The organizing committee acknowledges the generous financial support from the following organization and manufacturers.

　Inoue Foundation for Science
　Terumo Lifescience Foundation
　The Cell Science Research Foundation
　Yakult Bio-Science Foundation
　The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association of Tokyo
　Osaka Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association
　Commemorative Organization for the Japan World Exposition ('70)
　Mizutani Foundation for Glyciscience
　Life Science Foundation of Japan
　NOVARTIS Foundation (Japan) for the Promotion of Science

Honorary Chairman
　 Ishii, Shin-ichi (Professor Emeritus of Hokkaido University)

Organizing Committee
　 Hirashima, Mitsuomi (Kagawa Medical University)
　 Hori, Kanji (Hiroshima University)
　 Irimura, Tatsuro (University of Tokyo)
　 Kasai, Ken-ichi (Chairman), (Teikyo University)
　 Kannagi, Reiji (Aichi Cancer Center)
　 Kawasaki, Toshisuke(Kyoto University)
　 Matsumoto, Isamu(Ochanomizu University)
　 Muramoto, Koji (Tohoku University)
　 Suzuki, Yasuo (Sizuoka University)
　 Taniguchi, Naoyuki (Osaka University)
　 Yamamoto, Kazuo (University of Tokyo)
　 Yamashita, Katsuko (Sasaki Institute)

Scientific Committee
　 Angata, Takashi (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology)
　 Fujimoto, Zui (National Institute of Agrobiological Science)
　 Hatakeyama, Tomomitsu (Nagasaki University)
　 Kamei, Masugu (Honen Corporation)
　 Kawabata, Shun-ichiro (Kyusyu University)
　 Kuno, Atsushi (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology)
　 Kuroki, Yoshio (Sappro Medical University School of Medicine)
　 Nakamura, Takanori (Kagawa University)
　 Ogawa, Tomohisa (Tohoku University)
　 Sato, Sachiko (Laval University)
　 Shibuya, Naoto (Meiji University)
　 Tai, Tadashi (The Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science)
　 Wakamiya, Nobutaka (Asahikawa Medical College)
　 Yagi, Fumio (Kagosima University)

Secretary General
　 Hirabayashi, Jun (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology)

Address of the Chairman of the Organizing Committee

On behalf of the organizing committee of "Interlec 21" (21st International lectin meeting), I would like to welcome all scientists interested in lectins. The importance of research on lectins, natural molecules having the role of decipheringglycocodes, has been growing steadily, in concordance with significant developments of glycobiology.
"Glycomics" should be the most important field of life science after the era of genomics and proteomics, and lectinology will certainly play an essential part of this. It is a great honor for us to organize the Interlec meeting for the first time in Japan at such a significant moment.
Interlec meetings, the only series of international scientific forums focused on lectin research, have been held every two years around the world, and have made a great contribution to theprogress of life science, especially glycobiology. I have been repeatedly requested to organize one of the Interlec meetings, whenever I participated in past meetings held in different countries around the world, and I have long regretted that I was unable to respond to these requests. Now, I am very happy to be able to welcome you in cooperation with many distinguished Japanese scientists working on lectins.

"Interlec 21" will be held May 23 - 28, 2004, at Shonan Village Center, which is a comfortableconference center located in a resort area close to major cities such as Tokyo, Yokohamaand Kamakura, and also nearby Hakone, one of the most popular spa resorts. During the course of this meeting, we have many items for you to enjoy both scientifically and socially. A number of papers on the latest results in a variety of aspects of lectins will be presented by both established and young researchers. Since lectins are "intelligent glue", you will certainly have opportunities to get acquainted with many lectinologists and establish friendships, which is essential for future progress in this field.
We also plan to offer participants from foreign countries opportunities to experience Japan'sunique culture, so different from the west, and gain a new perspective on human activities,which may help to produce new ideas for scientific research.

We are now working hard to make the meeting one of the most fruitful ever held. We very
much hope you will be able to participate, and stimulate and encourage each other. We are
looking forward to welcoming you to Shonan in May, 2004.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ken-ichi Kasai
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chairman of the Organizing Committee of Interlec 21