H.E. Mr. Yoshitaka Shindo, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan, visited ERIA on April 29, 2013 and Prof. Hidetoshi Nishimura, Executive Director of ERIA, and other senior officials welcomed the Minister.

Prof. Nishimura explained the history of ERIA's establishment and achievements highlighting the outcomes from the ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit in previous years. The Minister expressed his expectations to ERIA for contributing towards ASEAN Economic Community by 2015 and beyond. They also exchanged the views on ICT matters in the region.