The 62nd Annual Meeting of the Japan Biliary Association will be held at Light Cube Utsunomiya in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, from October 16 to 17, 2026. It is a great honor for our department to host this historic and distinguished meeting, and I am deeply grateful to the officers, honorary and special members, councilors, and all members of the Association for their trust and support.

The theme of this meeting is “Toward the Future of Biliary Science: Inheritance, Inspiration, and Innovation for the Next Generation.” Building on the remarkable achievements of our predecessors, we aim to explore the future directions of biliary science, with particular emphasis on education and the succession of biliary tract medicine to the next generation. Dedicated sessions for residents and medical students are also planned.

The scientific program will comprehensively cover the field through symposia, panel discussions, workshops, educational lectures, and invited lectures by distinguished international speakers. In addition, several international sessions, including the 2nd A-PBA Joint Symposium in collaboration with KPBA (Korea), TIPES (Taiwan), and TAGE (Thailand), will further enhance the global character of the meeting.

In the “with/after COVID 19” era, this meeting will be held in person to foster lively, face to face discussions and direct exchange of ideas. We eagerly look forward to welcoming many of you to Utsunomiya and sincerely appreciate your continued support and cooperation.