It is my great pleasure and honor to welcome all of you to the 71st General Meeting of the Japanese Society of Gastroenterological Surgery (JSGS).

The theme of this meeting is
“The KYOJI in Surgery: Orthodoxy and Serendipity”.

The Japanese word “kyoji” means “having confidence stemming from one's own abilities” and also “an uncompromising and relentless devotion to pursuing a very high standard”. It is important that we as surgeons and as a scientific society possess “kyoji”, not only to inspire young surgeons but also to gain the absolute trust of the general public.

In addition, I added the subtitle, “Orthodoxy and Serendipity” in order to build a foundation for having “kyoji”. We shall reconfirm that orthodox approaches based on the facts and on evidence are naturally important in clinics and related research institutions. On the other hand, the more important aspect is serendipity. By challenging ourselves to constantly look for something new rather than be overwhelmed by daily clinical tasks and research activities, it is also important to pursue a dream or goal with our utmost effort. During this process, our intellect, dignity, and flexibility are all tested. When encountering a unique event, we may recognize it as something akin to a new finding even though it was unexpected. THAT IS serendipity! I hope that you become familiar with the ability to recognize new facts as serendipity as you pursue orthodox surgical treatments and academic goals. Furthermore, nothing would make me happier if you plan to introduce your ideas about orthodoxy and serendipity in this General Meeting.

This is the first time in almost a half century for the meeting to be held in Tokushima. The 2nd General Meeting of JSGS hosted by Prof. Shuhei Takita took place in 1969. Alongside the enhancement of academic contents, I would like this meeting to be full of vigor and rich in international culture. I encourage young surgeons and female surgeons to present their opinions. I would also like to hear from surgeons working in provincial cities.

Shikoku celebrated its 1,200 year anniversary for the 88 temple pilgrimage in 2014. The Shikoku pilgrimage route was developed by the Buddhist monk Kukai, often referred to as Kobo-daishi in Japan. Kukai played an important cultural role in the 9th century and the 88 temple pilgrimage begins in Tokushima. Thus, Tokushima is called the place of “spiritual awakening” and giving hospitality to visitors is deeply rooted in our culture, so called “O-MO-TE-NA-SHI”. The entire staff of the alumni association of Tokushima University Surgeons is working hard to make this 71st General Meeting an academic meeting to remember!

We welcome you to Awa-Tokushima, the coolest place to be at the hottest time of the year in Japan!