ICAR 2026, Obihiro, Hokkaido
An ideal match for an international animal reproduction congress
It was, in many ways, an ideal combination, one that spelled success for an important international conference.
The location in Hokkaido's Obihiro City was one key: this is one of Japan's leading agricultural areas, a beautiful, rolling green landscape of green flanked by mountains all around. Farms here are much larger than elsewhere in Japan, raising sugar beets, potatoes, wheat, and beans, as well as being a major area for the raising of cattle and horses. This also has led to a unique and delicious food culture, including everything from milk products to outstanding vegetables and even a tradition of wild game dishes, as well as a delightfully rural tourism industry.
The event, too, seemed especially suited to the area: the International Congress on Animal Reproduction (ICAR) 2026, a major international congress focused on the science of animal reproduction. Many of the roughly 1,000 members participating come from rural settings not unlike Obihiro--so, the event, held from June 22 to 26, 2026 provided a setting fitting the attendees, with all the facilities needed to host a major international gathering.
Conference Overview
| Event Name | 20th International Congress on Animal Reproduction (ICAR 2026) |
|---|---|
| Dates | June 22-26, 2026 |
| Main Venue / Host City | Obihiro Civic Cultural Hall / Obihiro City, Hokkaido Prefecture |
| Attendance | 1,133 |
An animal science event--with an Obihiro connection
Dr. Matt Lucy, president of the Executive Committee of ICAR, describes the event. "ICAR is the International Congress on Animal Reproduction," he says. "It started in 1948 under a different name. It's held every four years to bring together scientists with this common interest." He adds that this was in fact the first ICAR congress to be held in Japan, or in Asia for that matter. "Japan has always been very strong in animal reproductive biology," he says. "They've always had very strong participation in our conference. Obihiro has a major veterinary college with some outstanding animal reproductive biology faculty. So it made a lot of sense, if we're coming to Japan, to come to Hokkaido, an agricultural region for the country. So that's kind of a nice fit as well."
The meeting, he says, brings together scientists interested in animal pregnancy. "This includes farm animals but also endangered species, mostly mammals. We're a little different from other organizations because we're not technically a scientific society--organizations that might have a journal and perhaps a big staff. We're not like that."
Meeting the expectations of participants
Even so, the conference in Obihiro was one of the largest ever for ICAR--so how it was selected, and what both organizers and participants experienced during the congress is of interest.
"Our attendees come from all over the world," Dr. Lucy explains, "so we're dealing with a very global community, with lots of Europeans, Americans and South Americans, a few from Africa, and the rest from Australasia. First of all, they want to be able to get here fairly easily. Tokyo has major international airports which in turn provide regular links to Obihiro.
"Second, it has to be an interesting place that maybe they haven't been to before. Japan presented a real opportunity for many of our people--they may not have been to Japan, they've heard about it, so maybe they'll do some touring around the country as well as attend ICAR. So it's really important in site selection that it has something interesting, you know?"
Why Obihiro, rather than Tokyo or another big city? "You would never schedule a conference in a small town in America," he laughs. "The members want to go to big places. But when you look at Obihiro, there are outstanding facilities for holding a conference, lots of hotels in the downtown area with a train station right there--and just beyond the train station is a huge area of restaurants."
He adds that safety is always a concern when planning for ICAR, but that was not a worry coming to Japan. "A lot of these people are from small college towns, so they have no exposure to some of the dangers in cities around the world. But here you just don't get the sense that anything bad is going to happen to you. The Japanese are very generous, very friendly, no matter what is going on. They're always trying to help you. It's a very quiet city, but it does have a very interesting and delicious food culture, with lots to do in the evening after dinner as well. So it worked out well for us!"
