I am Hiroshi Takayanagi from The University of Tokyo, and I am the new president of the Japanese Society for Bone and Mineral Research. The Japanese Society for Bone and Mineral Research seeks to benefit society and humanity by conducting research on the metabolism of hard tissues, such as bones, cartilage, and teeth, and their constituents, such as calcium and phosphorus. Over the years, this society has engaged in such research activities with great vigor. The primary activities are academic gatherings, publication of journals and books, international cooperation, awarding, and enlightenment. Since I have been involved in bone research for a long time, it is a great honor to have been elected president of this society, which has such a lengthy history and list of accomplishments, and I would like to express my sincere appreciation. I will do my best to live up to the confidence placed in me, and we would appreciate the members' continued support and encouragement.

This organization is currently conducting research not only on hard tissues and minerals, but also on the entire musculoskeletal system, which includes the muscles that move bones, ligaments, tendons, and joints. In addition, bones are not just part of the locomotor system but also perceive external environmental changes and stress, cooperate with, and actively control other biological systems, forming the "osteonetwork", a novel framework to understand the function of the skeleton. In addition to the long-studied endocrine system, interactions with all biological control systems, such as the immune system and nervous system, must now be taken into account. Diseases such as congenital diseases, age-related diseases, degenerative diseases, neoplastic diseases, and oral diseases are investigated in the Society. Osteoporosis, sarcopenia, mineral metabolic abnormalities, endocrine diseases, primary and metastatic bone malignancies, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis are among the diseases of interest. In addition to internal medicine, related clinical departments include pediatrics, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology, and dentistry. Consequently, its membership is extremely multidisciplinary.

The Society has collaborated to contribute to the advancement of medical care with Japan Osteoporosis Society, the Japanese Society for Bone Morphometry, and the Japan Endocrine Society to develop the guidelines as follows:

• the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis
• the criteria for diagnosis of primary osteoporosis
• the guideline for the management and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis
• the evaluation criteria for vertebral fractures
• the management of anti-resorptive agent-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw
• the guidelines for judging vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency
• the manuals for diagnosis of rickets and osteomalacia

The Journal of Bone and Mineral Metabolism (JBMM), the official journal of the Society, was published for the first time in 1983 and has since become an influential English-language journal in the field of bone metabolism. Additionally, it became the official journal of Japan Osteoporosis Society and the Japanese Society for Bone Morphometry. Today, JBMM is a highly regarded international journal that covers a broad spectrum of research, from basic to clinical practice, not only in hard tissue and mineral metabolism but also in locomotive organs and related topics.

As a member of the International Federation of Musculoskeletal Research Societies (IFMRS), the Society contributes to the international community by advancing research on bone, mineral metabolism, and locomotor organs.
Additionally, we collaborate and work with the following academic societies:

• American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR)
• Australian & New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society (ANZBMS)
• Chinese Society of Osteoporosis and Bone Mineral Research (CSOBMR)
• European Calcified Tissue Society (ECTS)
• Korean Society for Bone and Mineral Research (KSBMR)

Osteoclast culture system was the first experiment I conducted, and the Japanese Society for Bone and Mineral Research was the first basic science conference I attended. I recall taking notes on everything I heard, and the abstract book was filled with these notes. Since then, I have been able to accomplish what I have today due to the professional and personal mentoring I received from my academic senior researchers and colleagues over a period of 25 years. To ensure the continued growth of the Japanese Society for Bone and Mineral Research in the future, I believe it is imperative to encourage new researchers to enter fields in which they can play an active role and have aspirations for the future. We already have a young investigator committee, schools, and grants for young researchers, but in order to increase membership and contemplate a framework in which young members can play an active role, we will establish a future planning committee within the society. I hope to reform it so that we can face new challenges without being constrained by outdated concepts. In addition, I believe it is essential to incorporate the views of corporations that support this society, to revitalize the society's management, and to strengthen the society's focus on the social implementation of basic research such as drug discovery. We will attend to the voices of our members in order to perpetuate the traditions of our society and enhance and evolve its value. Please feel free to send us differing viewpoints.

2023 July
Hiroshi Takayanagi, MD, PhD
President, the Japanese Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Professor, Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and
Faculty of Medicine The University of Tokyo