On July 29, 2026, the “Children’s Kasumigaseki Tour Day 2026,” hosted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), was held at the ministry’s headquarters in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. The event attracted numerous visitors, particularly families with children. The Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) cooperated in the Tsukuba City exhibition booth titled “Save the Earth with Potato Chip Oil! An SOS from the Tropical Rainforest: Solving Tough Challenges with Cutting-Edge Technology and Innovative Ideas.” Dr. OMORI Keisuke, Director of the Information and Strategy Program at JIRCAS, served as lecturer.

On July 13, 2026, the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), in collaboration with the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) and the Food and Fertilizer Technology Center for the Asian and Pacific Region (FFTC), held the international workshop entitled “2026 JIRCAS-NARO-FFTC Joint International Workshop on Soil Health and Multifunctionality: Integrating Science and Practice for a Sustainable Future” at the Tsukuba International Congress Center. 

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.

On April 3, 2026, we had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Virender Kumar (Research Director), Dr. Saito Kazuki (Senior Scientist), and Dr. Iwanaga Masa (Board Member) from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for a courtesy visit and technical exchange.

On March 13, 2026, a delegation led by Mr. Adam Nowak, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Republic of Poland, visited the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS). They exchanged views on agricultural challenges with President KOYAMA Osamu (at the time) and others.

On March 16, 2026, the award ceremony for the Japanese Forestry Society was held during the 137th Annual Meeting of the Society at the Tsukuba International Congress Center.
At the ceremony, Dr. TANAKA Kenzo, Senior Researcher in the Forestry Division of JIRCAS, received the Society Award, while Dr. KATSUURA Hiiragi, Researcher in the same division, received the Young Scientist Encouragement Award.

On March 16, 2026, at the 139th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Tropical Agriculture (JSTA) held at the University of Tsukuba, Dr. DAN Haruyuki, Senior Researcher in the Rural Development Division, received the JSTA President’s Award and delivered a commemorative lecture.

On March 10, 2026, Prof. Andrea Rocchi, President of the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), and Mr. Sergio Marchi, Director General of the Institute of Services for the Agricultural and Food Market (ISMEA), visited JIRCAS and exchanged views with President KOYAMA Osamu and other executives.

In February 2026, an episode titled “Sorgoleone with Drs. Sakiko Okumoto, Bill Rooney, and Guntur Subbarao” was released on Field, Lab, Earth, a podcast distributed by three major U.S. crop science societies — the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America.

From November 13 to 15, 2025, JIRCAS participated in various events at COP30 (held in Belém, Brazil) and introduced its research and collaborative activities.