The Department of Digestive and Pediatric Surgery (the former first department of surgery) was established in July,1949,and Dr. Hiroshi Takebayashi (July 1949 - January 1951), Dr. Yoshio Hashimoto (August 1949 - March.1954), Dr. Syuhei Takita (April 1954 - March 1972), Dr. Nobuhiko Komi (April, 1972 - March 1993), and Dr. Seiki Tashiro (February 1994 - March 2004) served as successive professors. I have presided over the Department as the 6th generation Professor since April, 2004. The Department of Digestive and Pediatric Surgery is a respectable department which has over 400 members so far, over forty affiliated hospitals, and a history and traditions that span more than half a century.

Our mottoes are "It is important to get along well with others with harmony." and "trying to improve by learning from others". Those sayings are known to everyone. We are striving as one to achieve a competitive and wonderful department with teamwork with those two keywords. Our first goal when I assumed this position was live donor liver transplants. Owing to a system of cooperation involving the entire Tokushima University hospital, the infrastructure improvement was consolidated. After the development of the liver transplant evaluation committee and the informed consent committee, three operations have been performed on patients since February, 2005. In clinical practice, under the slogan of "From wide excision and loss of function to minimally invasive and regenerative surgery", we have devoted ourselves to our studies night and day, aiming at standardization of laparoscopic surgery in gastroenterological surgery, clinical applications including liver transplant and pancreatic islet transplantation, and many other types of treatments.

One of my mottoes is from Mr. Peter F. Ducker's words; "Do not take on jobs and work assignments where there is little talent and little chance to be even mediocre in performance. Much more considerable energy and efforts are necessary to make the inferior level to the usual level than to make the good level to the best level. Use your energy to make a competent person into a star performer." With this motto, I always remember that I should find meritorious points in young doctors earlier and have them develop their merits to the full to produce many young excellent human resources from the department. So, I try to give ardent guidance publicly and personally at all times.

However, a surgeon's job is often said to be 3D (Demanding, Dirty and Dangerous), it gives them a very precious sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. I extend a hearty welcome to young people who want to go through real joy as surgeons and the delight of surgical research.

Young people who pursue a dream, Come to Tokushima !
Welcome to Ambitious Young Surgeons!