William Shakespeare, a legendary English dramatist, once remarked: “All’s well that ends well”. While this is certainly a famous maxim, I believe that there should be another maxim of equal significance: “All’s well that begins well”. A very important new English-language journal the Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science or APJPS has just sailed from Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun, into the academic ocean of regional science around the world. I would sincerely wish a good start and favorable sailing. If the beginning is well, I am confident that everything is going very well.

The title per se of the journal sounds highly motivated and strongly challenging: its scope and coverage should be as vast and comprehensive as the Asian Continent and the Pacific Ocean. Presumably, it includes good-quality articles in many interrelated areas, such as economic theory, econometrics, policy science, international and regional economics, environmental studies, and civil engineering.

Personally speaking, I have known Professor Dr. Yoshiro Higano, the editor-in-chief, for so many years, and have strong conviction of his warmest heart and superb managing skill. If I dare to translate the family name “Higano” into English, I think that it literally means “ice and smoothing plane”. Surely, he is as open-minded as ice field, and as conciliatory as first-rate smoothing plane. Veteran members including myself are ready to give wholehearted support to the new ambitious journal. As the saying goes, where there is a will, there is a way!

Yasuhiro Sakai

Former President

The Japan Section of the Regional Science Association International.