NARO Executive Board

(Updated on April 1, 2026)

President

CHIBA Kazuhiro

Appointment Date April 1, 2026
Tenure March 31, 2030
Career Profile
Former President, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

Senior Vice President

IKOMA Yoshinori

Appointment Date April 1, 2026
Tenure March 31, 2030
Career Profile
April 1990 Joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
April 2022 Director-General, Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
April 2023 Executive Director, Strategic Planning Headquarters, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
April 2024 Vice President (Research Promotion Ⅰ), National Agriculture and Food Research Organization

Vice President (Seeds and Seedlings Management; Funding Allocation; Intellectual Property and International Standards)

TANI Mutsue

Appointment Date April 1, 2026
Tenure March 31, 2028
Career Profile
April 1992 Joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
March 2026 Secretariat of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Vice President (Business Development)

AZUMA Hideo

Appointment Date April 1, 2026
Tenure March 31, 2028
Career Profile
Former Director, Industrial Policy and External Affairs, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
April 2024 Executive Director, Headquarters, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization

Vice President (Evaluation and Public Relations)

SUZUKI Takako

Appointment Date April 1, 2024
Tenure March 31, 2028
Career Profile
April 1993 Joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
April 2023 Director-General, Central Region Agricultural Research Center (Kanto, Tokai and Hokuriku Regions), National Agriculture and Food Research Organization

Vice President (Human Resources and Human Resource Development)

NISHIDA Tomoko

Appointment Date April 1, 2024
Tenure March 31, 2028
Career Profile
April 1988 Joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
April 2022 Director-General, Western Region Agricultural Research Center (Kinki, Chugoku and Shikoku Regions), National Agriculture and Food Research Organization

Vice President (Core Technologies and Smart Agriculture)

HARADA Hisatomi

Appointment Date April 1, 2026
Tenure March 31, 2028
Career Profile
April 1992 Joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
April 2020 Director, Development Strategy Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
April 2023 Director-General, Kyushu-Okinawa Agricultural Research Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
April 2024 Executive Director, Strategic Planning Headquarters, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization

Vice President (Research Promotion Ⅰ)

NARABU Takashi

Appointment Date April 1, 2026
Tenure March 31, 2028
Career Profile
April 1989 Joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
April 2022 Director-General, Hokkaido Agricultural Research Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization

Vice President (Research PromotionⅡ)

MORITA Satoshi

Appointment Date April 1, 2024
Tenure March 31, 2028
Career Profile
April 1988 Joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
November 2020 Director-General, Kyushu-Okinawa Agricultural Research Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
April 2023 Director, Development Strategy Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization

Vice President (Research PromotionⅢ)

KITTA Kazumi

Appointment Date April 1, 2026
Tenure March 31, 2028
Career Profile
April 1992 Joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
April 2024 Director-General, Central Region Agricultural Research Center (Kanto, Tokai and Hokuriku Regions), National Agriculture and Food Research Organization

Vice President (Research Promotion Ⅳ)

YAMAMOTO Shori

Appointment Date April 1, 2026
Tenure March 31, 2028
Career Profile
April 1989 Joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
April 2020 Exective Director, Strategic Planning Headquarters, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
April 2022 Director-General, Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization

Corporate Auditor

NAKANE Hiroyuki

Appointment Date June 27, 2018
Tenure Until the date of approval of the financial statements for FY 2025
Career Profile
Former Executive Officer, SMBC Consulting Co., Ltd.

Corporate Auditor

KATO Tsuyoshi

Appointment Date July 1, 2023
Tenure Until the date of approval of the financial statements for FY 2025
Career Profile
Former Counselor, Planning and Sales Department, Norinchukin Bank

Corporate Auditor

MASUI Kunimitsu

Appointment Date June 23, 2021
Tenure Until the date of approval of financial statements for the FY 2025
Career Profile
April 1992 Joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
October 2020 Counselor, the Minister's Secretariat, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
May 2021 Minister's Secretariat, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Centers・Institutes