On November 18, 2021, H. E. Mr. Robert Takata, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Dominican Republic, visited JIRCAS and exchanged opinions with President Koyama and other executive staff on the possibility of joint research.

Rice, cacao, sugarcane, and coffee are the main crops grown in the Dominican Republic, one of the Caribbean countries. The government of the country is aiming to further develop its agricultural sector, focusing on improving agricultural technology and ensuring stable food production. In addition, the Dominican Republic has a long history of Japanese immigrants, many of whom worked in agriculture and contributed to the improvement of the country's diet.

During the exchange of opinions, Ambassador Takata pointed out that Japan and the Dominican Republic are both island countries, and that they have common research issues related to preparedness for typhoons and other disasters, fisheries, and transboundary pests and diseases. He also mentioned that the tropical crops such as sugarcane and tropical fruit trees could be a potential joint research theme since the JIRCAS Tropical Agriculture Research Front (Ishigaki City) has a similar climate to the Dominican Republic.

Ambassador Takata stated that he would like to explore the possibility of international joint research in the future, starting with exchange with the Institute of Agriculture and Forestry (IDAF) and ISA University of the Dominican Republic on common research issues.

In response, Pres. Koyama mentioned the importance of the ties between the two countries through immigration, and stated that he would like to explore the possibility of future joint research through the exchange of information between researchers.