Congratulations to the Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics (JRM) on its 30th anniversary. I would like to thank all authors and readers who have contributed to the JRM through 30 years.

The JRM started as an English-language journal published to provide articles on robot technologies to the world from Japan. It has been jointly edited by the Robotics and Mechatronics Division (RMD) of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) and Fuji Technology Press Ltd. Five years ago, when the English-language journal of the JSME was reorganized, the JRM also underwent some changes, and it has since been issued under the editorial direction of Fuji Technology Press Ltd. Immediately after the reorganization, beginning with Vol.26, I was appointed Editor-in-Chief. Now, as five years have passed, the next Editor-in-Chief will take over from Vol.31. Over these five years, the number of submissions and their quality have been our major concern, as we have been seeking to register the JRM with the Science Citation Index (SCI). To achieve this goal, we have published special issues on the robot technologies required as the field has progressed as well as on the mechatronics technologies that underlie them.

The JRM plans to continue providing the world with information on robot technologies, so please keep reading it and submitting your articles to it on a regular basis.

Yoshihiro Takita