In the predawn hours on January 17 the city of Kobe was hit by one of the most devastating earthquakes in the history of Japan. Having occurred in an area that rarely experiences quakes many people were surprised and shocked by its destructive force.
The spirit of the local citizens, however, has been of superhuman proportions and they have come together to pull the city out of its ruins. With the aid of surrounding cities, Kobe has begun to reconstruct its buildings, roads and transport network at breakneck speed. People are optimistic and life is gradually returning to normal.
Fortunately the region affected by the earthquake was limited to one area and neighboring cities such as Kyoto were not damaged and life has progressed as usual. Kyoto has consequently been actively involved in providing assistance to Kobe through volunteer workers, doctors and nurses, provision of basic goods, etc.
Other areas also fortunately not affected by the quake include the Kansai International Airport and Osaka Airport (Itami). Although currently the bullet train (Shinkansen) does not service the Kobe district, repairs are expected to be completed in May of this year.
We therefore urge all persons involved in the field of Neurochemistry to attend the 15th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for Neurochemistry to be held from July 2-7, 1995 in Kyoto. Thanks to an overwhelming response to our call for papers, the scientific program promises to be a stimulating exchange of the latest findings with presentations from many of the world's leading scientists in this field. To date some 900 abstracts have been received (400 from Japan and 500 from abroad) with already 900 registrants from all over the world.
Please note that due to the earthquake the GABA Symposium '95 will no longer be held in Kobe but in the Kyoto Miyako Hotel. We sincerely apologize for this change and any inconvenience caused.
Please be assured, however, that the various committees and staff of the 15th ISN Meeting are all enthusiastically working together to ensure that the Meeting is a success in every way.
We hope that you will join us in Kyoto in July for what promises to be a professionally and socially rewarding experience for all!