Greetings from the President

Arata Horii
President of the Japan Society for Equilibrium Research

Thank you for visiting the website of the Japan Society for Equilibrium Research. The Japan Society for Equilibrium Research is a general incorporated association made up of healthcare professionals—physicians, researchers, and others—who study the causes, diagnostic methods, and treatments of vertigo. The society aims to contribute to the care of patients with vertigo by exchanging information among its members.

Vertigo is a common symptom, ranking among the top ten complaints seen in patients who visit medical institutions. With an aging society, the number of patients is expected to increase, and the importance of vertigo research will grow. Vertigo is often caused by the ear, such as the semicircular canals, but in some cases it appears as a symptom of brain disease or a systemic disorder, or it may arise from psychological factors. Acute vertigo can produce severe rotational sensations and vomiting so intense that patients cannot move. Recurrent vertigo and chronic vertigo, in which symptoms persist for months, also have a significant impact on patients’ daily lives. Our society develops diagnostic criteria for the many different types of vertigo, pursues new treatments, and has published numerous clinical practice guidelines.

The society’s main activities include holding academic meetings and publishing a journal, and these works are made publicly available through J‑Stage. We also hold annual training courses for physicians and for clinical laboratory technologists, nurses, and speech therapists, and we run a summer seminar for focused topics. From 2026, in addition to these activities, we plan to hold regular webinars named EquiLAB to support the ongoing improvement of members’ knowledge and skills.

In addition to member-focused activities, we carry out awareness activities for patients with vertigo. For patients wondering “My vertigo won’t get better—where should I go?”, we certify physicians who specialize in vertigo care and meet certain criteria as “Vertigo Consultant” and open their information on our website. We also operate a certification system for technologists with excellent skills in vestibular testing—essential for diagnosing vertigo—called the Equilibrium Technologist system. Going forward, in addition to activities for members, we plan to hold public lectures for citizens and expand website content such as disease explanations to further strengthen our patient-oriented activities.

Currently, the society has about 2,000 members, and the number is gradually increasing each year. The membership is mainly composed of regular members who specialize in otorhinolaryngology, neurology, rehabilitation, neurophysiology, and related fields; there is also an associate membership category with lower fees. If you are interested, please consider joining us to help advance vertigo research and clinical practice together. Thank you.