38th Annual Meeting of the Japan Glaucoma Society
President: Kazuhiko Mori
(Baptist Eye Institute, Nagaokakyo /
Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine)

It is our great honor to hold the 12th World Glaucoma Congress (WGC) jointly with the 38th Annual Meeting of the Japan Glaucoma Society (JGS) from Tuesday, April 20 to Friday, April 23, 2027, at the Kyoto International Conference Center. Looking back, in 2021 we had been scheduled to host the 9th World Glaucoma Congress together with the 32nd JGS Annual Meeting here in Kyoto under President Makoto Aihara, but the WGC was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This will therefore be the first time the World Glaucoma Congress is actually held in Japan.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide, and addressing it has become a major international public health challenge. Meeting this challenge requires not only advances in academic research and clinical practice, but also broad collaboration among healthcare professionals, researchers, and industry. Under the main theme “Vision in Harmony,” this congress aims to bring together experts from around the world to share cutting-edge research and clinical insights while creating new opportunities for collaboration. The sub-slogan “Beyond Borders, Toward Light” reflects our determination to work together across disciplines and regions to illuminate the future for our patients.

Because this is a joint meeting with the WGC, the academic program of the 38th JGS Annual Meeting is somewhat different from previous years. To encourage abstract submissions to the WGC, we will not be calling for general abstracts under the JGS this year; however, we hope that many submissions will come from Japan so that our members can interact with experts from around the world. The WGC program includes numerous symposia and courses involving Japanese physicians, such as the Laureate Award Lecture by Nobel laureate Professor Hiroshi Amano of Nagoya University, and a WGA - JGS Joint Session on challenges in diagnosis and treatment, offering opportunities to gain the latest research findings and clinical knowledge each day. Japanese-language sessions have been consolidated on the final day, including the Suda Memorial Lecture by Prof. Yasuo Kurimoto of Kobe City Eye Hospital, a diverse range of symposia proposed by the Program Committee, and a President's session designed to foster interaction among the next generation of young researchers. A Welcome Reception is planned for Tuesday, the first day of the WGC; a general WGC social gathering on Thursday; and a JGS Farewell Reception on Friday evening, the final day - all offering the warm hospitality Kyoto is known for.

This meeting has traditionally drawn approximately 2,000 physicians and allied health professionals from across Japan as a forum for presenting glaucoma research and engaging in active discussion, contributing to the advancement of medical knowledge and care. As we have now been able to bring the World Glaucoma Congress to Kyoto, we believe this meeting will offer valuable opportunities for connection with participants not only from Japan but from around the world.

We warmly look forward to welcoming many of you to the congress.

July 2026