INTRODUCTION

Since the early 1950’s, there occurred considerable informal contact between Japanese and American scientists. Several young, promising Japanese cancer specialists received advanced training and engaged in collaborative research activities in the National Cancer Institute (hereinafter referred to as NCI) laboratories. These early relationships and collaborations made it possible for succeeding groups of young Japanese biomedical scientists to study not only at NCI but at other NIH Institutes as well as additional top rank academic and research institutions in America. Since the 1960’s the exchange of Japanese and Americans reached a very high level of activity including all the scientific and technological disciplines.
During the mid 1960’s and particularly since the enactment of the National Cancer Program in 1971, there has been a great upsurge of informal cooperation between Japanese and American cancer specialists. Continuing informal dialogue ensued between Japanese scientists and the Office of the Director, NCI, concerning the possibilities of a joint Japanese and American cooperation in cancer research.
In May 1972, Dr. Frank J. Rauscher, Jr., Director, NCI, and the late Dr. Tomizo Yoshida, former Director, Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, discussed the increased binational cooperation and proposed a preliminary meeting for the United States-Japan cooperation in cancer research. This was realized at an informal meeting in September 1973 at Hakone through the support of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, and with the consent of the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan. The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture appointed the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (hereinafter referred to as JSPS) as the implementing agency. On that occasion, Mr. Kiyoshi Okano, Executive Director of JSPS and Dr. Rauscher signed the Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in Cancer Research. (Appendix I)
On May 14, 1974, the Agreement for the United States-Japan Cooperation in Cancer Research was signed by Dr. Guy R. Newell, Deputy Director, NCI and Mr. K. Okano, JSPS. (Appendix II) The First Joint Meeting of Scientific Advisory Committee for the U.S.-Japan Cooperative Cancer Research Program was held on May 14-15, 1974, in Honolulu, Hawaii (Appendix III), after a ceremony for signing of the Agreement, to formalize the implementation of the Program. Eleven program areas were selected for intensive joint cooperation. The Agreement formalized a working cooperation between scientists of the two signatory countries in order to enhance the opportunities for continuing and expanding collaboration and mutual effort in the conquest of cancer.
Excellent cooperation has developed through the endeavors of the program coordinators and administrative offices and the participating scientists in the program. The U.S.-Japan Cooperative Cancer Research Program has helped to strengthen and solidify the mutual efforts and activities in cancer research and has permitted the development of mutual confidence and strong interpersonal relationships. The prospects for future collaborative and comparative investigations are excellent in view of the mutual interests expressed by both sides.
This report is intended to outline the structure of the program, the status of current activities, and to make an assessment of each program area as well as take note of future plans. The review and evaluation of the activities 1974 and 1975 was made at the Second U.S.-Japan Joint Meeting of Scientific Advisory Committee held in San Francisco, California on October 23-24, 1975 (Appendix IV), on which this report is based.