Hajime Yoshimura, the President of ICAO's Air Navigation Commission (ANC; the UN Civil Aviation Organization's main technical body), 14 ANC Commissioners and the Commission's Secretary paid a visit to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) on 3 July 2017 during a one-week visit to Japan. Dr. Toshihiko Hashida, the Director-General of JMA, welcomed the delegation and highlighted the importance of advanced meteorology in future aviation.
A JMA expert serving on the ANC technical Meteorology Panel briefly outlined aeronautical meteorological services in Japan and JMA's international contribution in the field. The visitors were also given a tour of the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) Tokyo, which is operated within the ICAO framework, and other JMA operational centers. The visit helped to raise awareness of aeronautical meteorological services among ANC Commissioners.