I am Tetsuo Kondo, the chair of the Organizing committee of 4th International Cellulose Conference 2017 (ICC 2017, Fukuoka) organized by The Cellulose Society of Japan.

On behalf of The Cellulose Society of Japan and the conference committee, I am pleased to invite you to attend and deliver a presentation for this 4th International Cellulose Conference (ICC 2017), which will be held on October 18- October 20, 2017 at Centennial Hall, Kyushu University School of Medicine in Fukuoka, Japan.

This ICC is held every 5 years in Japan, starting from the year of 2002 in Kyoto, Tokyo in 2007, Sapporo in 2012 and this time in Fukuoka is the 4th. During the past 15 years, our research field has been drastically changed and expanded. Fifteen years ago, our society had just started to aim at establishing a sustainable society by partly/or total replacement of some fossil based-materials and nuclear power energy. However, our society had not yet been sufficiently prepared for accepting the idea. Please look at the current situation focusing on biomass energies, cellulose nanofiber (nanocellulose) for industries, and the related basic researches including chemical aspects, physical and structural aspects, bio-related aspects and material aspects. They are all topics that this ICC2017 in Fukuoka deals with.

I should like to add that this ICC2017 should also provide the initial step for the following direction in the next or the next, next decades. In Japanese words, we have “Ogorerumono Hisashikarazu-ya”. The meaning is “Pride goes before a fall.＝Pride will have a fall”. Now, our academic society has the time to inspire preparation for the next in this ICC 2017.

You all are welcome, and we are waiting for your joining us in Fukuoka!

Thanks in advance for your appearance! I look forward to seeing you here in Fukuoka.