Bone is a dynamic tissue, in which bone formation by osteoblasts and bone resorption by osteoclasts continue throughout life. In 1998, we molecularly cloned osteoclast differentiation factor (ODF), a long-thought factor responsible for osteoclast formation. This review article describes how Japanese scientists contributed to osteoclast biology before and after the discovery of ODF. This review article is based on the Louis V. Avioli Memorial Lecture of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) held in Honolulu in September, 2007.