Ever since the world's first filming within the stomach in Japan in 1950, endoscopy has been highly evaluated with its benefits, and it has enjoyed its rapid development in a wide variety of medical fields over these three decades. In the gastroenterology field especially, such research and study results as the established diagnostic criteria of early gastric cancer, staging of gastric cancer and other related diseases have been recognized as unique to Japan and have firmly established Japan's place in the world.
In the meanwhile, Japan has served as a leading country while holding several international meetings as the first host country such as International Congress of Endoscopy in 1966, Asia-Pacific Congress of Endoscopy in 1973 and International Congress of Bronchoscopy in 1979. As a result, Japan has been requested to accept foreign doctors for training sessions and to dispatch advising doctors to other countries quite often.
With the significant development of this field across the globe, however, the necessity of mutual exchange with researchers abroad is clearer year by year. Endoscopy is mandatory in the researches of diseases in respiratory, urinary, nasopharyngeal, uterine, hepatic and other organs as well as in gastrointestinal tracts. On the other hand, however, we have many issues to solve, such as more precise medical equipment, increased number of clinical cases, advanced and complicated technology, cultivation of experienced physician s, new medical technology and therapeutic applications.
These issues above need to be handled urgently with high priority, and in order to proceed, it would take enormous fund and time. The Foundation is established as the organization for research promotion in order to seek for the solutions for the issues above, with the help of such researchers and supporters that share determination to Prof. Sadataka Tasaka, who contributed to the establishment and development of endoscopic medicine. Also, it is the prospectus of the Foundation that we contribute to the development of medicine and improvement of the welfare of humankind through maintaining Japan's leading position in the endoscopic medicine and thus fulfilling our responsibility.
April 18, 1981
Incorporators of the Foundation:
Sadataka Tasaka / Yawara Yoshitoshi / Hisao Takayasu
Takao Sakita / Shinroku Ashizawa / Tsutomu Kidokoro
Suminobu Mori / Hirofumi Niwa / Gen Hirose
Hisamitsu Uetani / Shigeo Kitamura
Government ministries in charge: The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Establishment: February 13, 1982