My name is Hiroshi Itagaki, and I will be serving as President of the Japanese Society for Alternatives to Animal Experiments (JASSE) from January 2022 to November 2023. With the support and help of our members, I would like to lead our Society and drive its progress.

In January 2022, JSAAE became an incorporated organization. The Society fosters and supports research, development, education, investigation, standardization, and other activities related to alternative methods for animal experiments in order to promote and disseminate the 3Rs [Reduction, Refinement, and Replacement], which is the international principle of appropriate implementation of animal experiments under international cooperation, which also returns the results to society.

As President of JSAAE, I believe that continuing to value the environment and culture of the Society, where various researchers from different fields of expertise have gathered and discuss the achievement of the 3Rs, is the basis of our Society’s management. The Society was founded in 1989, and it has been around for about 33 years. In an overview of the presentations at the Annual Meeting, the focus of research is shifting from local toxicity (eye irritation and skin irritation) to systemic toxicity and long-term toxicity, which are more difficult to develop. In terms of the key points of safety assurance, we are moving from hazard assessment to risk assessment. The industry is rapidly expanding from cosmetics to chemicals, foods, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices, all of which need to develop alternative methods. It is thus necessary to improve existing methodologies and actively incorporate new information and technologies. On the other hand, the activities of the academic society require continuity. As a leader in revitalizing this society, we need active participation not only from our member researchers but also from young and female researchers, as well as from relatively older researchers with time to spare. Furthermore, the way in which academic activities are conducted must be reviewed, just as during the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe that the concept of the SDGs is particularly important in the Society, which aims to “promote and disseminate the 3Rs.”

Since its establishment in 1989, the JSAAE has been providing society with various types of information and technologies related to the development of alternative methods, anticipating the requirements of the next era. This is important for both Japanese academia and industry. In retrospect, at the time of founding of this Society, neither researchers nor society gave serious thought to a situation in which cosmetics companies would voluntarily declare the abolition of animal testing in 30 years. I believe that the current scenario is the result of earnest responses by researchers and the Society to social needs for the abolition of animal testing.

The concept of 3Rs is spreading globally in both academia and industry. The JSAAE will continue to actively promote the core activities of “Promoting and Disseminating 3Rs” in Japan and Asia. The JSAAE sincerely hopes that those who are interested in promoting and disseminating the 3Rs will join our Society and participate in the conference.