Greetings

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

I am very pleased to be able to invite you to attend “Biomagnetic Sendai 2017,” a joint conference consisting of the 6th biennial meeting of the International Society for the Advancement of Clinical Magnetoencephalography (ISACM), the 32nd annual meeting of the Japan Biomagnetism and Bioelectromagnetics Society (JBBS), and the 34th annual meeting of the Japanese Society for Brain Electromagnetic Topography (JSBET).

The ISACM was founded in 2006 to discuss the unique issues involved in the clinical application of magnetoencephalography (MEG). I was greatly honored to help host the first ISACM meeting in Matsushima, a resort close to Sendai, in 2007. A further four biennial meetings have been held in the last 10 years, and now the 6th meeting has again returned to Sendai.

The JBBS was founded in 1986 to prepare for the 6th International Conference on Biomagnetism (BIOMAG), held in Tokyo in 1987. The JBBS is an interdisciplinary society for scientists active in the biomedical, engineering, and physics fields. The JBBS covers topics in biomagnetometry such as MEG and magnetocardiography, as well as the biological effects of strong magnetic fields. I am happy to welcome the return of this meeting again after the 10th meeting was held in Sendai in 1995.

The JSBET was first named the Japanese Society for Brain Electric Topography, which was then changed to the present Japanese Society for Brain Electromagnetic Topography after the introduction of MEG. This very unique society holds annual meetings to discuss various aspects of neurophysiology including basic and clinical neurosciences, psychology, rehabilitation, education research, and art. I am delighted to host this meeting again after the 27th meeting was held in Matsushima in 2010.

I am confident that, based on my experience of previous meetings, all participants will find many opportunities to discuss cutting edge technologies, identify research topics, discover effective technologies, and identify new applications.

Finally, I should like to remind you that the city of Sendai and the surrounding area along the Pacific coast were seriously devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami on March 11, 2011. In addition to your stay in Sendai during the conference, I would like to invite you on a post conference tour to visit the Sanriku Fukko (reconstruction) National Park, where I was born and grew up until the age of 15 years. This experience will emphasize the importance of our life and culture which are dependent on the bounty yet exposed to the dangers of nature, and the necessity for the coexistence of man and nature.

May is the best season to visit the "forest city" of Sendai. This joint conference has been named "Biomagnetic" Sendai 2017 to attract as many participants as possible. I look forward to welcoming you all to Sendai in its season of renewal of nature and ideas.

Sincerely yours,

Nobukazu Nakasato, M.D., Ph.D.
Chair, Biomagnetic Sendai 2017