The ninth annual conference of Asia-Pacific Early Christian Studies Society was held at Towo Eiwa University, Yokohama, Japan, from 4th to 6th September, convened by Prof. Akira Mikami and co-hosted by the university’s Institute for Thanatology. There were a total of 38 papers presented. The theme of this year’s conference was “Life and Death in Early Christianity.” Two keynotes papers were presented. The first, in the opening session, by Assoc. Prof. David Sim from the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy and the Centre for Early Christian Studies at Australian Catholic University. His keynote address was entitled “Death after Life or Life after Death? Differing Early Christian Views on Death and the Afterlife.” The session was chaired by Prof. Hubertus Drobner, from the Theologischen Fakultät, Paderborn University, Germany. The second keynote address, to close the conference, was by Prof. Kazuko Watanabe, the director of the Institute for Thanatology at Towo Eiwa University. Her address was entitled “Oath and Ritual in Esarhaddon’s Succession Oath Documents.” The session was chaired by Prof. Mikami.

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The conference opened with a welcome from the president of the university, Prof. Ikeda. Presenters in the fifteen smaller sessions came from Japan, Australia, South Korea, the Philippines, South Africa, Germany, Denmark, Lithuania, and Finland. Delegates also had the opportunity to explore Chinatown and Yokohama Bay together. The conference will be memorable not only for the successful and coherent way in which the theme of life and death in early Christian thinking and practice was explored and for the convivial atmosphere, but also for the great and well-catered conference dinner in the relaxed setting of Yuuyuu Kannaeikmaeten restaurant and the delights of the Yokohama public transport and taxi systems.