[Trends of tuberculosis researches in Japan and the roles of Kekkaku].

Based on a recent bibliometrics report on tuberculosis research, a brief introduction was made on the recent trends of scientific publications in English as well as in Japanese by Japanese researchers. The publication of tuberculosis papers in the Japanese journals and the changes in papers accommodated in Kekkaku, the official organ of the Japanese Society for Tuberculosis, were analysed. Finally, the roles for Kekkaku as a journal in Japanese language to activate the researches in Japan were discussed and some proposals were made.