More than 80 years have passed since Japan became a member of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). Currently, 41 Company Associates and 73 affiliate members (individuals) have joined the IUPAC. The Science Council of Japan is one of the 44 National Adhering Organizations of the IUPAC worldwide. The IUPAC is in particularly close contact with the Liaison Committee for Chemistry of the Science Council. Akio Yamamoto of Waseda University is chairman and has been dealing with IUPAC-related general affairs for such specific matters as membership, current topics discussed within the IUPAC and management of international conferences.

Many Japanese delegates have contributed to the IUPAC activity as President, Vice Presidents, and other Bureau Members. Their names are shown in the table below.

Japanese members who have contributed as members of the International Association of Chemical Societies (IACS founded in 1911) are Nagayoshi Nagai, Joji Sakurai, and Toyokichi Takamatsu, who were members of the Tokyo Chemical Society. Joji Sakurai was elected as the first Japanese Vice President from 1928-30. The position of Vice President was assigned to Koichi Matsubara from 1934-38 and to Saburo Nagakura from 1979-81. Saburo Nagakura was elected as the first Japanese President from 1981-83 and then Past President from 1983-85.

The Bureau, elected by the IUPAC Council in 1919, then consisted of 6 people (the President, four Vice Presidents, and the Secretary General). The number of Bureau members was increased to 17 in 1947 and to 20 in 1951. San-ichiro Mizushima was among the 6 Members of the Bureau for 1955-57. He served again as a Bureau Member from 1959-65. In 1963, a further increase in representation on the Bureau was achieved by the Council resolution stating that there would be twelve Elected Members of the Bureau for the next biennium in addition to the Officers of the Union. Since then, 5 Japanese delegates have been Elected Members, as is listed in the table below.

In 1949, there were 6 Sections in the Bureau; I. Physical Chemistry, II. Inorganic Chemistry, III. Organic Chemistry, IV. Biological Chemistry, V. Analytical Chemistry, VI. Applied Chemistry. Each Section with a Section President had some Commissions with Section Committees. In 1963, Sections became Divisions and the Divisions in former Section VI became Sections according to the new Statutes.

Nobuyuki Tanaka was elected Division President of Division V (Analytical) from 1973-75 and from 1975-77. In 1979, the Clinical Chemistry Section was moved to Division VII. The title of Division IV was changed to Macromolecular Chemistry. In 1996, Division VI was merged into the Division of Chemistry and the Environment, and a new Division VII, Chemistry and Human Health, was formed to combine the Clinical Chemistry Division and the Medicinal Chemistry Section (former Commissions of Division III). The Commission on Biotechnology was moved to Division III in 1999, and the name of the Division was changed to Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry. Most changes were in response to continuous advances in chemistry and interdisciplinary chemistry in particular.

Some Japanese contributors are also mentioned in the message from Professor Steyn, the current IUPAC President to CSJ's 125th anniversary. In addition to those high-ranking officers, numerous CSJ members have been past, or are acting as, Titular Members, Associate Members, National Representatives, or Observers in the IUPAC Divisions, Committees, and Commissions at the IUPAC General Assembly held every other year.

The CSJ has organized many IUPAC-sponsored Congresses, Conferences, and Symposia in Japan, as listed below:

· September 1977, 26th IUPAC Congress
· May 1987, CHEMRAWN VI World Conference
· May-June 1993, 2nd Workshop on Safety in Chemical Production
· June 1993, 2nd International Symposium on Bioorganic Chemistry
· July 1999, 26th International Conference on Solution Chemistry
· August 2001, ICAS-2001