Kinko Town, Kagoshima to Implement 'Furusato Working Holiday' This Summer
Kinko Town in Kagoshima Prefecture will launch a 'Furusato Working Holiday' program this summer, accepting 16 youth to experience working and living in the community to build a 'related population'.
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- 📰 Published: April 2, 2026 at 03:15
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 19:37
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Kinko Town, Kimotsuki District, Kagoshima Prefecture, announces that it will implement a regional stay-type program, utilizing the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' 'Furusato Working Holiday' system, to accept 16 young people from outside the prefecture.
This project allows participants to stay in Kinko Town for a certain period, engage in local jobs to earn income, and cultivate new connections with the town through interaction with local residents and experiencing the lifestyle. For the operation, NPO Tagayasu (Representative Director: Minami Yamada, 852-1 Jomoto, Kinko Town), Kinko Town MIRAI Support Cooperative (Chairman: Shuichi Torigoe, Secretary General: Shusaku Kubo, 10-1 Baba, Kinko Town), and Certified NPO Cloud JAPAN (Representative Director: Atsutoshi Tanaka, 55-3 Iso-maebayashi, Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture), which has accumulated practical knowledge of Furusato Working Holidays nationwide, will collaborate to build a locally-rooted reception system.
In recent years, in areas facing population decline and a shortage of workers, how to nurture a 'related population' that continuously engages with the community, rather than just 'increasing immigrants', has become an important theme. The Furusato Working Holiday is drawing attention as an entry point for youth to connect naturally with the region, being neither mere tourism nor sudden relocation.
## What is 'Furusato Working Holiday'?
The Furusato Working Holiday is an initiative where people living in urban areas stay in rural areas for a certain period, experiencing life in that land through learning and interaction with residents while earning income by working in local jobs. Deployed as a system supported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, it shows a track record of about 5,100 participants over the past 8 years.
The feature is that it is neither mere tourism nor does it assume immediate relocation. By actually 'working, living, and interacting with people' instead of just 'visiting' the area for a short time, one can touch the appeal, challenges, and daily activities of the land. For the receiving region as well, encountering participants from the outside creates an opportunity to generate new perspectives and vitality.
This mechanism is also attracting attention as an entry point for nurturing a 'related population' that continuously engages with the region. It is highly significant that the connection with the region does not end as a one-off event, as participants revisit the area after their stay, purchase local products, or continue to be involved through work or projects. With 66 municipalities nationwide adopting it as of 2024, the Furusato Working Holiday is gathering expectations across the country as a new way to interact with regions, sitting between tourism and relocation.
## Implementation in Kinko Town
This time, Kinko Town plans to accept a total of 16 participants in fiscal 2026.
Through interactions with local businesses and residents, participants will experience the jobs, nature, food, lifestyle, and warmth of the people in Kinko Town, deepening their relationship with the region.
In this project, relevant parties within the region will collaborate, aiming to create a fruitful program for both the participants and the host side. For the region, it creates a point of contact between youth and the community. For participants, it becomes a place they feel they have 'come home to again' in their lives...
This project allows participants to stay in Kinko Town for a certain period, engage in local jobs to earn income, and cultivate new connections with the town through interaction with local residents and experiencing the lifestyle. For the operation, NPO Tagayasu (Representative Director: Minami Yamada, 852-1 Jomoto, Kinko Town), Kinko Town MIRAI Support Cooperative (Chairman: Shuichi Torigoe, Secretary General: Shusaku Kubo, 10-1 Baba, Kinko Town), and Certified NPO Cloud JAPAN (Representative Director: Atsutoshi Tanaka, 55-3 Iso-maebayashi, Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture), which has accumulated practical knowledge of Furusato Working Holidays nationwide, will collaborate to build a locally-rooted reception system.
In recent years, in areas facing population decline and a shortage of workers, how to nurture a 'related population' that continuously engages with the community, rather than just 'increasing immigrants', has become an important theme. The Furusato Working Holiday is drawing attention as an entry point for youth to connect naturally with the region, being neither mere tourism nor sudden relocation.
## What is 'Furusato Working Holiday'?
The Furusato Working Holiday is an initiative where people living in urban areas stay in rural areas for a certain period, experiencing life in that land through learning and interaction with residents while earning income by working in local jobs. Deployed as a system supported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, it shows a track record of about 5,100 participants over the past 8 years.
The feature is that it is neither mere tourism nor does it assume immediate relocation. By actually 'working, living, and interacting with people' instead of just 'visiting' the area for a short time, one can touch the appeal, challenges, and daily activities of the land. For the receiving region as well, encountering participants from the outside creates an opportunity to generate new perspectives and vitality.
This mechanism is also attracting attention as an entry point for nurturing a 'related population' that continuously engages with the region. It is highly significant that the connection with the region does not end as a one-off event, as participants revisit the area after their stay, purchase local products, or continue to be involved through work or projects. With 66 municipalities nationwide adopting it as of 2024, the Furusato Working Holiday is gathering expectations across the country as a new way to interact with regions, sitting between tourism and relocation.
## Implementation in Kinko Town
This time, Kinko Town plans to accept a total of 16 participants in fiscal 2026.
Through interactions with local businesses and residents, participants will experience the jobs, nature, food, lifestyle, and warmth of the people in Kinko Town, deepening their relationship with the region.
In this project, relevant parties within the region will collaborate, aiming to create a fruitful program for both the participants and the host side. For the region, it creates a point of contact between youth and the community. For participants, it becomes a place they feel they have 'come home to again' in their lives...