The 32nd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Dysphagia Rehabilitation
President: Hitoshi Kagaya, MD
(Deputy Director of Hospital
Director, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
Director, Center for Swallowing and Continence
Director, Assistive Robot Center
National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology (NCGG))

We are pleased to announce that the 32nd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Dysphagia Rehabilitation will be held from September 11 (Friday) to September 13 (Sunday), 2026, at the Kobe International Exhibition Hall and Kobe Portopia Hotel in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. The opening ceremony will take place on September 11, marking the beginning of a three-day academic program. Following the in-person meeting, on-demand web broadcast will also be available.

The theme of this meeting is “Beyond the State of the Art.” While State of the Art denotes the cutting edge of knowledge and practice, our mission is not to be content with the current frontier but to strive beyond it. At the same time, the theme embodies another dimension: moving beyond the state of Art itself. Within the history of rehabilitation, there have long been therapists with highly refined, almost artistic, techniques. Yet, unlike artistic creations that can be immortalized, therapeutic techniques risk being lost unless they are codified and validated within the framework of Science. It is our responsibility to transcend Art and leave a scientific legacy for future generations.

As in previous years, the program will feature special lectures, international invited lectures, educational sessions, symposia, co-sponsored seminars, free papers, posters, and industrial exhibitions. A post-congress program is also planned. The educational lectures will focus on the “State of the Art in Swallowing,” with distinguished speakers presenting the latest advances in their respective fields. Through these sessions, we aim to create opportunities for active intellectual exchange. Many young researchers from across Asian countries continue to visit Japan to learn from our expertise in dysphagia rehabilitation. With recent advances in AI diminishing language barriers, we anticipate that such exchanges will become even more fruitful.

Although recent mid-September seasons in Japan often feels like midsummer, we sincerely welcome participants from across the country and abroad to join us and contribute to this distinguished academic gathering.