In commemoration of the 20th anniversary

Congratulations EHPM.

Fortunately, our journal, Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine (EHPM), the official journal of the Japanese Society for Hygiene (JSH) will be commemorating its 20th anniversary.

EHPM brings a comprehensive approach to prevention and environmental health on matters related to medical, biological, molecular biological, genetic, physical, psychosocial, chemical, and other environmental factors. EHPM features definitive studies on human health sciences, including regular articles, short communications, and review articles. It provides comprehensive and unique information to a worldwide readership. A large number of eminent professors and researchers from all over the world serve as guest reviewers for EHPM.

EHPM was first published in 1996. Until then, as well as now, JSH articles were published by the Japanese Journal of Hygiene [JJH; Nihon Eiseigaku Zasshi, ISSN 0021-5082 (Print), 1882-6482 (Electronic) and 0021-5082 (Linking)]. However, all manuscripts in JJH were written in Japanese. Thus, considerations were made concerning the manner by which we could introduce investigations performed in Japan in the aforementioned scientific and medical fields to an international readership using our own English journal. Additionally, we wished to share pioneering findings in Japan in the field of hygiene to developing countries such as in Asia. These goals facilitated the first publication of EHPM in 1996.

Thereafter, with the passionate and active efforts of successive Editors-in-Chief, EHPM has gradually grown. I would like to mention all the names here with strong praise, the first Editor-in-Chief being Prof. K. Morimoto, followed by Prof. M. Yamamoto, Prof. T. Sakai, Prof. C. Tohyama, Prof. Y. Yuasa, and the most recent Editor-in-Chief, Prof. A. Koizumi. Their sustained efforts are greatly appreciated. In 2007, EHPM became part of the Springer Publishing Group. Since 2009, the office in China began working with the editorial office in Japan to in an effort to introduce scientific achievements from East Asia to a worldwide audience together with China and Japan. At the same time, in 2009, EHPM was included in Medline. Since 2013, all articles published in EHPM had been registered in Journal Citation Reports operated by Thomson Reuters. We will obtain our first impact factor in 2016.

Recently, EHPM has been receiving 70–90 manuscript submissions. The average acceptance rate is approximately 60 % for the last couple of years. Although half of the manuscript authors are from Japan, this is changing with time as more authors are now from Asian countries such as Korea, China and India, in addition to countries in the south-eastern and far-eastern regions. Manuscripts have also been submitted from Australia, Europe and the United States. The number of downloads from the web site have also increased recently and approximately 2,500 downloads have been recorded.

Although EHPM has a wonderful history and we are proud of the transitions that have been achieved, consideration should be given to improving the scientific quality of the published manuscripts in addition to the means of international transmission.

Based on these considerations, the international editorial board will be renewed from 2015. So, together with many Japanese editors, we will engage in international collaboration to improve the assessment of manuscripts submitted for publication, thereby further improving the international standing of EHPM.

Additionally, services for all authors and co-authors who have published in EHPM in the past as well as all international researchers in this field will begin. For example, when a manuscript published in EHPM is cited by a newly published manuscript in another journal, an e-mail notification will sent to all authors of the EHPM manuscript. When a new manuscript is published in EHPM, an e-mail notification will be sent to the corresponding authors of cited articles in the EHPM manuscript in an effort to increase the recognition of EHPM. Furthermore, an eBook series entitled “Current Topics in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine” and comprising 10 books will be published between 2015 to 2020 with specific focus on various scientific fields covered by EHPM. In fact, publication of the first issue of the eBook series entitled “Immunological effects of fibrous and particulate matters” has just begun.

Furthermore, in an effort to broaden the recognition of EHPM, the use of SNS such as Facebook notification in English as well as in Japanese will also be considered. This information will include publishing alerts for EHPM and the eBook series, brief introductions of topical manuscripts in the current issue, scientific topics in the field, reports of special categories in past EHPM manuscripts, and so on.

More importantly, the change in publishing style to Open Access Journal from web-based journal style publishing has recently been considered. An Open Access Journal style possesses many advantages for authors such as immediate transmission, ease of accessibility from anywhere and anyone in the world to facilitate the contribution of findings in our medical science fields to improve the health and quality of life in the world.

In conclusion, and on behalf of the members of the Editorial Board, I would like to offer my congratulations on this, the 20th anniversary of EHPM. This great milestone has been achieved by the intensive efforts of members of JSH, all authors of manuscripts submitted to EHPM, as well as all the readers of EHPM. We promise that EHPM will grow more and more to include important and valuable manuscripts in future issues to contribute towards a better understanding of environmental health and preventive medicine, as well as the health of all people in the world.

Please maintain an active interest in EHPM publishing by reading and submitting articles.

Gratefully yours, and with many thanks for your contributions to EHPM.

Editor-in-Chief

Takemi Otsuki

Deputy Editor-in-Chief

Takahiko Katoh