It was the unforgettable Prof. Taizo Nagano who initiated the new and first INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ADVANCES IN LEGAL MEDICINE (ISALM) under his chairmanship in Kanazawa (1990). In his preface for the proceedings Prof. Nagano wrote: “...With the remarkable advances in medicine and the rapid development of social pluralism, an increase in the diversification of social roles and responsibilities is also seen in the field of legal medicine. To meet these challenges, a new International Symposium Advances in Legal Medicine was jointly organized by the Medico-Legal Society of Japan and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Rechtsmedizin. The symposium is open to all countries and is aimed at achieving an advanced academic level. We sincerely wish to contribute to the development of legal medicine and the support of personal human rights and social justice, which are the ultimate desires of everyone today.”