internet using company. He is now looking for a new vision on NPO basis activities.
	My theme was "Living as a local citizen." I presented about 15 minutes. I described not so remote future like 50 years but a near future coming soon.
Next to me sits Mr. Tomomi Tsubota of Nikkei Digital Core. He has been attending all Beppu Bay Conference. His speech was serious, "The end point of the network society and grave problem."
	Ms. Chika Sekine, president of UDIT, is one of my closest friends who gave a presentation of "Network society and universal design."
After the discussion on the presentations, some people from central government and local self-governments made speeches on the scope of the electronics government system. After the long discussion, we all took a traditional we-were-there-picture. Mr. Rheingold wears wonderful pair of shoes this time as well, saying he dyed it by himself.
Mr. Miyake from Beppu city took many pictures from high ladder supported by his members.
	My husband snapped me as well.
Exchange party Let's talk hot on future vision!
Well, the exchange party started at Koubai Hall on the third floor at six p.m. I shared the table with Mr. Hiroumi Shutou, manager of IT Promotion section of Oita prefecture Office, and Mr. Tsubota and others.
	Mr. Utsumiya, the top of Institute for Hyper network Society, made a few word in the beginning saying "Beppu Bay Conference cerebrates its 8th anniversary and will start a new era."
After that, Governor Hirose and overseas guests broke the lid of Japanese sake cask. Mr. Ono and I were among them as the representatives of Oita citizen. Governor Hirose proposes a toast!
	I enjoyed pleasant chatting with Mr. Aizu, Mr. Tsubota, Mr. Korida, and Ms. Sekine at the same table.
Session 3 Smart Mobile Society: Will Keitai (cellular phone) and wireless technology open the future? Web, Blog, MobLog...
After the exchange party, Mr. Daniel Kaplan from France reported the status in his country. Mr. Joichi Ito of Neoteny Co.,Ltd presented "Change the world, change Japan by MobLog." Mr. Ichiya Nakamura, Stanford Japan Center, exchanged heated discussions with them. It was very good to get new incentives and knowledge through those latest talks crisscrossing in the Conference.
The second day Session 4: The prospect and reality of local network
	Three people emcee the meeting, from left, Mr. Akio Sugii, Independent Research Worker, Mr. Korida, and Mr. Fujino. Many people join today enthusiastically.
Mr. Haruo Takagi, Sustainable Community Center Japan, introduced his experience in Kyoto City as "Wireless Internet Project Miako Net and life cycle change." Old Kyoto is now a latest city with wireless Internet web at every corner of the streets.
	"Pleasant life, and rich community" is another key word presented by Mr. Mitsuharu Komori of NPO SeniorNetOita and by Mr. Yukihiko Goto of Beppu-Hatto, Takegawara Club.
Mr. Shinichiro Toyoshima of Institute for Hyper network Society reported on OpenCollabo, a trial of local net and ordinary citizens cooperation work. My husband is a member of it and gave some comments on the report.
	The heated discussion continued even in the lunch break. All the attendants were busy in eating and speaking.
Akiko Takahashi, a member of Coara and a staff of UFJ General Research, appeals her opinion. On the right is Ms. Chika Sekine.
Session 5 Sum ups
The entire scheduled program was over at last. Mr. Utsumiya reports that Beppu Bay Conference closes its long history and we have "commenced" today. Mr. Katsuya Makiuchi from METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), joined the Conference for the first time and reported his impression. Mr. Kumon summarized this time Conference. Mr. Aizu reviewed the history and proposed an idea how to think it from now. So many wires snake around on the floor. Wasn't the theme of this Conference wireless? The wire supplies power to note PCs for long time use.）
Thank you very much Mr. Yamato and many supporters of Institute for Hyper network Society for two days.
	Will a conference like this open again here in Oita? If so, we will join without fail. All the attendant promised to do so and went back home. An optional tour to Tsukumi City was held after this. I was relieved at last and headed home by my husband's car.