Welcome Message

It is my great pleasure and honor to welcome you to the 75th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society of Transfusion Medicine and Cell Therapy (JSTMCT), which will be held in the historic city of Nara in May 2027. This will be the first JSTMCT Annual Meeting in Nara since 2014 and the first in the Kinki region in many years. Nara, the ancient capital of Japan, is renowned for its rich history and cultural heritage. In recent years, the city has further developed its hospitality infrastructure, making it an increasingly attractive destination for visitors from both Japan and abroad. In addition, the Asuka–Fujiwara archaeological sites are expected to be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, bringing renewed excitement and international attention to the region.

The theme of this meeting is "From Nara to the World." This theme reflects a principle that has guided my career for many years: that world-class research and clinical practice can emerge from any region. Through this meeting, we hope to promote scientific exchange from Nara to Japan and from Japan to the international community. Although transfusion medicine and cell therapy are practiced under different healthcare systems around the world, there is much we can learn from one another. It is equally important that Japan shares its scientific achievements and clinical experience with the global community. Looking ahead, the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) Congress 2028 will be held in Yokohama, and we hope that this meeting will serve as an important stepping stone toward that international event.

The primary mission of our annual meeting is to provide an opportunity for researchers and healthcare professionals to present their latest achievements and engage in meaningful scientific discussion. To encourage active interaction, poster presentations will play a central role in the general scientific sessions. We are also planning to invite distinguished speakers from overseas to provide international perspectives on the future of transfusion medicine and cell therapy. To further promote international exchange, we will actively utilize AI-powered real-time subtitle translation during presentations by invited overseas speakers. This initiative, first introduced at the 2026 Annual Meeting, will be further enhanced in Nara to make English-language sessions more accessible to Japanese participants. We also hope that this experience will contribute to creating an even more inclusive environment at the ISBT Congress in Yokohama in 2028.

We look forward to welcoming you to Nara, where you will experience not only stimulating scientific discussions but also the warm hospitality of one of Japan's most historic cities. We sincerely hope that this meeting will foster the exchange of new knowledge and technologies, strengthen collaboration among multidisciplinary healthcare professionals, and serve as another step toward sharing Japan's achievements in transfusion medicine and cell therapy with the world.

We look forward to seeing you in Nara in May 2027.

Masanori Matsumoto, MD, PhD
Congress President, The 75th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society of Transfusion Medicine and Cell Therapy
Professor, Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology
Nara Medical University