It is my great honor to serve as the president of the 116th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Ophthalmological Society. I would like to sincerely thank the chair of the Program Committee, Shoichi Sawaguchi, Vice President Susumu Hamazaki, members of the Program Committee, directors and council members of the Japanese Ophthalmological Society, and the secretariat staff for their great support and cooperation.
  The main theme of the meeting this year is “Moving Beyond National Boundaries: Transnational Congress of the Japanese Ophthalmological Society.” The meeting aims at having a global viewpoint, in the current ‘information society’, and the growth of Japanese ophthalmology in the world. The image, as its symbol, was created by Mr. Takashi Murakami, who was selected a few years ago as one of the world’s 100 most influential people by TIME^TM.
  An international membership system was established, and applications were accepted for Papers and Posters from several countries. There were 63 abstract submissions not only from the Asia-Pacific region but also Europe and North and South America, and the total number of submissions was 587, the highest on record yet. The website and program are available in both Japanese and English, simultaneous interpreters shall be placed all day long at the main site, Hall C (Room 1), and presenters are encouraged to give their slide presentations and lectures in English, so that discussions can be promoted among professionals from various countries. I would be grateful if this meeting serves as a preparatory step for the World Ophthalmology Congress, scheduled to be held in Japan in 2014.
  In addition, champagne will be served at the Exhibition Hall, like in most international meetings held abroad. The champagne service will be available during the poster session in the evening. Also, the finest brewed coffee will be served during the meeting. Let’s all enjoy the meeting and refreshments!
  The special lectures will be delivered by Professor Akira Negi (Kobe Univ) and Professor Akitoshi Yoshida (Asahikawa Med Univ), and the invited lectures will be delivered by Professor Jonathan C. Horton (Univ of California, San Francisco), Professor Jonathan Guy Crowston (Univ of Melbourne), and Professor Keiichi Fukuda (Dept of Cardiology, Keio Univ). In addition, the Board of Councilors Nominated Lecture, “Progress of Neuro-Ophthalmology,” will feature talks by Dr. Hideki Chuman (Miyazaki Univ), Dr. Hitoshi Ishikawa (Kitasato Univ) and Dr. Takeshi Kezuka (Tokyo Med Univ).
  Through the diligent organization of the Program Chair Shoichi Sawaguchi, and the Program Committee members, sessions will be held in a wide range of fields, including 20 themes for Symposia and 11 themes for Educational Seminars. Also, a Subspecialty Sunday, Skills Transfer, and ARVO-JOS Symposia will also be held. With the focus on the future, topics on regenerative medicine and aging science will also be presented. Professor Leonard P. Guarente, who is an authority on the longevity gene “sirtuin,” will deliver his lecture on April 7. In the early morning of April 8, the Imperial Palace Marathon will be held, and part of the participation fees will be donated to eye banks.
  On the afternoon of the last day of the meeting, a charity musical, “Gifts from Daddy” that has been performed for eye bank education and awareness since 2008, will be enacted for citizens. I hope that many of you, together with your family and friends, will come and enjoy the musical. I believe the children will also enjoy the musical.
  I would be delighted if you fully enjoy the meeting, along with the cherry blossoms in Tokyo, in the spring of 2012.