Welcome to the 14th Asian Society of Conservation Medicine / 27th Japanese Society of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 2021 Joint Conference 

 
This will be the 14th conference of the Asian Society of Conservation Medicine (ASCM), and the first to be held in Japan. The previous conferences have been held in Nepal, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. It is a great pleasure that the first conference in Japan will be held here in Sapporo, and it will be a valuable opportunity for experts, students and graduate students involved in conservation medicine in Asia to meet together. The academic contribution of conservation medicine to the conservation of biodiversity in Asia, including Japan, is the most important theme for ASCM.
 
This is the 27th conference of the Japanese Society of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, and the second to be held in Sapporo (Hokkaido University) since the 4th meeting. As for Hokkaido, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine and Rakuno Gakuen University have each held one conference, so this will be the fourth conference held in Hokkaido. Hokkaido has a unique mammalian and avian fauna separated from Honshu (Japan main island) by the so-called Blakiston Line. I hope that this conference will provide an opportunity to look at the biogeographical feature and the status of wildlife conservation and management of Japan and Hokkaido in Asia from a bird's eye view.
 
This will be the first time for the two societies to hold a joint conference, and I hope that we can take this opportunity to develop synergy between the characteristics of the two societies. Since we are still suffering from the effects of the new coronavirus infection, we will not be able to hold the meeting entirely face-to-face, but if we can hold at least part of the meeting face-to-face, we would like to encourage people to communicate with each other to exchange information and meet new people. Even if you have no choice of a face-to-face meeting but to participate online, I hope you will accomplish the most of it in alternative ways.
 
The theme of this year's conference is "Front line of One Health in Asia". We would like to make this conference a place where we can share the latest research results from researchers, veterinarians, and administrators who are working at the front line of One Health, as well as embody the forefront of discussions on One Health as it relates to wildlife health and conservation medicine. I look forward to seeing many of you at the conference in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
 
Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Hokkaido University WISE program for One Heath Frontier Graduate School of Excellence for hosting the conference together with us, and to the Korean Society of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine and the Asia Pacific Section of the Wildlife Disease Association for their support.
 
September, when the conference will be held, is the best time of year for Hokkaido to feel the onset of autumn, while the heat of summer still lingers on the main island of Japan. Although it is difficult to predict the extent of the effects of the new coronavirus infection, I hope you will enjoy the climate, culture, sightseeing, and cuisine of Hokkaido. I am sincerely looking forward to meeting you all. Let's have a toast in Sapporo after all these years!