Koichi UEDA
Dear Members of the Japanese Cleft Palate Association
The Japanese Cleft Palate Association, formerly known as the Japanese Cleft Palate Speech Therapy Forum, was founded in 1976 and marks its 47th year of history. Thanks to the efforts of our members, the society has grown to have nearly 3,100 members. The association is a highly professional organization that brings together specialists in a variety of fields with the aim of contributing to academic development and social welfare related to the treatment and prevention of cleft lips/cleft palates, as well as to the exchange of knowledge and friendship among members.
The management of the association is conducted by experts in various fields, which is rarely seen in other associations, working cooperatively while enhancing each other's skills, and we would like to further enhance our cooperative system, keeping in mind the spirit of the association. In line with that philosophy, we are to host the International Congress on Cleft Palate and Related Craniofacial Anomalies at the Kyoto International Conference Center from October 19 to 24, 2025. The theme is "Best time in Kyoto to create cleft history". I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all those who worked hard to realize this conference. As the theme of the conference suggests, we hope that those who come to Japan from overseas will feel “I am glad to have come to Japan and to participate in this conference”. We would like to ask for the cooperation and efforts of all our members in preparing for this event. For more details, please refer to the website of the conference.
The Japanese Cleft Palate Association’s Board Certification Program began in 2019, and currently nearly 250 members have obtained the certification. We encourage each of you to actively apply to become a certified specialist for the treatment and prevention of cleft lips/cleft palates so that experience and knowledge can be passed on to the next generation.
Due to the global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we had to unfortunately suspend the application process for the "Short-term Overseas Training Program for Young Researchers". However, we will continue to support young researchers in their academic presentations at international conferences and international training activities, and we look forward to receiving many applications from young members who will contribute to the future development of treatment.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic is showing signs of being under control, we are still experiencing some difficulties. We would be grateful for your support so that we can provide safe, reliable, and high-quality medical care to more patients and for the further development of our society