Greeting

I am pleased to announce that the 68th Congress of the Japanese Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons will be held at the Osaka International Convention Center (Grand Cube Osaka) over the three days of November 10–12, 2023.

The Japanese Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (JSOMS) had its origins in the Academic Meeting on Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery inaugurated in 1933. In 1935 its name was changed to the Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and in 1966 it became the Japanese Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Having been established as a public interest incorporated association in 2012, the JSOMS has steadily developed into the largest oral surgical association in Japan, building on its proud 90-year history. It is both a great honor and a sobering responsibility to be appointed President of the Congress of such a long-standing society, and I would like to express my profound gratitude to the directors, representatives, and members of the JSOMS.

The title of this Congress is “Passing On Our Legacy, Breaking New Ground.” This was decided in the hope for both the smooth transmission of the many successes achieved by our predecessors to the next generation, and the ongoing development of the new generation of surgeons who will support and lead the JSOMS in future. In addition to special lectures on this theme, we are planning a wide variety of content for the Congress, to include international invited lectures, educational lectures, lectures by the Presidents of related associations, and a range of symposia, workshops, panel discussions, video lectures, mini lectures, and lectures for the public that I am sure will be of great interest to members. For young doctors in particular, it is my hope that this will provide a good opportunity for specializing in and mastering oral surgery in future. I will be happy if we can together look into the future of oral surgery, and consider in our discussions together how basic research and clinical practice can collaborate wisely with each other going forward.

It is to be hoped that the COVID-19 pandemic will soon be over, but we must not yet drop our guard. We are still assessing the future situation, but we intend basically to hold the Congress in-person so that participants can meet directly face-to-face, while giving full consideration to infection control.

Osaka and Nara are only around 30 minutes apart by train. As you will be aware, around 1300 years ago Nara was the capital of Japan, where a glorious culture was nurtured and flowered, and is still home to many famous Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. I hope that participants will be able to take some time out during or after the Congress to visit Nara and enjoy the gorgeous autumn foliage of the ancient capital to the full. I look forward to a large number of abstract submissions, and hope that as many people as possible will attend the Congress and contribute to making it a highly successful event.

November 2022