The 45th Annual Meeting of the Japan Rhinologic Society
	Congress President: Yuichi Majima, MD Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan

I would like to express my sincere thank to the members of the congress for allowing me to take charge of the 45th Congress of the Japan Rhilogogic Society.
You may agree that Japanese Rhinology, both in the research and in the clinical field, is in the top level in the world. However, I must say that there are several subjects to be overcome now. In this congress, we have made programs to focus those subjects to be solved in the rhinologic clinical field.

Although not everything is decided, I will introduce the present available programs as follows.

On Thursday September 21, 42nd Meeting for basic study in rhinology entitled "New trends of intercellular regulating factors" will be chaired by Professor Fujieda and Professor Shimizu. Recent development of research in the field of growth factors is remarkable and it is becoming evident that various growth factors are deeply involved in the entiology of various nasal and paranasal sinus diseases. I would like you to look at these growth factors and I hope these growth factors will be utilized for the future treatments in the field of rhinology.
The 35th Meeting for clinical study in rhinology entitled "Treatments of chronic eosionophilic sinusitis" will be chaired by Professor Okamoto and Professor Ikeda. It is well known that eosinophilic sinusits has poor prognosis. I would like them to discuss from various aspects in order to overcome this disease and reach to some, conclusions available at present.
The sponsored lecture is "Endoscopic live dissection of the nose and paranasal sinuses" by Professor Heinz Stammberger (Graz University, Austria). Live dissection performed at Mie University will be broadcasted to the congress site. I asked Professor Ichimura to be a moderator. In this lecture, both orthodox endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and its extended applications will be demonstrated. Professor Stammberger's skill of ESS is outstanding and he is the surgeon that I respect most. I hope you will look forward to watching the demonstration.

On Friday September 22, I will talk about "Pathogenesis and treatments of nasal mucus hypersecretion in chronic sinusitis" as the congress president lecture. Since the patients with chronic sinusitis are always suffering from nasal mucus hypersecretion, the control of mucus hypersecretion is essential to otorhinolaryngologists. I will elucidate the mechanisms of mucus hypersecretion in this disease and will show how we control it.
Special lecture "35 Years of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery - Past, Present, Future" by Professor Heinz Stammberger is scheduled. The techniques of ESS have been settled and many otolaryngologists are now able to perform ESS. The future task is to extend the indication of ESS for nasal and paranasal sinus diseases for which ESS has not been used so far. The present status and the future prospect will be discussed. I would like doctors who mastered ESS and will be masteredd ESS to listen to his lecture.
Symposium "Problems and strategies for pediatric paranasal sinusitis" will be chaired by Professor Suzaki and Professor Kurono. Pediatric sinusitis differs from those in adults both in their pathogenesis and in clinical course. Treatmetns for pediatric sinusitis should be distinguished from those for adults, because children are immature anatomically and immunologically. In this symposium, they will elucidate the features of pediatric sinusitis and treatment strategies for it.

On Saturday September 23, the invited lecture from Korean Rhinologic Society will be held. The Speaker is Associate Prof. Yong Ju Jan (University of Ulsan) whose special interest is rhinoplasty. He directs annual nationwide rhinoplasty symposiumu where 300 doctors participate annually. He will talk about circumstances of rhinoplasty in Korea, indications, contraindications and operation procedures.
The main event on this day is the round-table discussion entitled "Difficult cases of nasal and paranasal diseases - How I operate them", chaired by Professor. Kishimoto and Professor Tomoda. Speakers will discuss the surgical spproaches and/or treatments for the cases presented by the chairpersons. I hope we will hear fruitful opinions from the speakers. I believe that the audience will consider the cases simultaneously. I am expecting the two chairpersons to make the discussion fruitful and useful for the everyday clinical practice.

In addition to these special events, we will have free papers, four luncheon seminars and mini-symposia, where speakers will be chosen from free paper speakers. Details of these programs will be announced in the next available occasion.

Shown below is the symbol of the 45th meeting. I will explain a little bit, because many will wonder what it means. Among the famous Ukiyoe paintings "the Tokaido 53 Resting Stages" by Hiroshige, seven belong to Mie Prefecutre: "Kuwana", "Yokkaichi", "Ishiyakushi", "Shono", "Kameyama", "Seki" and "Sakanoshita" (from east to west). Among the seven, "Shono" and "Kameyama" are regarded as masterpieces. Although "Yokkaichi" is not so famous as the two, it is well known because it was used in the stamp for the international correspondence week in 2004. In "Yokkaichi", a man is painted who is trying to chase for his hat, which is swept off by a gust. I made this painting the symbol of the meeting. I think the man in this painting symbolizes the members of the meeting chasing for the solution for the nasal and paranaral sinus diseases.
I suggest you visit Matsusaka for the famous beef, Ise-shima for sight-seeing, or Iga-ueno famous for ninjas and Bashoh. I am pleased to invite all the colleagues interested in rhinology to come to Yokkaichi.