President of
The Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy,
FUMIHIRO ASANO
At the Executive Board Meeting held on June 28, 2023, I was appointed President of The Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy. I am deeply honored by this appointment, and at the same time, I feel the responsibility to carry on the traditions established by many of our predecessors.
The Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy originated from the Japan Bronchology Study Group in 1978 and was founded by Honorary President Shigeto Ikeda, who led the way to the development of a flexible bronchial fiberscope. In 1982, the name of the society was changed to the Japan Association for Bronchology, and in 2003, it was renamed the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy as an association that encompasses all aspects of respiratory endoscopy in general. Since then, we have been working as specified non-profit organizations, but in 2023, the society became a general incorporated association.
The society currently has 7,171 members (as of March 2023), including doctors from various medical departments engaged in respiratory endoscopic medicine, with a focus on bronchoscopy. Among our members, we have 3,251 society-certified bronchoscopy specialists and 1,642 society-certified bronchoscopy instructors. The official academic journal of the society in Japanese is Kikanshigaku (Journal of the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy), which can also be viewed by non-members from J-STAGE.
The Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy is charged with the mission of conducting research and development, information gathering and dissemination, specialist training and education, as well as promotion and public awareness activities related to endoscopic medicine essential for diagnosing and treating respiratory issues. We have established a number of committee activities accordingly. The top priority of society is to develop and continue projects promoted by the previous president, such as the unification of branch accounting and transition to an incorporated association. Specifically, the Japan Bronchoscopy Database (JBD) project will be launched sequentially in this fiscal year. This project is an epoch-making initiative to register all bronchoscopic examinations and treatments and utilizes these data to foster educational achievements, the establishment of safety measures, and the performance of academic analyses, aiming at an early dissemination of the project and stable performance of operations. The society also plans to launch an English-language journal, Respiratory Endoscopy. We are an academic society specializing in bronchoscopy, with an unparalleled number of members and specialists worldwide. Through our efforts, starting with the establishment of an English-language journal, we will deepen our collaboration with related international societies and focus on disseminating information overseas.
Furthermore, with an eye toward the future of this society, we have established a new Diversity Promotion Committee in order to expand participation in societal activities of not only early career doctors and female doctors but also doctors other than physicians, surgeons, and medical staff who are engaged in bronchoscopic team care. Simultaneously, we established a new Education Committee to build a lifelong education system in order to enhance the career development of our members. We will also work on the early transition to society-certified bronchoscopy specialists approved by the Japanese Medical Specialty Board and the medical-engineering collaboration. To address these challenges, we revamped the committee composition and established new working groups, appointing individuals passionate about respiratory endoscopy as committee members.
As President, my goal is to establish a society that is attractive and inspiring to those involved in respiratory endoscopy. I am committed to addressing these challenges and dedicating my full efforts to the development of our society while listening to the voices of our members.
I sincerely ask for your support.
