Historical view of development of comparative endocrinology in Japan

This article describing a brief history of development of comparative endocrinology in Japan is contributed to the journal General and Comparative Endocrinology, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of its publication. It covers significant works in the field of comparative endocrinology that have been done by Japanese endocrinologists, focusing those achieved during the past 70 years. The contents were arranged according to the taxonomical order of the experimental animals with which individual researchers or research groups have contributed to the acquisition of important knowledge in comparative endocrinology.

► The history of development of comparative endocrinology in Japan is described.
► It covers important works accomplished by Japanese colleagues for the past 70 years.
► It proves that Japanese investigators have made a great contribution to this field.
► On the basis of these outcomes, their further contribution to this field is expected.