Greeting from the new chairperson
December 24, 2024
Public Interest Incorporated Foundation, Zoological Society of Japan
Chairperson: Muko Shiga
I assumed the office of President of the Zoological Society of Japan in September 2024. I will dedicate myself to managing the society with a commitment to promoting zoology and zoological education, as well as fostering collaboration with society. Thank you for your continued support.
The Zoological Society of Japan is one of the oldest academic societies in our country, having been founded in 1878. Zoology is a branch of biology that focuses on the study of animals, and the members of the Zoological Society of Japan are primarily researchers in zoology as well as those interested in the field. The research conducted by its members covers a diverse range of animals and spans a wide variety of scientific fields. At the annual conference, presentations are given in fields including taxonomy and phylogenetics, morphology and cytology, developmental biology, physiology, biochemistry, endocrinology, genetics, ecology and ethology, emerging and multidisciplinary areas, and other fields such as the history of science and science education. Furthermore, research on various animals is featured prominently within each field, with the latest findings being presented. In other words, if research fields are arranged horizontally and the animals being studied vertically, a vast and diverse array of research resulting from these combinations unfolds within the Zoological Society of Japan, making it a highly engaging academic society where researchers can exchange information both vertically and horizontally.
If you are interested in zoological research, please be sure to check out the ZooDiversity Web (ZDW). This is a search engine that allows you to search for papers published in our journal, Zoological Science, by the scientific names of animals. The number of animal species featured in this journal exceeds an astounding 13,000. If you want to know more about animals that interest you, please give it a try. You are sure to encounter a wide variety of research. Our society publishes two international academic journals, Zoological Science and Zoological Letters (an open-access journal), disseminating attractive research findings in zoology. While Zoological Science is not currently open access, it will participate in a three-year "Subscribe to Open" model trial through BioOne starting in January 2026. This may allow the journal to be published as open access, and whether this will happen will be decided in January 2026 when it launches. We hope to be able to disseminate information more effectively to everyone in the near future.
Furthermore, the Society establishes and presents a number of distinctive awards. For society members, we offer the Zoological Society of Japan Award, the Young Scientist Award, the Naritome Award for the Advancement of Animal Science, the Zoological Science Award/Fujii Award, and the Kawaguchi Award for Support of Presentations at International Conferences. For both non-members and members, we offer the Mariko Mebara Research Encouragement Grant, the Zoological Society of Japan OM Award for Encouraging Female Researchers, and the Award for Excellence in Education in Zoology. Please check our website for details, and we hope that not only our members but also non-members will understand the activities of the Zoological Society of Japan and actively apply for these awards. In addition to the diversity of research fields and target animals, the Society pays attention to the diversity of researchers, aiming to promote zoological research free from gender bias. The OM Award supports female researchers who, despite difficult circumstances, strive to advance research in the field of animal science with a strong will and high aspirations. We sincerely look forward to applications from both non-members and members.
Researchers conducting basic research using animals, please join the Annual Meeting of the Zoological Society of Japan and experience the activities and appeal of our society. For those who are not yet members, we kindly ask you to consider joining. We sincerely welcome not only students and young researchers, but also mid-career researchers. Understanding the ways of life and origins of animals is truly enjoyable, and these research findings serve as a source of practicality and enrichment for our society. We hope to pursue zoology together with you and contribute to society through these activities. Lastly, our society consists of seven regional branches across Japan. Working together as a unified team with the board members elected from each branch, we strive to make the Zoological Society of Japan even more appealing. We kindly ask for the continued cooperation of all board members and general members.
