XXIV World Congress of Asthma

Welcome Letter from the Presidents

Dear colleagues and friends,

It is my privilege and honor to welcome you to participate in the 24th World Congress of Asthma – WCA-2018 in Tokyo, Japan, organized by the Asthma Global Association-INTERASMA, from October 3 through October 6, 2018.

WCA brings together specialists, physicians, and healthcare professionals from all over the world to share valuable scientific knowledge on asthma, ranging from diagnostic and therapeutic tools and techniques to leading-edge research. WCA has been very popular, resulting in highly successful & well attended congresses with outstanding scientific programs. The 24th World Congress of Asthma – WCA-2018 will not be an exception.

INTERASMA is celebrating its 62nd anniversary of uninterrupted education in the field of asthma, making it the most important international asthma and related diseases organization in the world, as well as a reference organization for primary care physicians, healthcare providers and medical students.

Tokyo, officially Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital city of Japan and one of its 47 prefectures. The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world. It is the seat of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government. Tokyo is in the Kantō region on the southeastern side of the main island Honshu and includes and Ogasawara Islands. Tokyo is often referred to as a city, but is officially known and governed as a “metropolitan prefecture”, which differs from and combines elements of a city and a prefecture, a characteristic unique to Tokyo.

Tokyo has many museums. In Ueno Park, there is the Tokyo National Museum, the country’s largest museum specializing in traditional Japanese art; the National Museum of Western Art and Ueno Zoo. Other museums include the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Odaiba; the Edo-Tokyo Museum in Sumida, across the Sumida River from the center of Tokyo; the Nezu Museum in Aoyama; and the National Diet Library, National Archives, and the National Museum of Modern Art, which are near the Imperial Palace.

Tokyo has many theatres for performing arts. These include national and private theatres for traditional forms of Japanese drama. Noteworthy are the National Noh Theatre and the Kabuki-za for kabuki. Symphony orchestras and other musical organisations perform modern and traditional music. Tokyo also hosts modern Japanese and international pop and rock music at venues ranging in size from intimate clubs to internationally known arenas such as the Nippon Budokan.

It is our pleasure to welcome you to Tokyo, Japan, on October 2018.

Sincerely,

Professor Lawrence DuBuske

President of GAA Interasma

Professor Ken Ohta

President of the Local Organizing Committee