The Chairman, the 49th meeting of
the Japanese Society of Lymphology
      Masanori Hirashima

I am pleased to announce that I have been appointed as the chairman of the 49th Meeting of the Japanese Society for Lymphology, which will be held at Toki Messe Niigata Convention Center on May 23 (Fri) and May 24 (Sat), 2025. Looking back at the history of the annual meeting, we had the 22nd meeting in Niigata (Chairman: Dr. Hitoshi Asakura) in 1998. In the quarter century since then, beginning with the discovery of molecules that function specifically in lymphatic vessels, and our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate lymphatic vessel formation and function has dramatically deepened. Moreover, the evolution of medical and biological research is occurring due to technological innovations such as genome editing technology, single cell gene expression analysis, quantitative analysis of trace proteins, and the development of artificial intelligence (AI).

The theme of the 49th annual meeting is "SHINKA" after the Japanese words for deepening and evolution. We look forward to our further understanding of lymphology research and medicine, as well as to discussion of the prospects for the next generation. In a special lecture, Professor Masaki Matsumoto, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, will discuss the use of state-of-the-art high-deep proteome analysis. In addition, as a special seminar, Professor Kiyokazu Katsumata, a Japanese Shogi player and former visiting professor at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the University of Tokyo, will give a lecture on the evolution that the use of AI has brought to the Shogi world. We are grateful for the cooperation of many professors in organizing the five symposia, the Society's Encouragement Award (Nishi Award) Award Session and the general lectures. We would deeply like to thank Professor Akira Shinaoka, the Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, who kindly agreed to give a luncheon seminar despite our last-minute request for a lecture. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all who helped to organize this Annual Meeting.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to all those who are attending, and I hope that you will be able to enjoy the fresh green, warm weather, local sake and fresh seafood in Niigata in late May. We hope that this meeting will be a meaningful one for you to learn and meet people.

In April, 2025.