The 18^th Korea-Japan Joint Conference on Surgery for Cerebral Stroke (KJJC2026) is being held at the Senri Life Science Center (Suita City, Osaka Prefecture) over the course of two days, from Friday, September 18^th to Saturday, September 19^th, 2026.
　This joint conference has a history which goes back more than 30 years and has contributed to improving stroke-related surgical treatment in both Japan and Korea. It has also contributed to the building of good relations between neurosurgeons from both countries.
　In recent years, the field of stroke-related surgery has reached a major turning point. The indications for thrombectomy for ischemic stroke are expanding, and new approaches are being investigated not only for large vessel occlusions but also for medium-caliber vessels and distal lesions.
　In addition, preoperative image diagnosis and prognosis prediction using AI have been introduced in clinical practice, and it is expected that treatment selection will become faster and more accurate. On the other hand, in the area of intracerebral hemorrhage, endoscopic surgery and minimally invasive techniques, such as minimally invasive aspiration techniques, are showing results in clinical trials and have been shown to have the potential to contribute to improving the functional prognosis of patients. Furthermore, clinical application of flow diverters and new embolization devices has progressed in the treatment of subarachnoid hemorrhage and unruptured cerebral aneurysms, and they have become major treatment options that complement conventional clipping and coil embolization.
　These advances will only demonstrate their true value through the international sharing of clinical data, the development of new medical devices, and education and human resource development.
　At this conference, it is my hope that neurosurgeons from both Japan and Korea will bring together the latest knowledge, as well as encourage the young surgeons who represent the future of our field, to participate in lively discussions to shape tomorrow's standard treatment.
　I sincerely look forward to welcoming you to Osaka for a stimulating and fruitful scientific meeting.