Overview of the 80^th annual scientific meeting of the Japanese circulation society-the past, present and future of cardiovascular medicine in Japan-– the 5^th anniversary of the great east Japan earthquake –

The 80^th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japanese Circulation Society was held in Sendai, Japan, on March 18–20, 2016, which coincided with the 5^th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake that hit the Tohoku area on March 11, 2011. Thus, the main themes for this meeting were “The Past, Present and Future of Cardiovascular Medicine in Japan” and “The 5 ^th Anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake”. Despite the provincial location, approximately 15,000 people attended during the 3-day meeting, and there were in-depth discussions in each of the various sessions on these themes. Especially, to our great pleasure, the Japanese Royals, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, kindly visited the panel exhibition of the Great East Japan Earthquake and spoke words of appreciation to us. The meeting successfully completed and we sincerely appreciate the great cooperation and support from all affiliates.