Minamioguni Town in Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture, will allow its town hall staff to take on side jobs and concurrent employment, limited to the short-term work-sharing service "Minamioguni Town Shigoto Convenience Store" (hereinafter referred to as "Shigoto Convenience Store"), operated by the town's tourism regional development corporation (DMO), SMO Minamioguni Co., Ltd. (President and CEO: Shuji Takahashi, hereinafter referred to as "SMO Minamioguni").

This initiative is a new system designed to enable town hall staff to become supporters on the ground in the community as "one of the townspeople" in a region facing population decline and a shortage of workers. Within the traditional framework of restrictions on side jobs for local public servants, this is a pioneering public-private partnership challenge that seeks mutual support in the community while ensuring fairness and public interest.

Background: Why Allow Public Servants' Side Jobs Now?

Side jobs and concurrent employment for local public servants are generally restricted by Article 38 of the Local Public Service Act, from the perspectives of the duty to concentrate on official duties and maintaining trust. However, in local communities where population decline is becoming increasingly serious, the reality is that livelihoods and industries are becoming unsustainable unless one person takes on multiple roles.

Labor shortages during busy farming seasons, at the front lines during peak tourist seasons, and for the operation of community events. Urgent calls of "not enough workers" are being heard from all aspects of Minamioguni Town.

In this context, town hall staff going out to the community outside of working hours is not merely a means of earning extra income. It is a valuable "force" supporting the community and an important learning opportunity for the staff themselves to gain a deeper understanding of the community. Minamioguni Town and SMO Minamioguni have proactively viewed this situation not just as a "relaxation of restrictions" but as a step towards "creating community-wide support personnel," and have established a system that allows staff to participate in community activities with peace of mind.

Features of This Initiative: Why Limit to "Shigoto Convenience Store"?

1 Ensuring Fairness and Transparency

If side jobs at any for-profit company were allowed without restriction, concerns about conflicts of interest with specific companies and relationships with official duties could arise. "Shigoto Convenience Store" is a system that pools and matches jobs throughout the entire community, so it does not lead to the provision of benefits to specific businesses and maintains fairness.

2 Community Contribution Through High Public Interest

"Shigoto Convenience Store" aims to solve the very public issue of a shortage of community support personnel. Therefore, participation by town hall staff outside of working hours is positioned as "community contribution activities" rather than for private profit.

3 Proper Management by the Secretariat

By having SMO Minamioguni, a DMO, act as the secretariat, the content of work, remuneration, and hours worked are all visualized and properly managed. This is a highly transparent framework that allows staff to participate with peace of mind and enables the town to fulfill its accountability to residents.

What is "Minamioguni Town Shigoto Convenience Store"?

A platform for new ways of working in the community operated by SMO Minamioguni. With the philosophy of "realizing diverse lifestyles through 'work,'" it has built a system where people can take on "various jobs" in "short periods of time," just like casually shopping at a convenience store. It matches residents who want to be involved in the community during their "spare time" even if full-time employment is difficult, with businesses struggling with fragmented jobs during busy periods. By enabling employment for a few hours at a time, it addresses labor shortages within the community and generates economic circulation.

Overview of the System

Name: Minamioguni Town Hall Staff Side Job and Concurrent Employment Allowance

Target: Minamioguni Town Hall Staff

Content: Employment through "Shigoto Convenience Store" outside of working hours is permitted with the approval of the appointing authority.

Operation: SMO Minamioguni Co., Ltd. (Matching and Management)

Start Date: July 1, 2026

*Specific procedures and operational rules will be based on Minamioguni Town's regulations.

Future Developments

Through this initiative, town hall staff will stand on the front lines of the community, deepening their understanding of the community and further strengthening the connection between the administration and the community. In the future, while verifying actual participation status and results, we will promote the expansion of target tasks and optimization of operations, and foster this as a sustainable model for "creating community-wide support personnel."

Furthermore, we plan to actively disseminate information about this case so that it can serve as a pioneering role model for local governments nationwide facing population decline.

Comment from the Head of the General Affairs Division, Minamioguni Town

Town hall staff are also residents of this town. Once working hours are over, they can become supporters for community issues. The system previously did not allow this obvious thing. In an era of declining population where each individual must support the community, the line drawn as 'cannot be involved in community work because I am a public servant' no longer fits the reality. By limiting it to a transparent and public-interest-oriented system like Shigoto Convenience Store, we are opening a path for staff to participate in community activities with peace of mind, and for the town hall, businesses, and residents to support each other across boundaries. We want to create this new normal from Minamioguni Town.

Company Profile

Company Name: SMO Minamioguni Co., Ltd.

Location: Akababa 1789-1, Minamioguni Town, Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture

Representative: Shuji Takahashi, President and CEO

Business Activities: Operation of tourism regional development corporation (DMO), tourism promotion business, regional trading company business, hometown tax donation business, human resources related business

URL: https://www.smo-minamioguni.jp

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: 地域活性化