July 11, 1981
Dear Dr. Varmus:
It was good to meet you and have your participation in the joint US-Japan Cancer Seminar last January in Honolulu.
I am now involved as a member of a committee planning a special series of lectures to be held as a part of a course presented to young medical and biomedical professionals here in Japan. This is sponsored by the Japan Medical Research Foundation which was established in 1973 for the purpose of cooperating in national health and medical care measures being taken on diseases of unknown etiologies. This is a private foundation, well recognized, with the country's prime minister and a former minister of health and welfare serving as advisors.
The lecture series is held annually in January and we usually invite two or three foreign scientists and about ten Japanese scientists to present talks of an hour and a half. The dates for 1982 are the four days from January 5-8 and the topic is recombinant DNA research. Since you have applied this technique to the understanding of viral and eukaryotic gene expression and regulation, a presentation from you to this particularly chosen group of young professionals (average age about twenty-seven) would be timely and carry great impact.
Your round-trip economy air fare to Tokyo would be completely covered, as well as all lodging and meal expenses at the Oiso Prince Hotel where the series will be held. There would also be a modest honorarium. Oiso is located fifty miles south of Tokyo at the seaside and the setting of the series will be quite informal. There should be some good opportunities for exchanges with the participants and lecturers and, perhaps more important to you personally, with some of the other senior people in Japan working on this subject. Although the entire list of participants is not yet available, such individuals as Professor Y. Takagi of Kyushu University and Professor I. Watanabe of Keio University will be taking part.  (Dr. Watanabe and Dr. J. D. Watson have been working together toward the establishment of AMBO.)
I apologize for having to say that I would greatly appreciate having your
reply just as quickly as possible.  Regrettably, but perhaps understandably the way we all function in our busy lives, this letter is late in being sent to you. For planning purposes, we would like very much to have your reply by very early letter or, even better, by cable or telephone, if possible. My laboratory telephone is shown on the letterhead and my extension is 2635; my home phone is (03)757-3100.
I do hope you will find it possible to come.
Sincerely,
Yogi Ikawa, M.D. and Ph.D.
Chief, Dept. of Viral Oncology