Dear colleagues and friends around the world,

It is a great honor to introduce myself as the newly appointed President of the Japanese Association for Chest Surgery (JACS). I have succeeded Dr. Ichiro Yoshino, who served our Association with distinction, as the fifth President. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my warmest greetings to all of you.

Our Association was originally founded in 1984 as the Study Group for Chest Surgery and officially became the Japanese Association for Chest Surgery in 1987. In 1991, it was recognized as the 89th affiliated society of the Japan Medical Association. Since then, JACS has steadily grown—becoming a certified nonprofit organization in 2003 and transitioning to a general incorporated association in 2023.

This progress has been made possible thanks to the dedication, passion, and devoted efforts of our predecessors. Today, JACS remains committed to its core mission: (1) to promote the advancement of thoracic surgery through scientific and clinical development, and (2) to support the training and lifelong education of thoracic surgeons, all for the betterment of public health and patient care. I feel deeply honored and responsible to lead this Association, which plays a vital role in the field of thoracic surgery in Japan.

At the same time, we recognize that thoracic surgery is a global discipline. In an increasingly interconnected world, it is essential to strengthen our ties with thoracic surgeons and academic organizations across countries and regions. Over the years, we have built a strong and friendly relationship with the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS), and we aim to further deepen our collaboration with other international thoracic surgical societies as well.

We aspire to cultivate constructive and forward-looking relationships with our international colleagues—sharing knowledge, exchanging expertise, and working together to advance the clinical practice, research, and education of thoracic surgery worldwide. Through such collaboration, we hope to contribute not only to regional development but also to the global progress of our field.
We sincerely welcome and look forward to continued cooperation with thoracic surgeons around the world.

Sincerely,

2025/5/29