A history of Japanese dermatology: past, present and future.

On the occasion of the 14th Korea-Japan joint meeting of dermatology, the founding of the Japanese Dermatological Association, its activities and relationship to neighboring societies were presented to let both Korean and Japanese participants know the current status of Japanese dermatology. It is felt that one central meeting in Asia will be necessary to make a strong impact on not only Asian but also Western colleagues. We should make more of an effort to get used to our common international language, English, so that we can communicate with other Asian colleagues more closely and in more depth in this era of increasing globalization.