Support from the Japanese team
The Japanese side also thought through these issues as they worked through the process to host an ICAR in Japan, says Prof. Kazuhiro Kikuchi of the School of Veterinary Medicine at Kitasato University, and Secretary General of ICAR 2026. "Initially, we thought carefully about holding the congress in Obihiro, which had relatively limited experience hosting events of this scale," he says. "We wanted to ensure that there would be sufficient accommodations, that the access was good, and whether weather conditions or earthquakes might pose challenges." Prof. Kikuchi and his team reached out to the Obihiro Tourism and Convention Association, who were able to show that the city's conference infrastructure was fully capable of hosting the event, as well as to the city government itself.
"For conference operations, we worked with a professional congress organizer (PCO) based in Hokkaido," he says. "Because they were thoroughly familiar with the venue, arrangements for audiovisual equipment and other logistical requirements proceeded smoothly, which further increased our confidence." They also consulted with JNTO, travel agencies, and many other stakeholders. "We solved each challenge one at a time," he says.
Dr. Lucy agrees on the strong support received locally. "The local tourism people were really helpful and very supportive--they really wanted us here!" he says. "There are plenty of outstanding venues. It was just perfect for our size. The facilities, the hotel rooms, even dining outside were all very affordable. The downtown area outside Tokachi Plaza (one of the major venues for the event) is beautiful, with lots of green space--so we actually held one of our events outside! And the natural beauty of Hokkaido is so different from a big urban setting. All the beautiful forests and lakes and volcanic thermal areas--it was great for us."
Dr. Lucy adds that Japanese hospitality extended beyond just the strong support in creating and running the event. "The mayor came to our opening ceremony, and said a few words in English, and that means a lot," he says. "He had been with us two years earlier as we were planning for this, to make sure that we had all the information and all the facilities that we needed. Then the local high school orchestra came and played at our opening session. Well, all of a sudden the attendees feel really special, you know? It's not the New York Philharmonic, but we don't need the New York Philharmonic! They took the time to come play, and it was beautiful--that kind of personal touch is a big deal for us."
Encountering local culture as part of the experience
Part of an international conference is, of course, the extracurricular social events--important both for participants who want to enjoy the local culture, and for the host city, which likewise wants to show off its best. Obihiro didn't disappoint, with a Tasting Hokkaido event that served not only some international favorites but plenty of Hokkaido specialties, along with Japanese music and dance. There were also excursions and activities including a tea ceremony, farm and winery visits and other outdoor activities. The organizers even had an exclusive ICAR Beer brewed for the event which was served at the Gala Dinner on the night of the 25th. "A regional brewery produced this through the Congress President's local connections," Prof. Kikuchi says. "That was extremely popular, with some participants even saying they planned to keep the bottle as a souvenir rather than drink it!" "When you make an ICAR beer with an aluminum can that says ICAR Beer, well, that, that's very special!" Dr. Lucy adds. "I can't remember anybody making us a special beer at any other ICAR."
So in the end, ICAR 2026 was a very successful event, for participants as well as for the Japanese side. While the ICAR's four-year rotation, and the need to place the event in different locations around the world means it probably won't be back in Japan for a few years, Prof. Kikuchi believes that ICAR 2026 may pave the way for future international livestock conferences to be held in Japan. Continued opportunities for researchers to meet face-to-face, he says, will help strengthen international scientific networks. "This was an invaluable experience for younger researchers and helped strengthen the international presence of Japanese livestock research," he says. "Ultimately, the value of international conferences extends well beyond the livestock field. Their true significance lies in bringing people together, creating new research collaborations and partnerships, and advancing science and technology. That is precisely why it is meaningful to hold these conferences in Japan. There is no downside to hosting them, and I believe their value will only continue to grow in the future."
Dr. Lucy also looks forward to returning to Japan, even if not for a future ICAR. "Oh, I'm coming back for sure," he says. "Before I came here, thought to myself, 'How am I ever going to get around Japan? I can't read any of the signs. They make no sense. After being here for this week, I am no longer worried about the fact that I don't necessarily know what the signs say, because I know that the people here will help me out. They'll come over and make sure I'm OK! So I wish the city and the people of Japan, all the best, because they have really been wonderful hosts. It was a great experience."
