The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Japan (JNIOSH) is one of the leading research institutes that conducts scientific research activities to establish, maintain, and improve occupational safety and health (OSH) in a comprehensive way. For over 80 years JNIOSH has consistently supported in scientific aspects the administrative measures protecting workers' safety and health. Many outcomes obtained from these research activities have contributed to decrease the number of workers who were damaged in health, injured, or killed by occupational accidents and diseases. In other words, the outcomes obtained from the research activities are valuable assets of the nation. All the staff of the institute are proud of this history inherited from seniors in the institute.

Along with the progress of science and technology, the worker's environment is changing dramatically. As a result, new occupational safety and health issues that have never existed before have been recognized. Recently we have faced a challenging situation where the rate of workers killed or injured by occupational accidents or diseases did not decline. In order to cope with new coming occupational accidents and diseases, we have to construct a new measure: concretely to elucidate the cause of a new occupational accident and diseases and to study a necessary measure to prevent the occupational accident and disease.

JNIOSH is the only institute in Japan that is responsible for scientific research activities to establish, maintain, and improve OSH. JNIOSH consists of 5 research centers (2 of which were newly established) and 13 research groups, which deal with various OSH problems by utilizing expertise in each research field. The institute must elucidate the cause of new OSH problems arising from changes in the social environment and research measures for them. JNIOSH continues to conduct research activities to reduce occupational accidents and diseases not only in Japan but in the world.

All the staff in the institute are doing the best to meet the expectation of the nation about OSH. I do hope that you give us further guidance and encouragement.