This office was established in April 2005. Region of Asia and Pacific including Japanese Islands are the area of geological disasters. It is imminent to promote researches on disaster mitigation in this region. Earthquake Research Institute has conducted advanced researches of earthquake and volcanoes in the region of Asia and Western Pacific. In Earth Observation Summit that was held in April 2004, it was declared that Japan should take a leadership to contribute to the international community in this region in the study field of earthquakes and volcanoes. Moreover, international cooperation is promoted in the national projects of earthquake prediction and volcanic eruption prediction. Considering these circumstances, Earthquake Research Institute opened this office, for aiming at the promotion of international joint researches and dissemination of scientific results to the countries that need them. To this end, the office promotes international research cooperation through exchanging researchers, holding international symposia and deploying urgent scientific teams for disastrous earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the region, under the cooperation with related domestic and oversea institutes.