The Heat Transfer Society of Japan (HTSJ), herein "the Society," was founded in 1961. A series of events have been held to commemorate its 50th anniversary during 2011-2012. I participated in the events, talking and writing on the history of the Society. This article is based on the materials I collected for my roles in the events, my recollections of the past, and my personal considerations about the Society and heat transfer research. Throughout the article I attempt to explain the Society's history in the light of organizational, technological, and industrial developments that have proceeded in the universities and the industry in the past 50 years. The Society made its start as a nationwide coalition of study groups organized by the founding academics. A symbolic feat of heat transfer research at the time, known as the Nukiyama curve, is briefly described. The evolution of the Society in subsequent years mirrors the industrial developments in Japan. The Society's commitments to the international heat transfer community are summarized. Also, the issue of industry/academia collaboration is discussed. Finally, a short discussion on the present and future generations of HTSJ members concludes the article.