Welcome Message

It is a great honor for me to serve as President of the 46th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Clinical Anesthesia, a society with a distinguished tradition and history. At the same time, I feel a profound sense of responsibility in assuming this role.

The meeting will be held from November 12 (Thu.) to 14 (Sat.), 2026, at three venues centered around Wakayama Castle Hall.

The theme of this meeting is “Improvisation, Interplay & Interaction.”
Surgery is, in many ways, like jazz.
Like a jazz performance, it is created through the dynamic interplay of multiple professionals—surgeons, nurses, clinical engineers, and anesthesiologists—each contributing their expertise while responding to one another in real time. Surgeons may be seen as soloists, leading the performance, while anesthesiologists provide its essential foundation: they not only protect patients from surgical stress, but also anticipate the needs of surgeons and, like the rhythm section of a jazz ensemble -drums and bass-, shape the operative environment so that the entire team can perform at its best.

Throughout perioperative care, anesthesiologists must respond flexibly and promptly to rapidly changing clinical conditions. This demands not only advanced knowledge and technical expertise, but also the ability to make real-time decisions—what we describe as improvisation. Such improvisation is never arbitrary; it is grounded in a deep understanding of surgical practice and supported by mutual trust and seamless communication among all members of the healthcare team.

Through this meeting, we aim to re-examine the essence of team-based medical care from this perspective and to enhance the knowledge and technical skills that underpin high-quality perioperative medicine.

This will be the first time the meeting is held in Wakayama, and the first time in 22 years that it has been organized by the Department of Anesthesiology of Wakayama Medical University, since Professor Emeritus Yoshio Hatano served as President in 2004.

Wakayama Prefecture is blessed with rich nature, excellent cuisine, and a vibrant cultural heritage. It is also the place where Seishu Hanaoka, an Edo-period surgeon, devoted himself to the development of general anesthesia and successfully performed the first surgery under general anesthesia in Japan. It is therefore particularly meaningful to gather in the birthplace of anesthesia in Japan to deepen our discussions on clinical anesthesia.

We also hope that you will take this opportunity to experience the many attractions of Wakayama during your stay.

We sincerely look forward to welcoming you to Wakayama in November 2026.