Since its establishment in 1989, SPINF has viewed the Pacific Island nations as important partners of Japan, and has thus conducted with the islands a wide variety of exchange and human resource development programs. The guidelines for the third period come into effect in 2009, and focus principally on programs to promote maritime security and management in the seas around the Republic of Marshall Islands, Federated Sates of Micronesia and Republic of Palau. Besides, the Fund will strive to provide resource management training for sustainable development and capacity building programs that contribute to the islands’ efforts to develop and become self-supporting. When the Fund has carried out its intended programs throughout Micronesia, it will aim to expand its scope to cover Melanesia and Polynesia.

The Japan-China Friendship Fund, established in December 1989, seek to deepen the ties between Japan and China cultivated over a long history of interaction and encourage peace and development in both countries. Guided by the basic policy principle “from friendship to cooperation,” the Fund supports projects in such areas as human resource development, personal and cultural exchange, surveys and research, and the convening of conferences.

The Sasakawa Pan Asia Fund was originally established as the Sasakawa Southeast Asia Cooperation Fund in April 1992 to support initiatives targeting four countries: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. To meet increasing requests for assistance, it was renamed the Sasakawa Pan Asia Fund (SPAF) and began to expand its parameters to include other states in Asia in fiscal 2002. Under the third period program guidelines that come into effect in 2009, the fund will conduct human resource training and people exchange projects that address issues relevant to stability, prosperity and unification in the pan-Asian region.

The Sasakawa Middle East Islam Fund, established in April 2009, seeks to deepen mutual understanding and exchange between the Middle East and Japan in political, economic, societal, cultural and other fields. Relations between the two regions currently revolve around the supply and demand of oil, natural gas and other energy resources, thus there is a pressing need for exchange in other fields. Furthermore, information gaps and errors in mutual perception between the Middle East and Japan remain unaddressed. SMEIF conducts programs to help solve these problems and thereby deepen understanding and friendship between the Middle East and Japan.