The workshop was organized by Prof. Daniel Frost (BGI) and Prof. Michihiko Nakamura and others (Tohoku Unversity) and was held at the Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan from July 3-6. It was the kick-off workshop for the DFG-funded International Research Training Group (IRTG) „Deep Earth Volatile Cycles“ that involves members of BGI (and the GeoMaX group) and Tohoku University. Johannes and Kirsten also joined the meeting and presented their work on the effects of OH-incorporation on the single-crystal elasticity of transition zone minerals.