The Center for Bioethics hosted a delegation of 8 faculty  from Japanese Universities led by Prof. Satoko Tatsui (Faculty of Law  Meijigakuin University, Tokyo) on February 23, 2010. The visit had three goals: to discuss  ethics and governance on human biobanks and genetic databases in the US  and Japan; the policy-making process in various circumstances; and the  activities of the IUCB. The visit is a part of the preparatory work that  this team is undertaking to establish a center for bioethics at Sophia  University. We look forward to the future collaborations that will  result from this successful, day-long visit.