Along with the American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society, APSR is one of the largest Respiratory Societies in the world. Having been established in 1986, the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR) held its first academic conference in Tokyo, Japan in October, 1988, before turning it into an annual occurrence in 2000. It has enjoyed continued growth and is now recognized together with American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS) as major international conferences. APSR is aimed at promoting friendship and the sharing of the latest knowledge and research findings among physicians, nurses, lung function technicians, and respiratory rehabilitation therapists involved in the treatment of respiratory diseases in such Asia-Pacific countries/regions.