Please allow me to officially announce that the 33rd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Radiation Oncology will be held online starting from October 1st, 2020.

The main theme of the upcoming JASTRO meeting will be “Pursuit of Truth and Well-being”. It is based on a promise I made with the late Professor Goro Irie about a quarter century ago. During a conversation we had one day, Dr. Irie asked that I “write down what I thought was most important in my life”. Hence, the theme is a tribute to the late Prof. Goro Irie, for his great contributions to the development of radiation therapy in Japan.

Ideally, the principles of research include pursuing truth which directly leads people to achieve a peaceful life. However, pursuit of truth alone may not necessarily lead them to well-being, and if compromising with the idea that well-being is sufficient for people, academic progress will come to a halt. It is a difficult task to maintain focus on both pursing truth and achieving well-being, yet Radiation oncology has ideal characteristics as an academic discipline. It is based on the universal science of mathematics and physics and its pursuit of truth through scientific discussion leads directly to reducing the suffering of patients and their families, thereby leading to peace.

Recent developments in online scientific conference systems have been remarkable. Firstly, 24-hour on-demand delivery of sessions eliminates unfairness between members resulting from place of residence or responsibilities as sole physician of their medical care system. Everyone has equal access to research presentations and viewing, even those who live with young children or others who are in need of their care. It makes it easier to grasp unfamiliar lectures in English by world authorities and cutting-edge researchers. Live conferences allow presenters and those with questions to have fair discussions on an even platform, the LCD screen. As radiation therapy has always been compatible with the digital age, I can expect spread of knowledge in greater depth than in previous years through web-based active learning. At this academic conference, I hope that individual participants discuss equally, participants absorb deep knowledge actively, the ripples spread throughout Japan and the world widely, and as a result people become more peaceful.

One of the best parts of the virtual world is that you can “meet and greet” new people from the most relaxing place such as your own home after a long day of studying, or talk and laugh with old colleagues you haven't seen in a long time, or have the opportunity to speak with people you admire with terrific ease of access. With such a framework on the web, I hope that you will find life's mentors and friends, and that you will have a "gentle and unforgettable time for the rest of your life" with new research inspiration. We thereby open the introduction to Sapporo through "Streetwalking Sketch” by Tomomi Fujita, a popular artist and illustrator living locally, on this website. From the warmth and sensitivity of her sketch, there's great potential for a moment of serendipity.

I look forward to seeing you all virtually in Sapporo very soon.