My name is Hiroshi Yotsuyanagi, I have been appointed as the President of the 28th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society of Hepatology.

The Japan Society of Hepatology has participated in JDDW since the fourth meeting held in Kobe in April 1996. The president at that time was Professor Masami Yamanaka, my senior at the university. Dr. Sumiko Nagoshi and I have heard directly from Dr. Yamanaka about his memories of those days. I am honored to be in charge of this society with such history and tradition.

In 1996, the treatment for viral hepatitis was interferon therapy alone. Now the major theme in viral hepatitis is to control post-elimination or under-control. The effects and pathogenesis of several microorganisms on the liver are also a hot topic.

The greatest function of the liver is its various metabolisms. Fatty liver disease complicated by diabetes mellitus or other metabolic diseases, and alcoholic liver disease has recently been termed MASLD. The main cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma is also changing from viral liver disease to MASLD. The Nara Declaration was issued at the General Meeting of the Japan Society of Hepatology in June 2023, with one goal of reflecting the changes in daily medical practice.

In light of these changes in liver disease, the theme of the 28th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society of Hepatology is "New Trends in Hepatology. As mentioned above, there has been a major shift in clinical practice, and research on liver disease has also changed dramatically from the era of “genes and cells” to “analysis using next-generation sequencer and single-cell technique, multi-omics and organoids”. I believe that the research and clinical application of artificial intelligence will be further advanced by the time the conference.

Now we can enjoy listening to presentations directly at the conference venue, discussing with each other, having fun outside the venue. I hope that everyone will visit Kobe in the autumn and experience the new trends in hepatology. Thank you very much.

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