Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the organizing committee, I am pleased to announce the 2013 Annual Meeting of the Japan Society for Immunology (JSI). This event will be held at Makuhari Messe, an international convention complex adjacent to Tokyo, in Chiba Prefecture, from December 11 to 13, 2013. In 2012 it was decided to hold each Annual JSI Meeting at one of two fixed locations: Makuhari Messe and Kobe International Conference Center, respectively representing the eastern and western regions of Japan. The scientific content of the annual meetings has become more critical than ever to the success of the annual JSI conference. We expect that this meeting will appeal to a broad range of people, including academic researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students at the forefront of immunology; clinicians with interest in both the basic and the clinical aspects of immunology; and scientists in private industry who are interested in both basic and translational immunological research.

In recent years, at the frontier of immunological research there has been a steady emphasis on molecular- and cellular-level understanding of the innate and acquired immune systems. However, research trends are now shifting from functional studies of the molecular and cellular levels to comprehensive, spatiotemporal lyses of immune cells by using imaging technologies and bioinformatics. Furthermore, efforts are being made to understand immune responses at the tissue and whole-body levels. In our field, increasing emphasis is being placed on improving our knowledge of basic immunity and furthering our understanding of the human immune system. This should help to develop novel preventive and therapeutic strategies for infectious and immunological diseases. Along these lines, we should nurture the interactive and bidirectional research platforms of “Bench-to-Bed” and “Bed-to-Bench.” We also need to encourage the fusion of different medical and biological fields so as to develop novel approaches to treating infectious diseases, allergic and autoimmune diseases, and cancer. From this perspective, this year’s meeting embraces a concept of cross-sectional study between the basic and clinical medical sciences that is conscious of human immunology and is based on evidence accumulated from the world’s leading literature. At the meeting, we intend to highlight fascinating and dynamic aspects of basic immunology, clinical and bedside immunology, regenerative medical immunology, and mucosal immunology and vaccine studies for maintaining health and conquering disease.

To strengthen the emphasis on JSI’s international contribution to the advancement of immunology, the slogan for this year’s JSI annual meeting is “National, but Open to All Over the World.” We expect that the cutting-edge immunological research being conducted in Japan will make a continuing contribution to the global advancement of immunology. Globalization of JSI meetings cannot be accomplished without JSI members’ understanding and the support of domestic immunological societies from other countries. As part of JSI’s effort to create an international environment, we have decided to use English as the official language for the 42nd JSI annual meeting. This move should further accelerate scientific and social interaction with immunologists from our neighboring Asian and Western countries. We are pleased to announce that we are now in the process of planning a series of joint symposia cosponsored with the American Association of Immunologists (AAI), the German Society for Immunology (DGFI), the French Society for Immunology (SFI), the Chinese Society for Immunology (CSI), the Korean Association of Immunologists (KAI), and the Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN). We thank all of the foreign immunology societies that share the mission and values of scientific globalization embodied in the 42nd JSI annual meeting. In addition to symposia, workshops, and poster sessions, we are planning a “Bench-to-Bed Research (BBR) Seminar Series” to introduce clinical studies including fundamental and translational research, as well as a “Technical Seminar Series” to introduce the latest technologies associated with immunological research. A series of “Overview Talks” will be given in concert with the symposia. Before each symposium, the chair, or an invited speaker, will present a overview talk to explain the contents of the series of exciting lectures that will be given in the symposium.

At the afternoon workshops, there will be abstract-driven sessions and discussions of new data and views on various immunological themes. Workshop attendees will be able to seek collaborators or gain inspiration for the next steps in their research through question and answer sessions and discussions. After the workshop sessions, we will move on to the poster and exhibition hall, where participants will have the opportunity to hold lively discussions in front of a range of eye-catching posters. As one of new events at the 42nd JSI meeting, we are planning to introduce a wine and cheese session during the poster discussion time. We hope that this will create an attractive, interactive environment for people to discuss issues, exchange new information, and establish new collaborative networks.

We strongly expect that this annual meeting will act as a national but global scientific platform for sharing novel ideas and insights. This should bring us new, international intellectual exchanges and collaborations that will ultimately yield advances in immunological research.

The “Call for papers” is scheduled to open on Friday, May 31. Not only JSI members, but also non-members, including those from overseas, are welcome to submit abstracts. To ensure the success of the meeting we need national and international contributions from researchers, clinicians, and students. We hope you will enjoy the scientific quality of the JSI meeting. And from Makuhari it’s easy to get to the newly opened Tokyo Sky Tree and Tokyo Disney Resort!

We welcome all of you and sincerely look forward to your abstract submissions.