Dear Colleagues,

The 79^th Annual Meeting of the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society (JGES) will be held over a three day period from Thursday, May 13 to Saturday, May 15, 2010, at the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa, Tokyo.

Over the course of recent years great advances have been made in the field of gastroenterological endoscopy and its treatment, which have contributed to the early detection and diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases and paved the way for breakthroughs in understanding of disease pathology and treatment. The result has been the realization of a variety of minimally invasive treatments.

For all organs encompassed in this medical discipline – the digestive tract, liver, gall bladder and pancreas alike – JGES has played a significant role in the development and improvement of devices, the process from research and development into endoscopy diagnosis and treatment through to application of clinical trials and expansion of use, as well as education and awareness raising.

The announcements and presentations by JGES contain information pertinent to practical medicine in the field, as well as representing the results of world-leading clinical research. We have developed as a forum for vigorous discussion and debate on gastroenterological endoscopy.

Believing firmly that we should reflect such 21st century realities in the field of endoscopy and represent the opinions of our learned board of trustees, at the 79^th Annual Meeting we plan to provide special, invited and assigned lectures, coupled with symposia and panel discussions and many general presentations. It is also planned to demonstrate skills in the use of the newest equipment in endoscopy.

Guests from Japan and overseas from a variety of disciplines will be prevailed upon to deliver special, invited or assigned lectures. What is more, in educational lectures three eminent physicians at the top of their respective fields will provide and update and review of developments over recent years in endoscopy. At special symposia we plan to unveil to all our members a consensus view on the important themes that we have repeatedly and passionately reported on and debated in JGES.

JGES will work hard to ensure that the Annual Meeting provides an opportunity to gain a diversity of information on advanced knowledge and technology, as well as enabling participants to gain a readily understandable picture of the various contents that are essential for gastroenterological endoscopy today on the front lines of medicine.

The main theme for the Annual Meeting is “Further Development of GI Endoscopy – Globalization for Endoscopists,” a special plan will be compiled and announced on the ideal format for joint research among government-academia-industry in Japan, with an eye to achieving further progress in endoscopy treatment and ensuring its ongoing development.

Over the course of the three days of the Annual Meeting we are planning to hold an international symposium, to which we will invite many colleagues from various countries in North America, Europe and Asia. We hope that this event will provide a forum for friendly exchange that will further contribute to the development of JGES from an international perspective and are working hard to make the appropriate arrangements.

I will prove to be an event that further boosts the development of gastroenterological endoscopy and treatment, and I look forward to welcoming you to Tokyo in May 2010.

Congress President of JGES 2010, Tokyo
Hisao Tajiri, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology /
Department of Endoscopy
The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo