The cooperation was marked by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the ministry’s Secretary General Cris Kuntadi and Miyazaki Governor Shunji Kono in Jakarta on Tuesday.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Kuntadi said the collaboration represents a strategic step to strengthen Indonesia-Japan labor cooperation, particularly in competency development and the expansion of technical internship placements.
“We appreciate the commitment of the Miyazaki Prefectural Government to expanding this cooperation, especially in human resource development and increasing placement opportunities for Indonesian technical interns,” he said.
He explained that the cooperation covers the training, dispatch, and placement of Indonesian technical interns in Miyazaki Prefecture.
Both parties will also strengthen the regular exchange of data and information to support the sustainability of the program.
Kuntadi noted that the Ministry of Manpower is developing an information-sharing system to support participants’ career development after completing the internship program.
The initiative comes as labor demand in Japan continues to increase, including in Miyazaki Prefecture, which is currently facing population decline.
He added that one of the partnership’s main focuses is implementing job matching to ensure that participants’ competencies align with the needs of industrial partners in Japan.
In addition, the ministry is preparing pre-departure training through government and private training centers across Indonesia.
According to ministry data, Indonesia sent 19,332 technical interns to Japan in 2025. As of May 2026, the number of dispatched participants had already reached 18,316.
In Miyazaki Prefecture alone, the number of Indonesian interns rose from 243 in 2025 to 285 in 2026.
Governor Shunji Kono welcomed the partnership, saying the prefecture is facing depopulation challenges and requires foreign interns to support various industrial sectors.
He also highlighted the potential for Indonesian interns to expand into a broader range of industries in the future.
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Translator: Arnidhya Nur, Raka Adji
Editor: Primayanti
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