Dear Colleagues: The Japan Surgical Society is a specialized subgroup in the Japanese Medical Association with a long history, and it has continued to grow as a representative surgical medical society to its present membership of 40,000. It is a great honor and an unexpected pleasure to be designated President for the 100th Annual Congress of this traditional Japan Surgical Society. At the Department of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, members of the alumni association and department staff are enthusiastically preparing for the 100th Annual Congress. Though the Society was founded in 1903, no annual meetings were held for two years during World War II, so the 100th Congress will coincidentally take place in 2000 at the start of the new millennium. Surgery has greatly developed in recent decades, and it has undergone an incredible transformation in the last ten years. Progress in perioperative management, based on the development of invasive surgical studies, has expanded the applications of surgery and enhanced its safety. Organ replacement as a treatment for organ failure has progressed in two directions, organ transplantation and the development of artificial organs, and it has become an important area in surgery. Basic study in surgery has brought great progress in such areas as cancer, immunology, and inflammation through the introduction of molecular biology. In the past ten years, endoscopic surgery has become one of the 20th century’s important surgical developments -- so much so that it has even changed the basic concept of surgery itself. The aims of the 100th Annual Congress of the Japan Surgical Society are to present an overview of these major trends in surgery and their prospects for the future. In this light, we decided on “Act Now for the Future” as the theme of this congress. This phrase came from the very words used by Yukichi Fukuzawa, the founder of Keio University, when he lectured on Wayland economics to Keio students in Ueno, Tokyo -- undisturbed, amid the sounds of cannons firing in the battle between government forces and the Shogitai Army in 1868. The gist of his words is understood to be, “Don’t worry about the world around you now. Look instead toward the future and prepare for it now.” Surgery will undergo further large changes in the future. Surgery is invasive therapeutics, and as one direction, minimally invasive treatment that is gentle to the patient is anticipated to increase. On the other hand, through the essential dynamism of surgery, further development of organ transplantation and artificial organs, as well as new development of surgical cancer-halting strategies, can be expected. With such large-scale changes in surgery on the horizon, we must act now and prepare for their advent with a firm foundation and clear understanding. And, amid the vastly changing economics of medicine, it is important to aim at efficient, cost-effective surgical practices. The 100th Annual Congress of Japan Surgical Society is both an annual scientific gathering and the 100th commemorative general assembly. We are preparing to hold a Commemorative Ceremony for the 100th Annual Congress on April 11, the day before the congress begins, and have invited guests from various fields in Japan and abroad. We are continuing to do our utmost every day in planning the Special Projects based on the theme of the congress. Also, as an overview of the 20th century’s surgical practices, and as guidelines for the future, we are planning a Consensus Meeting and Educational Session -- Learning from Case Studies. This will be in a discussion format where members participate utilizing remote answer pads. Our aim is to conduct the symposiums, workshops, video symposiums, a surgical forum, and lectures on general themes with a view toward the future direction of the Japan Surgical Society. Thanks to our members’ valuable support, 3,425 presentation proposals have been received -- a larger number than ever before. The Program Committee is now selecting final presentations and aiming to make each session a site where vibrant content and question-and-answer exchange can take place. I expect our 100th Annual Congress to be a truly significant scientific gathering. And, with not only its substantial content but with the cooperation and participation by many members, I hope that it will be an event that commemorates both our 100th anniversary and the start of the new millennium. We are busy drawing on our best resources with the Planning Committee members to make this a congress that stimulates new energy among our members and contributes to the future progress of surgery. We will continue to do our very best to make the program enjoyable and meaningful for the members of the Japan Surgical Society. I sincerely encourage and request everyone’s enthusiastic participation. November 10, 1999 Masaki Kitajima, M.D., F.A.C.S. President 100th Annual Congress of the Japan Surgical Society