The Asia-Pacific Conference on Near-field Optics (APNFO) has provided an opportunity for leading scientists and young researchers in the field of nano-optics to discuss new ideas and approaches in cutting-edge research and to network with each other. APNFO has been held every two years, following the first meeting in Seoul in 1996, in Beijing, Melbourne, Taroko, Niigata, Yellow Mountain, Jeju, Adelaide, Singapore, Hakodate, Tainan, Xiamen and will be held in Sapporo, Japan in 2022.