Message from the Overall Chair of the 9th AOTA Congress It is a great honor for the Japan Thyroid Association (JTA) to host the 9th Congress of the Asia and Oceania Thyroid Association (AOTA) at the Nagoya Congress Center, Nagoya, Japan. This Congress will be a joint meeting of AOTA and JTA, which is holding its 52nd Annual Meeting. The combined auspicious event will start with a Welcome Reception on November 1, 2009. The Scientific Session begins in the morning of November 2 and closes at noon on November 4. Thereafter, sessions in Japanese will follow. A half-day city tour is scheduled on November 3 (for foreign participants only), followed by the Congress Banquet. For the Nagoya Congress, the Program Organizing Committee is placing more emphasis on scientific communications rather than educational programs. However, I am glad to announce that Dr. Martin Schlumberger of Paris, France, has accepted our invitation to be the Main Lecturer. We have also invited other distinguished speakers for the luncheon seminars. We expect a great number of abstracts for oral and poster sessions from many countries in the Asia and Oceania regions. Young researchers in particular are encouraged to submit abstracts of their work. We are planning to offer travel grants to young researchers who will offer excellent presentations during the Congress. We hope that participants will be satisfied with the scientific programs prepared. The Local Organizing Committee has made great efforts to set the registration fee as low as possible. Participants may choose from the accommodation listed in the Web site according to their budget. All accommodation is equipped with basic facilities for a very comfortable stay. The start of November is a good time to visit Nagoya, as the weather is usually pleasantly cool and fine. Nagoya is located in the center of the main island of Japan and is connected to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka by our famous rapid train system, the Shinkansen. Either before or after the Congress, you are cordially invited to visit these great cities. You will find the connection between Central Japan International Airport and Nagoya downtown to be very convenient, with frequent train services taking only 28 minutes. It is my sincere hope that you will enjoy both taking part in the Congress and your stay in Nagoya. Yoshiharu Murata, M.D., Ph.D. Overall Chair, 9th AOTA Congress, Nagoya, Japan