Greetings from the President
I have just assumed the office of the President of the Japan Audiological Society (JAS) for Fiscal 2025 and 2026. Please allow me extend my greetings to you on this occasion.
Our society’s major objective is to facilitate progress in research on the auditory system and its disorders and advancements in the field of audiology. The society was initially formed as the “Hearing Loss Study Group” in 1951. After five years, it was reorganized as the Japanese Society of Audiology. From 1988 onward, it has been named the “Japan Audiological Society”. Thus, our society has a history of approximately 3 quarters of a century. One of the most valuable features of our society is that it unites the power of experts in diverse fields (not only specialists in the otorhinolaryngology field, but also speech-language-hearing therapists, experts in acoustical science and technology, etc.) Our sense of commitment, which is a traditional nature of our society, is reflected in the social confidence in our activities. The “Standards for Hearing Test Methods” set forth by our society has been utilized not only for audiological practice, but also for social activities. We are proud to play significant roles not only in specific fields of expertise, but also in other social segments. We cannot deny that the sense of commitment of the JAS has tended to arouse the impression among young researchers that the JAS is an excessively rigid or formal organization. Under such circumstances, I perceive the necessity to foster friendliness and novelty while maintaining our characteristic “tradition-cherishing posture” and awareness of the social roles expected of us.
Also, in the slightly less than 4 decades since the organization received its current name, remarkable advances have been made in the field of audiology. Examples include the development of methods for auditory evoked response testing, pathophysiological clarification of hearing loss (e.g., hereditary hearing loss), and advances in hearing aid devices/systems and auditory prostheses (cochlear implant, etc.) for hearing loss compensation. Meanwhile, with the spread of the concept of International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), legislation of corresponding social models has been implemented, leading to modifications in the ideas about hearing impairments and ongoing changes in society itself (e.g., improvement in barrier-free environments and social systems, extensive adoption of the idea of symbiotic society). Now, the JAS is also required to take actions related to such social models.
I would like to set a new direction for our activities, focusing on providing opportunities for engaging in new efforts and utilizing young power, contribution to social welfare and so on. In alignment with the ambitions of past presidents of our society, I pledge to make efforts to the best of my ability to facilitate advances in audiology and the Japan Audiological Society. I will greatly appreciate your support.
President, Japan Audiological Society
Takashi Nakagawa.
