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	Letter from the president for the Year 2003

	Letter from the president	2003 Kimiyuki Satoh JSPP President
	Plant physiology, or the study of the functions of plants, is an area of research that is experiencing tremendous growth and attracting the interest of many people. Thus, the Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists (JSPP), whose activities aim toward the development of research in this field, has seen continued increases in its membership since its founding in 1959 and has experienced especially remarkable growth in recent years. The JSPP's 2,967 current members (including institutional members) are located in 53 different countries and regions of the world. The underpinnings of this rapid growth undoubtedly lie in the expanding fields of application of plant physiology due to its maturity as a field of study, or in other words, its systematization. Above all, researchers have been inspired by the deciphering of the complete genome sequencing of photosynthetic organisms such as cyanobacteria, Arabidopsis, and Oryza sativa, and by the anticipation of explosive developments in both basic and applied research as a result of the comprehensive research developments that are expected to occur. Needless to say, the popularity of this field is grounded in the social expectation that plant physiology will be able to fundamentally contribute to solutions to global problems facing all of mankind, such as food and energy shortages and environmental degradation - problems that are only expected to worsen. The JSPP, which is committed to promoting the development of "the study of the functions of plants" has thus far developed its activities internationally through the publication of its journal "Plant and Cell Physiology". The JSPP also holds an annual meeting to promote the exchange of research in this field. As many as 1,533 participants attended this year's general meeting, which was held last March in the Osaka-Nara region, reflecting the enormous interest in this field of research. Research presentations and symposia generated lively discussions in a wide range of fields relating to plant functions, from biophysics to ecophysiology. Prompted by the awareness of the JSPP's social responsibility as an organization of specialists in the field of plant physiology, a decision was made at last year's meeting for the JSPP to expand its reach by developing new activities. These activities will involve outreach and publicity efforts aimed at the general public and the government. An example of these new activities was our recent proposal regarding national policies on plant sciences, an issue which is becoming increasingly important. The Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists currently has nearly 800 international members, including institutional members, and is therefore keenly aware of the importance of developing our international activities. There will be more than 400 presentations by JSPP members at the upcoming Plant Biology 2003 which is to be held in Hawaii. In this era of the international harmonization of research activities, calls within the JSPP for increased ties with organizations around the world have grown stronger. We hope that researchers around the world will partner with us in promoting the development of plant physiology.
	Presidential Messages from Past Years

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