The 34th Annual Meeting ofthe Japan Neuroscience Society - Neuroscience of the Mind -

Greetings

I am pleased to announce that we were able to wind up the 34th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society and all its related programs successfully as of September 18 thanks to your generous cooperation. At this year’s meeting, a total of 1,815 lectures were presented, a record for a single meeting, and the number of participants totaled 3,676. Despite the unprecedented earthquake, tsunami and the ensuing nuclear accident that hit the eastern part of Japan in March, such a huge number of people got together at the venue, Pacifico Yokohama. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for that. More than anything else, I believe that the increase in the number of participants reflects a growing interest in neuroscience research.

The meeting covered an extensive range of programs from plenary lectures to special lectures, symposia by the host society, call for symposia, oral presentations, and poster sessions. Besides these, we held an international joint event in cooperation with neuroscience societies overseas; an international exchange meeting between 28 Travel Award winners and young, up-and-coming Japanese neuroscientists; a program to nurture neuroscientists for the next generation; a career path program for graduate students and young researchers (supported by “Wakaba Program” companies); a gender equality program to nurture and support female researchers (supported by “Nadeshiko Program” companies); a special joint event with neurological patient groups; and a special program associated with the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. In addition, private companies manufacturing various research instruments and reagents also took part to showcase their products while academic exhibitions were held by organizations that promote neuroscience, including global centers of excellence (COE) for neuroscience and research programs for neuroscience. Furthermore, targeting the general public, we also organized an open lecture in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, before the meeting and co-hosted a lecture with Yokohama Triennale 2011, one of Japan’s leading international exhibitions of contemporary art, after the meeting, with an eye toward dialogue between art and neuroscience. Both events were well attended.

Let me close my address by wishing from my heart that next year’s meeting in Nagoya will be an even more productive one.

Again, thank you very much for your cooperation.