The Kibo Utilization Office for Asia (KUOA) was established in July 2010 to facilitate the extensive application of the unique space environment provided by the International Space Station (ISS) and its Japanese Experiment Module "Kibo" by Asian countries.

JAXA has been promoting diverse cooperative activities with Asian counterparts in the field of space environment utilization at the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) since 2005. The mission of KUOA is to extend the current cooperation with Asian counterparts on the ground into space by making full use of the Kibo facility in orbit.

The ISS program visualizes great challenges in all kinds of collaboration, in covering a broad spectrum from science and technology to liberal arts in space, hoping to yield prosperous returns to human welfare on earth. JAXA is ready to share the benefit from Kibo utilization with its Asian friends.