We are pleased to announce that the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Hernia Society (JHS) will be held on May 23rd and 24th, 2025, in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Japan.

It is an honor to be appointed as the president of this historic JHS academic meeting, and at the same time, I feel humbled by the weight of the responsibility. I would like to express my gratitude to the JHS executives and members.

In Japan, approximately 150,000 people undergo inguinal hernia surgery each year, and the surgical method for inguinal hernia has evolved from open surgery to laparoscopic surgery and even robotic surgery. According to the 16th survey report of the Japanese Society of Endoscopic Surgery, the proportion of laparoscopic surgery and robotic surgery in 2021 exceeded 60% of the total. It goes without saying that no matter what surgical method is used, we should aim for high safety and low recurrence rates. This academic meeting will be a forum for discussing various issues related to abdominal hernias, and we expect about 800 participants.

The theme of this year's conference is "Dual Approach: Reducing Complications and Educating," inspired by Shohei Ohtani, a notable figure from the prefecture. No matter how advanced surgery becomes, complications and recurrences must be reduced, and appropriate education is necessary for this. I believe it is important to ensure that these dual principles are passed down. Robot-assisted inguinal hernia repair is expected to continue to develop in the future, but safety must be guaranteed.

JHS is also looking at hernia surgery around the world, aiming for global activities that will lead to the development of hernia treatment in Japan. We would like to continue international presentations, such as the Korean joint symposium held at the 22nd academic meeting.

In addition, Professor Akira Sasaki of the Department of Surgery at Iwate Medical University will cooperate with us as the preparatory committee chairman, and the management office will be located in the same department. The 22nd Japanese Society for Laparoscopic Hernia Surgery Technique Research will also be held at the same time, with Associate Professor Akira Umemura of the same department selected as the chairman. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Department of Surgery at Iwate Medical University for their generous cooperation.

We are making preparations to hold a successful academic conference in Morioka next year during the beautiful late spring season, and we look forward to your participation.