It is an honor to serve as the President of the Geochemical Society of Japan for the next two years (2008 and 2009). The 2nd article of the rules of the Geochemical Society of Japan clearly states "the Society should play key roles in promoting and advancing geochemistry in Japan." With this article in mind, I shall try to do my best to carry out this important responsibility during my two year term. I ask for the kind cooperation of all the members of the Society.

  Many scientific societies, including our Society, are facing tough problems these days. The decreasing Society memberships, for example, reduces revenues and forces societies to reorganize. I will exert every effort to expand the Society membership and to restructure our system if needed in order to improve our value and scientific stature in the world. Our Society has been playing important roles in promoting the geochemistry, which covers a wide range of interdisciplinary scientific fields from space to deep ocean, as evident in the Society's glorious accomplishments during more than the half century since its establishment in 1953. We the habitants of Earth in the 21st century are presented with a global environmental change that is one of the most difficult and unprecedented problem for the human race. Geochemistry might be the most important key in confronting this problem, because it is a science of chemistry based on Earth directly.

  Following the path of the former President, Prof. Jun-ichi Matsuda, I will contribute to the progress of our Society as well as that of the scientific community of geochemistry at large, by paying attention to the following matters:

1. Further improvement of the annual meetings and publications for rapid and efficient circulation of up-to-date research results and useful information among the Society members.
   
   
2. Enhancement of the Society's international stature accompanied by increased international activities of Society members.
   
   
3. Outreach and promotion of geochemical literacy to general public, in order to sustain a long-term progress of geochemistry.
   
   

  I would greatly appreciate your active inputs and discussion, as well as kind support for and involvement in the Geochemical Society of Japan. I hope to expand the Society with the participation of the new, young generation of geochemists from all over the world.