Welcome Address

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, especially chairman, honored guests and distinguished delegate. My name is Hideshi Miura. On behalf of the Japan Society of Powder & Powder Metallurgy, I cordially welcome all of you to this conference ICF 11, and we are very pleased to have this opportunity to exchange scientific idea and experiences with our colleague, here in Okinawa. Also I’d like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the conference chairman Dr. Sugimoto, vice-chairman Dr. Abe, and the organizing committee members who devoted much of time and great efforts to the success of this conference. As the chairman Dr. Sugimoto mentioned in his address, ICF 11 was originally scheduled to be held in Nara city, old capital, on November 2011. However, it was postponed to now here in Okinawa by considering various circumstances happened in Japan after the worst disaster on March 11, 2011. I think that the organizing committee members and staffs might face to lots of difficulties due to this put-off. So, I want to make acknowledgment again to them as the president of JSPM. In this conference, we have 274 participants including 82 foreign attendees from 18 countries. This means that this ICF 11 is a real international conference, and which covers all areas of basic science and advanced technology related to the ferrites and advanced materials. Also, special symposiums for the energy, environmental and biomedical issues are scheduled in this conference. I hope, you will have fruitful discussions and information exchanges for a successful meeting. Finally, here Okinawa located at the southern end of Japan is a paradise of eternal summer. Years ago, a kingdom called "Ryukyu" prospered in this land. Today, the remnants of that ancient time still echo in the traditional exotic culture and unique customs of Okinawa Anyway, Okinawa is truly a tourist and resort area full of resources and attractions. So, please enjoy Okinawa with beautiful spring nature. Thank you for your attention.