Forty Years AgoAugust,1969 in the prime of the nation-wide university strife, the Japan Society for Medical Education was founded within the Association of Japanese Medical Colleges in order to improve medical education through a long-ranged research-based activity and became an independent organization later.Achievements AfterwardOnly 62 members at the beginning have increased year after year to 2,000 and 230 organization members, including all 80 medical schools, in response to the societal summons. The Society's activities have ranged widely from the undergraduate medical education, begun at the student selection, the graduate education to the continuing education of the health professionals with and through evidence-based research.Some of the real activities during the past forty years have been as follows: (1)Various committees and working groups have worked continuously toward momentarily crucial issues facing medical education, (2)The scientific meetings have been held annually at the medical schools or teaching hospitals for forty years as well as conferences and workshops occasionally, (3)The official journal "Medical Education (Japan)" has been published bimonthly and the educational books as well, (4)Promotion and cooperation of "faculty development" have been one of the most important tasks, (5)Assistance to build the medical education centers in medical schools and hospitals and (6)many others.Future ProspectivesThe Japan Society for Medical Education will continue every activity for the people's health and welfare as an organization of "noblesse oblige".