Greetings

It is with honor that I host the 2024 Japan Cornea Conference at Haneda Innovation City. The venue is next to Haneda Airport Terminal 3, where most international flights arrive. Metropolitan Tokyo is approximately 30 minutes by train, and most popular cities are one to two hours by away by domestic flights leaving from Haneda. The Japan Cornea Conference has a tradition to mix top notch science while having some fun, and the 2024 meeting will be no exception. We have a scientific program focusing on all aspects of the cornea and ocular surface including basic science, surgery, translational medicine, diagnosis and therapy. After the meeting, we are planning a reception in the terminal building of Haneda Airport.

As we enter the post-COVID19 era, we hope to bring back faculty and participants from abroad to enhance international collaboration. In 2024, we are planning a Joint Symposium with the Cornea Society to be held in English. Hopefully, we can open doors to the world and become once again the community that corneal specialists from all corners of the globe previously enjoyed. I have always cherished the camaraderie of corneal physicians and scientists when we get together during meetings hosted in different cities. Unfortunately, the pandemic has deprived younger scientists from present their work in an international atmosphere. Hopefully, this meeting will be an eye-opening experience in their young career.

As Chair of the 2024 Japan Cornea Conference, I will do my best to make the meeting a memorable one. I also invite participants to visit my institution, Fujita Medical Innovation Center (FMIC) currently under construction. The Center will open in October 2023, where we plan to undergo translational research as well as provide state-of-the-art regenerative therapy. I welcome you all to Tokyo.