I am delighted to announce that the upcoming IPA Asia-Pacific Conference, with the theme of “On Dependence”, will be taking place in the beautiful and historical city of Tokyo during the 3rd – 5th May 2018.

This year’s Conference is being organised by the IPA Asia-Pacific Planning Committee, which was founded following the successful Taipei Conference in May 2017.

Through organising this meeting, the Asia-Pacific Planning Committee will once again provide us with the opportunity to exchange our experiences coming from the practice of Psychoanalysis in Asia and in Western countries and a platform to discuss technical and theoretical contributions.

The Conference is another step towards the development of the IPA 4th Region, a project that the IPA considers crucial for the continued growth of Psychoanalysis. This initiative will expand and enrich our discipline; it is crucial not only for the present, but also for the future of Psychoanalysis.

Nowadays, we cannot think about our psychoanalytic practice as focusing purely on the patient or the analyst; both live in a changing world and are a part of it. We need to ensure that we take different contexts into account and learn from our colleagues around the world.

I am grateful to the Japan Psychoanalytic Society which is working together with the Tokyo Program Committee to offer us not only an interesting and thought-provoking program, but also their hospitality and introduction to the rich Japanese culture, traditions and places to visit.

I look forward to welcoming many of our IPA members and candidates to Tokyo in May 2018.