History of Japanese Society of Human-Environment System

The thermal environment is basically related to all creatures including human and therefore comprises an important part of the human-environment system. To establish optimal state of man-thermal environment system, the various problems involved should be resolved systematically in close cooperation of researchers who work in the different fields.

The Society of Study on the Regulation System in Biology was established in April 1967 to strengthen the communication between medical science/biology and engineering science and technology, and develop the academic study in their boundary spheres. In October 1974, the Sub-Committee of Thermal Sensation was then established in "The Society of Heating, Air-Conditioning and Sanitary Engineers of Japan", and in August 1977, the first Symposium on Man-Thermal Environment System was held. Since then, the Symposium on Man-Thermal Environment System has been annually held with the auspice of The Science Council of Japan.

The topics of the symposium, however, changed from those on thermal environments to those on environments including air quality, urban climate and global environments. Taking into account of those changes, the panel discussion entitled "Space, Earth, City, Architecture, Clothing and Human" was held in the 16th symposium. Almost all participants realized that it was necessary to have cooperative studies beyond specialties. Therefore, the 17th Man-Thermal Environment System was entitled "Human-Environment System", and the preparation committee was reorganized.

Since the research subjects of the society are wide and comprehensive, the name of the society changed to "Japanese Society of Human-Environment System". In addition, since Japanese title of the Society was changed in 2003, the 28th Symposium has been entitled "Annul meeting of Japanese Society of Human-Environment System: the 28th Symposium of Human-Environment System".

Until now, the basic data of physiology and psychology relating to human body temperature regulation in ordinary persons, the aged, the disabled and children have been accumulated, and research studies on the thermal environment of residences, offices, factories, vehicles and old private houses have been conducted. The problems of adverse environments such as the work during fire fighting, in refrigerating warehouses and under high/low pressure environment, and the problems relating to the body temperature regulation during exercise, sleeping and bedding have been discussed.

Through the Symposium, information has been exchanged between researchers of medical science, physiology, human engineering, air conditioning and sanitary engineering, clothing hygiene, architecture, control engineering, and heat transfer engineering, and engineers engaged in the industries of residences, construction, textile, the medical treatment, air conditioning system, control equipment, fire fighting, and automobile, and cooperative researches in diversified fields have been carried out.

For the purpose of constituting a research organization based on the actual living and technology, the Symposium has widely been appreciated as a virtually interdisciplinary one thanks to the cooperation from various fields.


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