JSS elects the President and Director-General every two years. They play important roles to support and develop activities of the JSS and help JSS contribute to enhance the discipline of statistics. Past Presidents and Directors-General were elected among statisticians as well as researchers in various related fields.
Yutaka Kano (June 2025 – June 2027)
Professor, Doshisha University
Dear JSS Members,
I am honored to have been elected President of the Japan Statistical Society (JSS) at the June 2025 Board Meeting. The JSS, established in 1931, is a society with a proud and distinguished history, now approaching its centennial. It is a great privilege to serve as president of such a venerable organization. I will strive to contribute to the society to the best of my ability, building upon the achievements of my predecessor, Prof. Nobuhiko Terui, and all past presidents, while working closely with the Executive Board led by Director-General Prof. Makoto Aoshima, the auditors, councilors, and all JSS members. I sincerely ask for your continued guidance and support.
According to the most recent newsletter (issued April 30, 2025), the JSS has 1,470 members. This number, unfortunately, cannot be considered large. For comparison, the American Statistical Association (ASA) has about 19,000 members, the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) in the UK about 11,000, and the Korean Statistical Society (KSS) about 6,000 (approximate figures). When adjusted for population, the gap becomes even more striking. Despite the growing public recognition of “Data Science” in Japan, we have not seen a corresponding increase in membership of statistical societies. Of course, the size of a society is not everything. However, given the broad scope of statistics and its related fields, increasing membership and promoting communication among members will be essential to support and advance the disciplines.
It has long been my impression that statistics is not as widely recognized in Japan as it should be. That said, recent initiatives are very encouraging: improvements in statistics education in elementary and junior high schools led by the Ministry of Education, more substantive teaching of statistics at the high school level, the establishment of data science-related faculties and departments, programs to strengthen the training of instructors, educators in statistics and data science, and offering statistics certification exams officially recognized by this society. I hope these developments will further elevate public understanding of statistics and data science in Japan and help these fields contribute to cultural and industrial revitalization, as well as to improving the quality of life for individuals.
One important challenge today is how we can meaningfully integrate machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) into statistics and data science. As you know, AI is proving extremely useful in practice and as a research tool—enhancing cost and time efficiency in areas such as summarization, translation, image processing, content generation (text, images, and video), and programming. It was recently reported that a paper written by AI passed peer review—a sign of how far we’ve come. Looking back, it is impossible to discuss the development of statistics without acknowledging the impact of advances in computing. Since the mid-20th century, general-purpose statistical software such as SAS and SPSS contributed greatly to statistical practice and empirical research. These were later ported to PCs and workstations, followed by programs developed specifically for personal computers (e.g., SAS JMP, S, Excel), which freed statisticians from manual calculations and hand-drawn graphics. Today, we see widespread use of open-source statistical programming languages such as R and Python. As a result, the community of end-users of statistics and data science has expanded significantly.
Yet the true revolution in computational statistics came not just from tools, but from the integration of simulation methods such as the bootstrap and various Monte Carlo techniques. Similarly, I believe the next leap forward will be found not merely in the efficiency gains AI offers, but in how AI might catalyze a genuine revolution in statistics—worthy of the name “AI-based statistics.” It is my sincere hope that the Japan Statistical Society can help foster an environment in which such a transformation can take place.
Makoto Aoshima (June 2025 – June 2027)
Professor, University of Tsukuba
Dear JSS members,
It is with a deep sense of responsibility that I assume the role of Director-General of the Japan Statistical Society (JSS). Since its founding in 1931, the JSS has played a leading role in advancing the field of statistics in Japan, and it carries a rich tradition and history. Over the years, I have been involved in various capacities within the society—as a councilor, board member, and director. I have also served as Editor-in-Chief of both the Japanese and English-language journals of the society, including the Japanese Journal of Statistics and Data Science (JJSD). Drawing on the experience and insights I have gained through these roles, I am committed to fulfilling my responsibilities as Director-General with sincerity and dedication.
Statistics is a discipline that constantly evolves in response to the changing times. At its core lies a body of knowledge designed to grapple with uncertainty—uniquely balancing rigorous theoretical foundations with flexible practical applications. In recent years, the rapid development of big data and artificial intelligence (AI) has further highlighted the indispensable role of statistics. At the same time, new data environments have brought not only technological innovations but also profound challenges in ethics, trust, and public responsibility. Today, statistics is entering an era of qualitative transformation, moving beyond quantitative expansion. In this context, I intend to lead the society under the following three core principles.
1. Strengthening the Academic Foundations of Statistics
To ensure that statistics continues to generate valuable insights through collaboration with other disciplines, we must further reinforce and deepen its rigorous theoretical foundations. Actively engaging in the development of new theories that address contemporary challenges is essential. In collaboration with other organizations such as the Japanese Federation of Statistical Science Associations, we aim to promote international initiatives and enhance the mathematical foundations of our field. Strengthening our ties with the Mathematical Society of Japan and the Japan Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics will also facilitate shared methodologies and mutual understanding, thereby supporting the academic autonomy and creativity of statistics.
2. Advancing Education, Human Resource Development, and Statistical Literacy
Today, statistical thinking and data literacy are essential not only for researchers but for all members of society. Integrating statistical education into primary and secondary curricula, establishing well-structured programs in higher education, and revitalizing statistical education as a form of lifelong learning are urgent social needs. Through the work of the JSS Special Committee of Statistical Education and the Quality Assurance Committee, and in cooperation with the Japanese Association for Promoting Quality Assurance in Statistics, which oversees the JSS Certificate, we will strengthen our educational support activities.
3. Promoting Public Trust and the Social Value of Statistics
Statistics serves as a public good that supports informed decision-making in society. The appropriate interpretation and use of statistical information are critical across diverse domains such as policymaking, healthcare, industry, and journalism. However, we are also witnessing increasing instances of misuse, misinterpretation, and a decline in public trust in statistics. To address this, the JSS will engage in constructive dialogue with diverse stakeholders through public outreach and awareness initiatives, including policy proposals concerning official statistics and collaboration with the media and educational sectors. Through these efforts, we aim to communicate the reliability and relevance of statistics to society.
Guided by these three pillars, I am committed to working closely with President Yutaka Kano and the esteemed members of our Executive Board—colleagues in whom I place the utmost trust—to ensure that the society is administered in a steady and dynamic manner. In doing so, we will adhere to the principles of transparency and fairness, and we will promote diversity and inclusion, including efforts to achieve gender equity, support young researchers, and further the internationalization of our society.
At its heart, statistics is an intellectual endeavor that seeks to find order and structure in the midst of uncertainty. This perspective resonates deeply with the vision of a society that embraces diverse values and learns together. In these uncertain times, we, as statisticians, aspire to serve as the conscience of science and contribute meaningfully to society.
I sincerely ask for your continued support as we work together for the advancement of the Japan Statistical Society.
