It is with great honor and pleasure that I welcome you to the 123rd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Ophthalmological Society, to be held at the Tokyo International Forum from April 18 to April 21, 2019. I would like to offer my sincerest thanks for the cooperation and generous support of Professor Toshinori Murata (Shinshu University) who serves as Chairman of the Program Committee, the Program Committee members, as well as Dr. Kimiko Fukushita (Vice-President of the Tokyo Association of Ophthalmologists) and all the Directors, Councilors and Staff of the Japanese Ophthalmological Society.
 This will be the first time that Kyorin University will be overseeing the Annual Meeting of the Japanese Ophthalmological Society. We are extremely grateful that the cumulative efforts of our faculty and staff over the close to half-century since the start of Kyorin University’s Department of Ophthalmology in 1970 have been recognized. With the diligence of Congress Secretary Takashi Koto and all members of our department, we will work to ensure that this Annual Meeting will be a meaningful experience for all attendees.
 The theme of this meeting is “beyond light” or what I will call the "Circle of Light." Despite advances in medicine, there are still patients who lose their vision. There are also patients who remain unsatisfied even when vision is restored. In order to provide hope for these individuals, ophthalmologists strive to advance medical knowledge by performing clinical and fundamental research, and little by little have provided new insights into regenerative medicine, artificial vision, big data analysis and more. Our strong wish is to use this 123rd Annual Meeting as a means to shine a bright light on the future and support the academics necessary to drive innovation and new technology in various fields in ophthalmology. Moreover, in order to broaden the “Circle of Light,” we will be attempting to further internationalize the Annual Meeting, and support the exchange of knowledge across all countries and regions of the world.
 The Special Lectures for the 123rd Annual Meeting will be given by Professor Yuichiro Ogura of Nagoya City University and Professor Yoshitsugu Inoue of Tottori University. Leaders in the vitreoretinal and corneal fields, respectively, they will speak about the fruits of their long years of clinical and basic science research. On the recommendation of the Program Committee, the Invited Lecture will be given by Professor Roger W. Beuerman of the Singapore Eye Research Institute. Professor Beuerman is a leading figure in research on the ocular embryology and genetics of refractive errors including myopia, and we look forward to hearing about his cutting-edge work. We have also invited Professor Mark S. Humayun of the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine to give an address. Professor Humayun began research on artificial vision during his time as an ophthalmology resident, and this interest continued throughout his career, eventually leading to his development of the Argus^® Series retina implants, already implanted in over 100 patients around the world. He will discuss his experience in the science and innovation involved in retinal regeneration.
 The Council Designated Lectures for the 123rd Annual Meeting will focus on the theme of "Strategies for Refractory Eye Diseases," and these will be given by Dr. Shizuya Saika of Wakayama Medical University, Dr. Toshikatsu Kaburaki of University of Tokyo, and Dr. Kazushige Tsunoda of Tokyo Medical Center. Each will present results from their recent research in analyzing and developing treatments for various refractory diseases in their respective specialties.
 Thanks to tremendous efforts by the Program Committee, we are planning a wide range of sessions including 18 symposiums and 10 educational seminars. Furthermore, in keeping with the goal of internationalizing the Annual Meeting, we will also hold an International Symposium featuring speakers from overseas. To increase the opportunity for exchange of knowledge with our overseas speakers, we plan to pay special attention to time allocation in this and other symposia. Moreover, we would like to optimize the timing of lectures as well as presentation methods in order to facilitate active discussions at all sessions, including paper sessions, as this has been identified as an area for improvement by the Program Evaluation Committee. We look forward to receiving many abstract submissions for the 123rd Annual Meeting.
 The Tokyo International Forum will be familiar to many of you as a conference venue, but in advance of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the area in front of Tokyo Station has become a huge plaza stretching all the way to the Imperial Palace. The new Hibiya Hills complex nearby has also recently opened. We would like to invite all our colleagues from Japan and around the world to join us for the 123rd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Ophthalmological Society, both to participate in the exciting scientific program as well as to partake in the many cultural delights of Tokyo. Through this gathering, it is our sincere hope that we can facilitate progress in ophthalmology and further broaden the “Circle of Light.”