On June 29, 2026, the “IRRI–MAFF CoolRice Project Kick-Off Meeting” was held at the headquarters of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños, Philippines. Dr. HASEGAWA Toshihiro, President of the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), gave a presentation.

On June 2–3, 2026, the “Second ASEAN Consultation Workshop and Capacity Building on Regenerative and Resilient Agriculture Systems,” co-organized by the ASEAN Secretariat, the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and the European Union (EU), was held in Denpasar, Indonesia, with the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) participating at the invitation of the ASEAN Secretariat.

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.

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.

The paper, “Protective role of reactive aluminum phases to stabilize soil organic matter against long-term cultivation in the humid tropics under volcanic influence, authored by JIRCAS Senior Researchers ARAI Miwa and IKAZAKI Kenta (both in the Crop, Livestock and Environment Division), has been selected for the 24th Japanese Society of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition (JSSSPN) SSPN Award (English Journal Paper Award).

On December 1, 2025, on Negros Island in the Republic of the Philippines, the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) held a symposium with its Philippine research partners to review the achievements of their five-year international collaborative research. Hosted by JIRCAS, the event was attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary ENDO Kazuya and First Secretary AKASAKA Hidenori from the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, reaffirming the importance of Japan–Philippines cooperation.

On August 21, 2025, Dr. Yvonne Pinto, Director General of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), visited the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), accompanied by Senior Scientist Dr. Kazuki Saito. IRRI and JIRCAS have maintained a longstanding partnership in agricultural research, particularly in rice cultivation, through collaborative studies, information exchange, and reciprocal visits by institutional leaders.

The Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) methodology for “Methane Emission Reduction by Water Management in Rice Paddy Fields” was approved by the Joint Committee for the JCM between the Philippines and Japan on 3 February 2025.

On June 28, 2024, JIRCAS co-hosted a press conference with NARO on the completion of the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) methodology for rice paddy methane reduction in the Philippines through an ADB-supported project. The event was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

On March 24–30, 2024, JIRCAS welcomed visitors from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) of the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines. Ms. Ma. Mitzi V. Mangwag, Board Member and Acting Administrator, together with Atty. Ignacio S. Santillana, Deputy Administrator, visited the Tropical Agricultural Research Front (TARF) in Ishigaki Island and JIRCAS Headquarters in Tsukuba. JIRCAS and SRA are collaborating on three projects: ‘Climate change measures in Monsoon Asia,' ‘Yama-Sato-Umi agroecosystem connectivity', and 'Tropical crop genetic resources.'