From July 31 to August 1, 2019, Dr. Ariel Guarco, President of International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) visited Japan.

On July 31, he met with representatives from 13 ICA member organizations in Japan including HONDA Eiichi, President of JCCU.

Mr. NAKAYA Toru, President of the Japan Co-operative Alliance (JCA), also serving as the President of the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-ZENCHU) gave a welcome greeting and explained the current state of Japanese co-operatives. He further highlighted on co-ops effort to meet the needs and wishes of members in each region of Japan, efforts on sustainable community development while responding to regional issues such as poverty, employment, aging and depopulation.

Mr. NAKAYA expressed his expectations for ICA as follows. That; "There are great expectations from ICA member organizations as well as their members." "We continue to look forward to the role of ICA as a leader in the global cooperative movement."

Dr. Guarco expressed his appreciation for the welcome reception and commented: "As the president of ICA, I feel responsible and aim to get closer in relationship with member organizations." "I understand that the activities of Japanese co-operatives have been developed in a very exemplary way for decades and through this visit, I would like to deepen my knowledge about them and pass it on to people in other countries."

Later Dr. Guarco, accompanied by Mr. NAKAYA and HONDA, paid a courtesy visit to Mr. TAKATORI Shuichi, Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and had a meeting with him.

On August 1, the ICA President visited a number of co-op facilities in Tokyo including Tokyo Consumers 'Co-operative Union' HQs, Co-op Mirai 's store, and a group home run by Palsystem Tokyo.