Presidential Greeting

The 66th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Respiratory Society
President’s Greeting

The 66th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Respiratory Society will be a three-day conference starting Friday, April 17 and running through Sunday, April 19, 2026 at Kobe International Conference Center & Exhibition Hall. This annual meeting will bring us back to Kobe for the first time in 14 years since the 52nd Annual Meeting presided over by Professor Masaharu Nishimura of Hokkaido University. It will also be the second time for Shinshu University to host the meeting since Professor Keishi Kubo organized the 50th Annual Meeting. Although the format will be a hybrid of on-site and online participation, I sincerely hope that, if at all possible, everyone will be able to join us in Kobe for direct participation in the discussions.

We have chosen “Toward the Future―Exploring New Frontiers in Respiratory Medicine” as the theme for the 66th Annual Meeting. The essence conveyed here is our determination to pioneer the future of respiratory medicine. Historically, from the Taisho era through the early Showa period, Nagano Prefecture was Japan’s leading sericulture region. Just as silk was spun to produce thread, we envision the various fields of respiratory medicine interwoven to create synergies, enabling us to pave the way for the future.

It is my belief that an academic conference should be a gathering culminating in the satisfaction of its members’ intellectual curiosity. We have put together a diverse program offering a broad array of content that our members of diverse backgrounds will find piques their interests. In our efforts to promote lively exchanges among the participants, we are striving to create a gathering where both residents and fellows are able to engage in a frank exchange of views.  
Along with gender equality initiatives, we have arranged programs integrating fundamental medicine and clinical practices in addition to cross-disciplinary projects traversing multiple areas of respiratory medicine. We are also promoting international exchange and cooperation with other pertinent scholarly societies to present an attractive symposium suited to the needs of our membership. This includes innovative studies, research leading to new drugs, and cutting-edge technologies such as AI and regenerative medicine. We have invited Ms. Ayako Sato, President of the International Performance Education Foundation and Honorary Fellow of Shinshu University, to deliver the keynote lecture. Ms. Sato instructs prominent political and business figures in performance studies. Her speech is entitled “Audience-Captivating Presentations.” In addition, we have also invited author Sōsuke Natsukawa, well-known for his fictional novel “God’s Medical Record (Kamisama no Karute)” to give the public lecture. Dr. Natsukawa has been on the front lines of treating Covid-19 patients. He will talk about the patient-centered healthcare approach detailed in his books, which is drawn from his personal philosophy and ideals.

Many respiratory physicians worked tirelessly, day and night, to steadily hold the line against the Covid-19 pandemic. I hope this academic conference will be an opportunity not only for students and residents, but also the general public and others to turn their attention toward respiratory medicine. I kindly ask for your support and encourage you to submit abstracts so that we might make this a very engaging and dynamic annual meeting. I look forward to welcoming all of you in Kobe.

Masayuki Hanaoka
Professor and Chairman, First Department of Internal Medicine
Shinshu University School of Medicine, Japan