In the 197Os, there were few graph theorists among the 5000 members of the
Japan Mathematics Society. Graph Theory was not even considered a suitable
area in which to write a Ph.D. dissertation.
The situation has changed over the last few years; through the efforts of a small
but determined group of mathematicians, Graph Theory has flourished in Japan
and Japanese graph theorists have received worldwide acceptance. The phenom￾enal success of the First Japan Conference of Graph Theory and Applications
held in Hakone, Japan, June 1-5, 1986 is an affirmation of this acceptance.
The conference was attended by 200 participants representing 22 countries.
This volume contains the Proceedings of that conference.
The overwhelming response we have received from graph theorists all over the
world encourages us to plan a Second Conference in Hakone, to precede the
IMU Conference, scheduled to be held in Kyoto, Japan in 1990.