Overview
- ESA confirmed a permanent presence in Japan with a staff representative based at X-NIHONBASHI Tower in Tokyo.
- The office is operated with local partners Mitsui Fudosan and Cross U to connect ESA with startups, industry, academia and government.
- Director Eric Morel de Westgaver announced the move at Nihonbashi Space Week, citing more than 50 years of Europe–Japan space cooperation.
- ESA chief Josef Aschbacher framed the office as a platform to intensify work with JAXA across Earth observation, exploration, planetary defence and commercialization.
- JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa welcomed the step, which follows the November 2024 Joint Statement on Next Big Cooperations and supports missions from EarthCARE and BepiColombo to Hera, with plans to coordinate launches for Europe’s Ramses and Japan’s Destiny+.