Dear all,

We hope things with you are getting better day by day.

Due to the continuing spread of COVID-19 all over the world, we will hold the TOPIC 2021 (9th - 10th, July), conference virtually on our WEBSITE this year, along with a downsizing of programmes. Therefore, unfortunately, we have decided to conduct the programmes in Japanese language only without translation. However, this by no means means that participants who do not speak Japanese are not welcome. If this year’s format is acceptable for you, we will be happy for you to join TOPIC 2021.

Thank you for your understanding.
We hope to meet you all again at a real venue in the near future.

Best regards,

TOPIC Course Directors
TOPIC Secretariat

2020 is a year to remember because, about one century after the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, the globe has faced the COVID-19 pandemic, which has threatened our lives, livelihoods, and communities. It has caused economic stagnation, considerably limited movement between countries, and forced the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to be postponed. Humans are currently in an unprecedented situation with this pandemic as there are no signs of its termination.

We, the TOPIC course directors, were also obliged to cancel all programs for TOPIC 2020 and even change our daily routines. However, even during such a very difficult time, we health professionals cannot stop our steps or tread water. In the meantime, the time has come to consider how to hold TOPIC 2021 and to begin preparations for the conference.

Through web-based discussion of this issue, we have decided to hold TOPIC 2021 in a completely web-based format without face-to-face live demonstrations. We think that this conference format will have various known or unknown advantages. For example, individual participants can watch live-streamed videos of PCI demonstrations, though on a smaller scale, at their home or workplace without the need to visit the conference site. We plan to hold TOPIC 2021 over two days, from July 9 (Friday) to July 10 (Saturday), JST. As in past years, TOPIC 2021 will focus on live demonstrations all-day-long with a variety of additional programs.

We would like to inform you that Dr. Toshiya Muramatsu, currently with Osaki Hospital Tokyo Heart Center, who has contributed to the evolution of TOPIC as a course director since its birth in 2003, is to retire from the position at the end of this year. Dr. Muramatsu will continue to watch over the further evolution of TOPIC as an honorary course director. On behalf of all of TOPIC directors, we, the current course directors, would like to express our sincere thanks to Dr. Muramatsu for the years of his labor.

In the so-called ‘with-Corona’ era, we will make every effort to make TOPIC 2021 successful while exploring the unique advantages of joining or conducting a web-based video conference. We really appreciate your cooperation and participation.

December, 2020

TOkyo Percutaneous cardiovascular Intervention Conference

Course Directors
Yasushi Asakura
Yoshiaki Ito
Masato Nakamura
Masahiko Ochiai