It is an immense honor to be able to hold the 66th Japan Society of Endoscopy and Robotics in Gynecology and Obstetrics here in the city of Hakodate. Hirosaki City, home to our university facilities, and Hakodate City have to date engaged as partner municipalities in advancing prioritized co-creation initiatives, including wide area tourism, under the portmanteau “HiroHako.”

In April 2026, our society is due to merge with the Japan Society of Gynecologic Robotic Surgery, and out of this union a new academic organization will emerge. This new society marks a truly historic turning point, bringing together the knowledge and technical prowess cultivated in each respective field to pursue the genuine integration and development of laparoscopic, hysteroscopic, and robotic surgery. In celebration of this merger, at the 66th Academic Conference, based on the theme “Co-creation from Integration: A New Era in Precision Minimally Invasive Surgery” we aim to explore the future of minimally invasive surgery in obstetrics and gynecology from multiple perspectives. Our aspiration is for the Academic Conference to set out a future-oriented vision, one that transcends the conventional boundaries between endoscopic and robotic surgery, and, harnessing the distinctive strengths of each, to nurture the co-creation of next-generation surgical care through collaboration among diverse specialisms.

“A New Era in Precision Minimally Invasive Surgery” embodies our determination that the newly merged society will not only seek to nurture young and upcoming surgeons, encourage multidisciplinary partnerships, and empower the further advancement of female surgeons, but that it will also convey the refinement and innovativeness of minimally invasive surgery, as well as the technologies and guiding philosophy that underpin it, both nationally and internationally. Many delegates both from Japan and overseas are expected to attend the Academic Conference, which, I am sure, will prove to be replete with fruitful exchanges and stimulating experiences.

It feels almost predestined that the inaugural Academic Conference following the merger of the two societies should take place in Hakodate, a city with deep ties to Hirosaki and one with which we share a spirit of co-creation, and it is perhaps also symbolic of the path the new society is poised to follow. In order therefore that the 66th Japan Society of Endoscopy and Robotics in Gynecology and Obstetrics can realize its promise and leave a lasting legacy, we very much look forward to welcoming many delegates to Hakodate.