From April 9 to 10, 2026, the “First ASEAN Consultation Workshop and Capacity Building: Development of Regenerative and Resilient Agriculture Systems Implementation Plan and Biochar Guidelines,” an event co-hosted by the ASEAN Secretariat and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), was held in Hanoi, Vietnam. The Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) participated in the workshop at the invitation of the ASEAN Secretariat.

In the 2026 Spring Conferment of Decorations, Dr. IWANAGA Masa, former President of the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, in recognition of his long-standing contributions to solving agricultural and food issues in Japan and the international community, as well as to the advancement of international agricultural research.