The third year as Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Human Genetics is over. The Impact Factor has remained at a similar level (2.487). The Journal of Human Genetics published 158 papers in 2016. We prepared a special issue describing non-coding RNAs in human diseases in 2016, which was published in January 2017. I would like to express my appreciation to guest editors, Drs Naohiko Seki and Akira Hata, and all the contributors for their hard work. I hope the special issue will attract attention from a broad readership.

In 2016, we celebrated Professor Yoshinori Ohsumi receiving 2016’s Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine. His outstanding achievements in autophagy have opened up new research fields related to human diseases. I myself discovered disease-causing mutations of WDR45 encoding WIPI4, a core protein in autophagy. I expect more manuscripts related to autophagy in the Journal of Human Genetics.

The sister online open-access journal, Human Genome Variation, was registered in PubMed in 2016. I feel Human Genome Variation is steadily progressing.

In 2017, we are again planning a special issue. I am looking forward to it, and of course to receiving more exciting manuscripts for the Journal of Human Genetics from all over the world.