CAPRI recently visited Tokyo and New Delhi, engaging with top policymakers, researchers, and institutions, to strengthen institutional ties and explore collaboration on shared regional priorities.

In Tokyo, we met key government agencies, including the Bureau of Environment at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, where Director Toshiko Chiba outlined Tokyo’s approach to sustainability and urban resilience, ranging from green infrastructure to public awareness campaigns. We also met leaders from prominent think tanks, such as the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) and Sasakawa Peace Foundation, as well as experts from leading universities, including CAPRI Senior Fellow Shuhei Nomura.

Across government offices and think tanks in Japan, there was strong interest in CAPRI’s mission, with many opportunities for joint initiatives, especially in areas like youth mental wellness, sustainability, and technology policy, which align with CAPRI’s ongoing initiatives. 

We also attended the Tokyo Conference 2025 hosted by Genron NPO, where former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivered the keynote. Sunjoy Joshi, Chairman of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and Vice-Chair of CAPRI’s International Advisory Council, joined fellow leaders in calling for enhanced regional cooperation amid a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape.

Fumio Kishida’s keynote and Sunjoy Joshi’s panel at Tokyo Conference 2025 (March 4)

While Japan’s approach is structured and methodical, India thrives on dynamism and debate; CAPRI witnessed this first hand at the Raisina Dialogue, India’s flagship global affairs forum hosted by the ORF. Sunjoy Joshi presented opening remarks on this year’s theme, Kalachakra—a reflection on cycles of decay and renewal in the global order. CAPRI board member Alicia García Herrero spoke on a panel addressing the shifting global trade order and its implications for China.

Sunjoy Joshi’s remarks and Alicia García Herrero’s panel at Raisina Dialogue 2025 (March 18)

Beyond the public stage, CAPRI engaged with directors of other leading think tanks in India, including Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW) and the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI), to exchange insights in areas of transformative technologies, green transition, and regional economic integration. With the vast variety of ideologies and perspectives coexisting in the Asia Pacific, the challenge—and, thus, the opportunity—lies in bringing these perspectives together and learning from each other.

These discussions not only furthered our understanding of regional dynamics but also provided valuable insights that will inform CAPRI’s work. Given the evolving geopolitical and economic roles of various Asia-Pacific countries in the global arena as well as CAPRI’s forthcoming participation in Expo 2025 Osaka, these partnerships enhance CAPRI’s ability to support innovative policymaking grounded in multidisciplinary and cross-border research.