JDDW 2019 will be held from November 21 (Thu.) to 24 (Sun.), 2019, at Kobe Convention Center. As in previous years, the scientific programs will be in the first three days, and the educational lecture will be the sole program on the last day of JDDW on November 24 (Sun.). Japan Digestive Disease Week (JDDW) was inaugurated at the beginning of the Heisei Era, and this year’s 27th JDDW will be the first JDDW to be held in the new Reiwa Era.

Last December, Professor Yasushi Matsuzaki of Tokyo Medical University Ibaraki Medical Center, who had been energetically making preparations for the 23rd General Meeting of the Japan Society of Hepatology, passed away unexpectedly. We were deeply shocked to hear the sad news. We would like to offer our deepest sympathy. At the same time, we have renewed our resolve to carry through the wishes of the late Professor Matsuzaki and his medical department to make JDDW 2019 a success. The president of each meeting and congress is Professor Hiroto Miwa of Hyogo College of Medicine for the 61st Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology; Professor Shinsaku Fukuda of Hirosaki University for the 98th Congress of the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society; Professor Hajime Takikawa of Teikyo University, deputizing for the late Professor Matsuzaki, for the 23rd General Meeting of the Japan Society of Hepatology; and Professor Tadahiko Masaki of Kyorin University for the 17th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Gastroenterological Surgery. For the 57th General Meeting of the Japanese Society of Gastrointestinal Cancer Screening, a member society of JDDW, Dr. Yasumoto Suzuki of Matsushima Clinic Coloproctology Center of Matsushima Hospital will serve as president. Although the peer review is still pending, we have had more than 4,100 abstract submissions as of the end of March. As in previous years, we expect to have a very active digestive disease week for this year.

For the Integrated Program, which is organized jointly by multiple societies as the main feature of JDDW, there will be six sessions on stimulating topics of “recent advances in the management of refractory GI cancers,” “current status and future dimension of minimally invasive endoscopic treatment,” “liver transplantation and regeneration in Japan: current status and future perspectives,” “food and digestive diseases,” “future in AI and gastroenterology,” and “realization for regenerative medicine for gastroenterological disease.” As in the previous year, we are preparing for the use of the mobile interactive event app for active audience participation in the discussions. The International Session will cover a wide range of topics, including pathogenesis of cholestatic liver diseases, treatment of Crohn’s disease, application of biomarkers and genetic tests for gastrointestinal cancers, dyspepsia, bariatric surgery, treatment of advanced rectal cancer, capsule endoscopy, and new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities in biliopancreatic diseases. The Symposium will feature seven topics, the Panel Discussion will address 12 topics, and there will be Workshops on 26 topics, to explore important issues of diagnosis and treatment in depth. Under the title, “The future of clinical research in Japan: Evaluation of the Clinical Trials Act,” the Seminar on Medical Issues will discuss the state of clinical research in Japan and how we should conduct clinical research. The Program for Women in Gastroenterological Field will exchange views on “career development of women in gastroenterology.” For the Medical Staff Program, we have prepared two topics: “cooperation among multi-occupations in home medical care” and “effort to support cancer patients who continue to work.”

To enhance the quality of research and presentations, a number of awards have been created in JDDW. These include the Best Presenter Awards in International Session, the Young Investigator Awards, the Outstanding Poster Awards, and the Travel Award Program. From this year’s JDDW, we have created the President’s Awards to honor the most outstanding poster from each society, from among the winners of the Outstanding Poster Awards. The president of each society will select the winner, who will be asked to give a presentation at the poster session as well as at the lecture hall. From last year, we have also been organizing Public Lectures as a way to contribute to society. As in last year, we plan to have the lectures hosted mainly in the hometowns of the presidents of the respective societies.

We hope that many of you will participate in the broad range of programs we have prepared for JDDW 2019. Lastly, I would like to sincerely express my appreciation to the efforts made by members of the official member societies and the member societies as well as members of the Program Committee. Together with the secretariat and Congress Corporation, which will take on the task of the running of JDDW, we will do our utmost to have successful JDDW 2019. We look forward to seeing you again in Kobe this year.

Tooru Shimosegawa
President, Japan Digestive Disease Week