I am honored to have been appointed as the new President of the Biophysical Society of Japan. The vision I put forward is simple and clear: "Biophysics-Raku" — a wordplay meaning "Enjoying Science." In other words, biophysics should be a field where we pursue questions relentlessly, but always with a sense of fun and curiosity.

Life is still full of mysteries. But that’s precisely what makes it exciting. Biophysics is an intellectual battleground where we challenge those mysteries, armed with diverse perspectives from physics, chemistry, biology, informatics, and engineering—crossing all boundaries. In my own work, I’ve used fluorescent proteins, bioluminescent proteins, and ultra-widefield, high-resolution imaging system to transform the invisible into the visible. I hope to share that sense of excitement across our entire community.

The Biophysical Society of Japan was founded with the mission of advancing the fundamental understanding of life phenomena through the fusion of physical and biological sciences. We host an annual meeting, publish both a Japanese journal /Seibutsu Butsuri/ and the English journal /Biophysics and Physicobiology/, and actively support the next generation of researchers through awards such as the Young Investigator Award, the Young Invited Speaker Award, the Student Presentation Award, and overseas research support programs.

During my term, I will focus on the following three initiatives:

First, updating the Society to be “even more fun.”
The slogan for the 57th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society of Japan (https://www2.aeplan.co.jp/bsj2019/), , which I had the honor of chairing, was /Interdisciplinary Fusion × Next Generation Development × Enjoyable Science/. I want to bring that same energy to the entire Society! We will create an atmosphere where people from all disciplines, generations, and career stages can jump into discussions freely—without hesitation. A place filled with the spirit of /“Try more, do more, no fear of failure!”/

Second, accelerating our international presence with full force.
Our research and discussions should connect us with scientists across Asia and around the world, leading to new collaborations and discoveries. We now live in an era where AI can break language barriers with unprecedented ease. Written communication can already be instantly translated across countless languages, and I believe real-time speech translation will become commonplace within five years. I want to actively incorporate systems that allow researchers to connect in their native languages—not only in English—taking international exchange within our Society to the next level. In the future, I envision holding annual meetings overseas and welcoming international members into our leadership.

Third, strengthening our connection with the next generation through the “High School to Society Pipeline.”
We need to provide curious high school students—those fascinated by the mysteries of life—with opportunities to experience cutting-edge biophysics early on. I will promote high school student participation in our annual meetings and expand opportunities for young people to dive into this exciting, question-driven field.

Biophysics remains a wide-open frontier—a field where we can explore, challenge, and enjoy ourselves. Let’s work together to create the future of biophysics.

Stay tuned for what's to come!

June 21 2025
Takeharu Nagai
President, the Biophysical Society of Japan
Professor, SANKEN, The University of Osaka