The end of the Cold War between East and West was felt to presage the advent of a new era in Northeast Asia. For Northeast Asia in the 21st century new developments have come into view today, including its continuing to undergo the effects of globalization, the Chinese and Russian economies growing rapidly, and moves also intensifying aimed toward the development of intraregional economic cooperation and economic integration.

In particular, remarkable things are taking place in such areas as the development of energy, the rapid development of manufacturing industry, and dynamic physical distribution and flows of people within the Northeast Asian region. Meanwhile, environmental problems have also become a burning issue, and the effects thereof do not stop within the region, but are a focus of the world’s attention. How to advance links and cooperation and to continue developing the economies in a stable fashion has become a major issue of the times in the countries and regions of Northeast Asia.

In October 1993 ERINA was established in Niigata City by the approval of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (then the Ministry of International Trade and Industry) as an incorporated foundation, and in September 2010 changed over to a public interest incorporated foundation via the authorization of the Prime Minister of Japan. Henceforward also, ERINA will aim at contributing to the formation and development of the Northeast Asian Economic Subregion and to international and regional society, will advance research on Northeast Asian economies as well as economic exchange activities in the region, and in addition will undertake intensive initiatives to construct exchange and cooperation networks with the relevant governmental, private-sector and academic institutions in each of the nations and regions.