Greetings. JDDW 2027. I am honored to serve as president of the 31st General Meeting of the Japanese Society of Hepatology. My name is Norio Akuta from the Department of Hepatology at Toranomon Hospital.

The theme for this meeting is 'Hepatology Brand Identity - Communicating Globally'.
I would like to ask both myself and all attendees: Are we truly able to diligently refine our skills every day to do branding traditional, unique, and sophisticated liver research from Japan to the world? Are we conducting basic and clinical research with the spirit of building a brand image for hepatology in Japan as a whole?

Recent trends in liver disease management have shifted towards liver cancer, cirrhosis, and steatotic liver disease. While viral hepatitis can now be controlled with oral medications, liver carcinogenesis remains a significant challenge. In particular, the main sessions on liver cancer and steatotic liver disease, which many researchers are actively pursuing, have been designed from bidirectional perspective: from basic research to clinical research and from clinical research to basic research. The aim is to promote innovative liver research from Japan that constantly considers both basic and clinical aspects.

Additionally, the special lectures cover a wide range of essential topics for the future development of hepatology, including oncogenes, cancer microenvironments, viruses, metabolism, diversity, and management and team leadership.

Finally, I sincerely hope to create a fruitful academic meeting with all of you. Thank you very much.

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