It is my great honor to serve as the Congress Chairperson for the 81st Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japanese Circulation Society (JCS), which will be held in March 17-19, 2017. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my colleagues for their ongoing support, offering me the opportunity to have this meeting. Historically, the 36th JCS scientific meeting was held 45 years ago in Kanazawa in 1972, when Dr. Mototaka Murakami, an Honorary Professor of Medicine, Kanazawa University, had served as the Congress Chairperson.

The front lines of health care and medicine are dramatically changing. Thus, we have chosen “Cardiovascular Medicine for the Next Generation” as the main theme of this meeting. The program is being constructed around major issues we have identified, including renewal of our understanding of basic cardiovascular medicine, translational research, and preventive molecular medicine, which is anticipated to transcend the medical field during the next generation.

The Congress Chairperson’s Lecture will explore topics such as “Contribution to Basic Cardiovascular Research,” “Contribution to Clinical Cardiovascular Research,” “Conquering Rare Cardiovascular Diseases,” and “What Genetic Information Can Add to Cardiovascular Medicine.” This year, we welcome our first female Mikamo Lecturer, Dr. Christine Seidman from Harvard Medical School. The Mashimo Memorial Lecture will be about the cutting edge of basic research by Dr. Masabumi Shibuya, the President of Jobu University. The special lectures will feature Dr. Kinya Otsu from King’s College London, Dr. Sekar Kathiresan from Harvard Medical School, as well as other notable physicians and scientists, who are making tremendous achievements in cardiovascular disease research everywhere.

Due to over 15,000 attendees being expected for this meeting, and the recent extension of Hokuriku Shinkansen, a bullet train from Kanazawa to Tokyo, the venues will be concentrated in the JR Kanazawa Station area for your convenience. We believe that this meeting will prove to be an opportunity for everyone to reflect on cardiovascular medicine for the next generation.