So it was great to be in Yokohama at the annual meeting of JSN. There are so many things to enjoy about Japan: everything is on time – even starting from the bus we took from the airport to the Congress – it left exactly when the timetable said (can you guarantee the same in your own country?!).  Japanese hospitality was as warm and generous as ever - with plenty of raw fish and sake to fuel our discussions.  And of course we took the opportunity to visit a Japanese garden and attend a tea ceremony – though this time I was allowed to make the tea myself, under careful supervision – good to be taken outside my comfort zone!

 It is easy to see why ISN membership grows in Japan – not just the commitment of JSN’s senior leaders, but an ISN booth on the main congress manned by young Japanese nephrologists, which was busy signing up new ISN members whenever I passed. And we had a very successful joint ISN-JSN Asian Young Nephrologists Symposium. I was joined by David Harris (ISN Education Chair & Executive Committee member) as well as ISN Councillors Zhi-Hong Liu (China),

Somchai Eain-Ong (Thailand), and Revzi Sheriff (Sri Lanka) who each spoke of the varied challenges for nephrology in their own countries and the possibilities for even stronger international collaboration. The symposium ended with four presentations showcasing excellent clinical and basic science research by young women investigators from Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan. And no meeting in Japan would be complete without an earth tremor – this one happened just as we were hearing about CKD in Sri Lanka. I felt anxious, Revzi Sheriff kept talking, and Japanese friends hardly seemed to notice!

I am hopeful we are able to make joint ISN-JSN symposia a regular feature of the programme at the annual JSN meeting. Perhaps such an ISN  symposium might also be possible for your own national affiliated society annual meeting? But without a minor earthquake, please.