On December 8, 2021, TAMASHIRO Satoshi, Director General of the Okinawa Prefectural Agricultural Research Center, together with IREI Shin, Director of Crop and Environmental Research Division, and WATANABE Tamaki, Head of Research Planning Group, Administration and Planning Division, visited the JIRCAS Tropical Agriculture Research Front (TARF) located in Ishigaki City, Okinawa Prefecture.

Prior to this visit, JIRCAS Program Director HAYASHI Keiichi (Environment Program), Project Leader ANZAI Toshihiko (Yama-Sato-Umi agroecosystem connectivity Project), and Regional Coordinator ANDO Shotaro paid a courtesy call to the Okinawa Prefectural Agricultural Research Center on November 11, 2021, and exchanged opinions on the possibility of future joint research and cooperation.

During the visit, they inspected the two JIRCAS projects, “Yama-Sato-Umi agroecosystem connectivity“ and "Tropical crop genetic resources," which are mainly being conducted at TARF. These projects emphasize collaboration with domestic research institutes and contribution to Okinawa Prefecture, and the Okinawa Prefectural Agricultural Research Center is a very important research institute in these research areas.

JIRCAS and the Okinawa Prefectural Agricultural Research Center will continue to exchange views on the possibility of joint research and cooperation in the future.