Welcome to the 47^th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Myeloma. We are delighted to provide scientific high value opportunities globally.

I would like to express my deepest respect and sincere gratitude to all medical colleagues for their full devotion and selfless commitment for their expertise to conquer the COVID-19 pandemic which is undergoing for nearly two years.

My sincere appreciation goes to all members of the JSM for my recent appointment for the President of the 47^th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Myeloma (JSM). This exciting new responsibility allows me to work closely together to successfully upgrade the JSM to the General Incorporated Association in January 2021 under new chairperson/CEO, Prof. Masahiro ABE (Tokushima University). The JSM has a long history back in the time of our predecessors, former chairpersons of the JSM, the late Prof. Kiyoshi TAKATSUKI, Prof. Kazuyuki SHIMIZU, and Prof. Hirokazu MURAKAMI. We have inherited the strong spirit to fully devote to myeloma research and provide care to resolve and relieve from myeloma.

The 47^th annual meeting of the JSM will attempt to highlight the theme of ‘Create and Live Harmony With!’ We are hoping to confirm the significance of keeping to create scientific values and the significance of living harmony with each other to overcome the divisions made in many aspects of the real world caused by COVID-19 pandemic. We wish to provide hopes to myeloma patients.

We are organizing the 47^th Annual Meeting through the organizing committee with several new strategies. We have selected supporting company via public invitation for the first time and Japan Convention Services Ltd. was selected to work with us. The new management should strengthen our operation of the meeting after re-establishment of the JSM as general cooperated association. Virtual meetings in medical field have expanded quickly under COVID-19 pandemic. We value the autonomy of researchers to communicate and discuss, especially among young researchers. We are preparing many seats for presenters by expanding session numbers with two-halls in-person and utilize virtual merit to facilitate discussions actively more than ever.

I am engaged as the chairman of the international committee, one of the board members of directors of the JSM. We are planning to propose the international travel grant in the JSM. The JSM has decided to create the JSM Travel Award for IMS-IMW to facilitate young researchers to communicate with international researchers. We are preparing application for the travel grant for the first time for the JSM meeting.

I have a personal experience of general affairs committee of the 14^th International Myeloma Workshop 2013 Kyoto, under the President Prof. Kazuyuki SHIMIZU. Over three thousand of participants, nearly eighty percent of international participants were mainly from the US and EU. The IMW meeting was fully supported by the JMS. Also I have an experience of engaging as a JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) expert to support Republic of Kenya for Blood Safety Project. These experiences help me to assist scientists to get together for promoting and making progress to create new intelligence to unite even under COVID-19 pandemic.

We are going to organize this meeting in a manner of in-person with virtual setting. This will help to unite members and all participants even if they are staying geographically far from each other with space-time difference.

International guest speakers or non-guest speakers and participants from overseas can communicate with the JSM members by virtual manner under the restrictions by our government. We also have our medical expert consultant of infectious disease to assist our operation.

We have prepared attractive programs including special symposiums entitled ‘Create and Live Harmony With’, 1 to 3 for three fields, basic science, clinical research, and international collaboration. Additionally, special session of ‘Pros and Cons’ will be scheduled. Two educational sessions are also our first program content, five symposiums and workshops will be determined. Other valuable program will be determined and you can access to the planned program soon. ‘Late-Breaking Abstracts (LBA) / Trials in Progress(TiP) / Encore’ will be also for the first time in the JSM meeting.

City of Gifu is geologically located at the central region in Japan. Due to the unique location close to Kyoto, played an important part in history from ancient era as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west. This area has its richness in history and culture with beautiful scenic nature of woods, rivers, mountains, and famous castles. UKAI (cormorant fishing on the Nagara River, which has a history of over 1,300 years and famous for its uniqueness which is officially permitted gift for the Tenno Family.
Shirakawa’s historic villages are UNESCO World Heritage Site with their unique architecture, Gassho style houses. Takayama Festival is (also UNESCO World Cultural Heritage) is very well known as well. Please have some time to explore the region during your stay.

Lastly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for my colleagues and the JSM members, especially the organizing committee members, Drs. Chiaki NAKASEKO, Tadao ISHIDA, Kazuhiro NAGAI, Hisashi TSURUMI, Hiroshi HANADA, Junya KURODA and Yoshio KAMIYA.

Please enjoy the meeting together in the City of Gifu.

Yours Sincerely,
Hiroshi KOSUGI M.D. Ph.D. (01OCT2021)