[Introduction] Work-life balance has become increasingly important in modern society, leading to efforts to promote flexible working arrangements. Acupuncturists have various career options, including self-employment, employment, and freelance work. However, how these work styles impact job satisfaction and work-life balance remains underexplored. Previous surveys have classified acupuncturists' work styles into broad categories such as "self-employment" and "employment." However, recent trends show expanding career opportunities, including roles in sports, education, and beauty industries, as well as multiple job combinations. Additionally, not all licensed acupuncturists work in traditional clinical settings, suggesting diverse career paths. Despite these developments, research on the relationship between work styles, job satisfaction, and quality of life among acupuncturists remains limited. This study explores these factors, aiming to provide insights into how diverse career options influence satisfaction and work-life balance, contributing to discussions on acupuncture career development.[Methods] A cross-sectional study was conducted among currently working acupuncturists. An online questionnaire was distributed with the cooperation of the Japan Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, the Japan Acupuncture and Moxibustion Association, the All Japan Acupuncture and Massage Association, and a specific SNS group. The survey included items on gender, years of licensure, work style, working hours, marital status, sense of ease (time, economic, mental, and overall life), and satisfaction (work, life, and work-life balance). Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, and logistic regression analyses were used to assess factors influencing satisfaction.[Results] A total of 500 responses were analyzed. Work styles were distributed as follows: self-employment (65.6%), employment (25.6%), freelance (5.8%), and other occupations (3.0%). The proportion of participants reporting a positive sense of ease ranged from 58.6% to 76.2%, and those with positive satisfaction ranged from 68.2% to 79.4%. Logistic regression analysis revealed no significant association between work style or years of licensure and satisfaction. However, longer working hours were associated with lower satisfaction in both private life and work-life balance.[Discussion] This study indicates that acupuncturists have diverse work styles, and their satisfaction levels were not significantly affected by work style or years of licensure. The presence of multiple work options allows individuals to choose a work style that suits their circumstances and values, potentially contributing to higher satisfaction and quality of life. Additionally, working hours and financial stability were key factors influencing satisfaction. These findings contribute to discussions on career paths and work styles among acupuncturists.

The 6th International Society for Japanese Kampo Medicine (ISJKM) Symposium was held in Oxford, UK from September 22nd to 23rd, 2023. The society has developed from a private group, and although it was a very small association with only about 60 participants this time, we participants were able to take advantage of this to hold a very in-depth symposium where we could have direct discussions with each other. Since the society was named after Japanese Kampo, it was noted that a specific number of Japanese attendees were present at each event. However, this time around, half of the participants were Japanese, which was a higher percentage than usual. The conference took place at Christ Church College, Oxford University, and the ambiance of the venue, as well as the gala dinner, provided a substantial added value to attending the conference. 　The content of the presentations was rich in individuality and variety, showing the deep love for Japanese Kampo medicine and acupuncture from each person's perspective, which I thought was another characteristic of the society. I noticed that the audience was paying close attention to each of the presentations. Sessions were organized for each content of presentation, including sessions on education and outreach, sessions on historical perspectives, sessions on pharmacobotany and basic research, and clinical sessions. The ratio of oral presentations and poster presentations was approximately equal. I presented on 14 cases of pediatric acupuncture for children with disabilities conducted by my research group in pediatric acupuncture. In addition, I would like to report on presentations that left an impression on me and other points that left an impression on me.

The WFAS Houston 2016 annual conference was held in the Royal Sonesta Hotel, Houston, Texas, USA from 31 October to 2 November 2014. The theme of the conference was "East Meets West -Shaping the Future of Healthcare", and more than 900 acupuncture practitioners and scientists participated. The number of papers presented was 216, including 6 keynote lectures. Papers from Japan numbered 11.
At the Executive Committee (EC) meeting, 39 of the 76 EC members were present (10 EC members sent a letter of attorney in advance), including 3from Japan. Although Tokyo was approved as a host city of WFAS 2016 last year, we proposed changing the venue to the Tsukuba International Congress Center, which was approved.

Attentional disturbance following brain damage is usually evaluated by several neuropsychological tests. In a rehabilitation setting, however, the primary concern is not task performance, but rather functional real-world behavior. To address this requirement, a new assessment system for attentional behavior, BAAD (Behavioral Assessment of Attentional Disturbance), has been developed. This assessment is generally completed by the patient's therapist (occupational therapist, OT) during therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether BAAD completed by the family at home (BAAD-FM) yields results that are comparable to BAAD completed by an OT during occupational therapy (BAAD-OT). The subjects were 53 patients with brain damage. BAAD consists of six items thought to be associated with attentional behaviors. Each item is rated (0 to 3) based on the frequency with which the problem behaviors appeared during daily living at home and daily sessions of occupational therapy. The intraclass-correlation coefficient of the total score between BAAD-FM and BAAD-OT was 0.89. The mean (SD) values of the total scores were 3.7 (3.7) and 3.7 (3.6), respectively. Similarly, there were no significant differences in any of the item scores between BAAD-FM and BAAD-OT. The coincidence rate between the two BAAD tests on an item-by-item basis was over 64% for all items but one (43%). In conclusion, the total BAAD-FM score seemed comparable to the total BAAD-OT score and valuable for detecting attentional disturbance.