Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for showing your intention of participating in the Fujihara Seminar,
"Progress in physics of the sun and stars: a new era in helio- and asteroseismology", an international conference dedicated to discussions of recent progress in helio- and asteroseismology with emphases on their impacts on physics of the sun and the stars. 

It may be about time for most of you to fix your travel plan. 
The conference is to take place in Hakone, Japan, from the 25th to the 30th of November, 2012.
All the participants are supposed to stay in the same hotel, "The Prince Hakone'',  during the seminar so that they can easily make informal exchange of ideas in a relaxed atmosphere after the formal sessions. The hotel check-in is November 25 (Sun) and the reception will be held in the evening. To recover from jet lag, coming a few days earlier must be a good idea. Scientific sessions start on 26 (Mon) and end on 29 (Thu). The check-out is November 30 (Fri). 
We have already booked a block of rooms with a full pension service, so please DO NOT make reservations for yourself. 
Rather, please reconfirm to me no later than the end of September 2012 that you will actually be participating in the meeting.
Also, please let us know your special request for foods, such as a vegetarian diet, by sending an email to me at shibahashi@astron.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp .

1. The conference schedule is:
November 25 (Sunday): hotel check-in, welcome reception
November 26 (Monday) - 29 (Thursday): scientific sessions
November 29 (Thursday): closing banquet
November 30 (Friday): hotel check-out

2. Visa: People from some countries (or from some regions) that do not have visa exemption arrangements with Japan do need a visa to visit Japan. Please refer to http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/ for more information.

3. To see how to reach the hotel, please refer to http://www.princehotels.com/en/the_prince_hakone/access/
i) From Narita International Airport, take the Narita Express train bound for Tokyo or an Airport Limousine bus for JR Tokyo station. It takes about 60 minutes and the fare is 2,940 yen (train) or 3,000 yen (bus). The train timetable is available at http://jreast-shinkansen-reservation.eki-net.com/pc/english/common/timetable/e_nex_u/index.html
ii) From Tokyo Station take the Tokaido Shinkansen high-speed train gKodamah to Odawara Station (the third stop). Please note that there are three types of high-speed trains, gNozomih, gHikarih, and gKodamah; do not take gNozomih or gHikarih, which do not stop at Odawara. It takes about 35 minutes and the fare is 3,640 yen. The timetable is available at http://www.shinkansen.co.jp/jikoku_hyo/en/sanyou/sdh_tokyo.html
iii) Free guests-only shuttle service to the hotel is available, departing from Odawara Station, West Exit: 11:30 a.m./2:00 p.m./4:00 p.m. Advanced reservation is required, but it should be done only after we make final booking of accommodations, with individual names, at the hotel. We will inform you when it is done; probably at the end of October, after reconfirmation of your participating in the conference.
iv) The hotel is located 45 minutes by taxi, or 1 hour 20 minutes on the Izu-Hakone Bus (get off at Hakone-en bus stop) from Odawara Station. The cost is approximately 8,000 yen for a taxi and 1,270 yen for the bus.

4. Fee: A significant part of the hotel fee will be covered by funding from the Fujihara Foundation. Nevertheless, to cover some shortage, we will have to charge 80,000 yen (towards registration, accommodation, meals and refreshments) for each participant and also 80,000 yen for each accompanying person. The exact amount is still subject to adjustment. The payment will be done at the hotel reception desk at the check-in time. Major credit cards are accepted.

5. Accompanying persons: If you are accompanied by your partner, please inform me at: shibahashi@astron.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
No special program is planned for accompanying persons, other than the welcome reception, a half-day excursion, and closing banquet. But much helpful information and many suggestions will be available at the hotel.

6. Sessions: The following is a tentative plan for the scientific sessions. This is subject to adjustment, depending on the contributions you propose. Please indicate which session is most appropriate for your paper.
I. Impacts of seismic investigations on solar/stellar physics
a) physics of the Sun and stars understood from seismology
b) seismic determination of stellar parameters: the impact on our understanding of exoplanets
II. New observational findings and other enigmatic phenomena
III. Solar and stellar activity
a) the solar dynamo viewed from helioseismology
b) magnetic fields and stellar activity across the HR diagram
IV. Abundance determination and seismic investigation of chemical stratification
a) impact of the revised solar abundances on astrophysics
b) seismic investigation of chemical stratification in the Sun and stars
V. Hydrodynamics
a) evolution of the solar/stellar internal rotation, angular momentum transfer
b) magnetohydrodynamics: diffusion, mixing, convection, turbulence, magnetic structures
VI. Oscillations and excitation mechanisms
a) physical causes and excitation mechanisms of oscillations in various types of stars
b) nonlinear dynamics

7. Call for papers: Please let me know a tentative title of your presentation with preference of oral or poster to shibahashi@astron.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp as soon as possible and no later than 15 August. A more detailed abstract should be submitted later. Please note that your preference for an oral presentation is not guaranteed to be approved because of limited availability of oral sessions. We trust that you will understand this. Decisions will be made by the SOC and the result will be announced by the end of September.

8. Proceedings: We are planning to publish the proceedings of the conference. The details will be announced during the conference. 

If you have any questions or requests, please do not hesitate to email to me.

Sincerely,

Hiromoto Shibahashi
on behalf of the SOC