Greeting
Greetings from the President
It is my great pleasure to announce that the 26th Academic Conference of the Japan
Society for Low-vision Research and Rehabilitation will be held for three days, from May 23
to May 25, 2025, at the International Conference Center Hiroshima (ICCH) in Hiroshima
City. Located in Peace Memorial Park, which was built in the hope of realizing world peace,
the ICCH served as the venue for the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May 2023. Our conference
will be hosted in Hiroshima Prefecture for the first time.
The theme of the 26th conference is “Building Bridges of Collaboration Across a Diverse
Society Toward the Future!” The conference membership is composed of medical
professionals who are actively engaged in clinical care, such as ophthalmologists,
orthoptists, and nurses, as well as individuals with visual impairments and people from
various fields, including education, welfare, labor, and business. This diversity makes our
community one of the most interdisciplinary in the field of ophthalmology. Drawing
inspiration from the landscape of many islands dotting the beautiful Seto Inland Sea, along
which Hiroshima is situated, we have developed this theme with the aim of building bridges
between each participant’s area of expertise. By coordinating joint efforts, we hope to
support the independent living of those who are visually impaired and inspire all
participants to broaden their horizons for the future.
In our efforts to build bridges beyond national borders, we have invited ophthalmologists
from five Asian countries to participate in an international symposium during the
conference, with the kind support of Dr. Yoshiaki Kiuchi, Professor Emeritus of Hiroshima
University and Honorary President of the conference. This symposium will compare and
review the current circumstances of visually impaired patients in these countries.
In addition, there will be a special lecture on ultra-low-vision care by Specially-Appointed
Professor Takashi Fujikado from Osaka University, an educational lecture by Dr. Masako
Yoshida, and a symposium on grants for assistive devices. Our workshop will cover two
topics: one on multi-dimensional digital archives presented by Professor Hidenori
Watanabe from the University of Tokyo, and the other on AI voice information guidance
service with coded braille blocks by Professor Kunio Matsui from Kanazawa Institute of
Technology. Dr. Rie Narai, occupational health physician for Mazda Motor Corporation, will
speak on low-vision care in corporate healthcare at the educational seminar. We are also
planning engaging programs featuring Hiroshima.
I believe that building bridges across various fields through collaboration among
researchers and supporters will help empower people with visually impairments to lead
independent lives and engage in social activities, ultimately contributing to the creation of a
society that is inclusive and accessible for all. I sincerely hope we can welcome many
participants to Hiroshima for this conference in May.
Dr. Akito Narai
President of the 26th Academic Conference of the Japan Society for Low-vision Research
and Rehabilitation
