Kinko Town, Kagoshima to Launch 'Furusato Working Holiday' This Summer
Kinko Town will accept 16 young participants from outside the prefecture to create a 'relationship population' through working, living, and connecting in the local community.
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- 📰 Published: April 2, 2026 at 03:15
Kinko Town, Kagoshima Prefecture, has announced the implementation of the 'Furusato Working Holiday,' a regional stay program utilizing the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications system to welcome 16 young people from outside the prefecture.
In this project, participants will stay in Kinko Town for a certain period, earn income by engaging in local work, and foster new connections with the town through interaction with residents and daily life experiences. To build a community-rooted reception system, the operation will be a collaboration between NPO Tagayasu (Representative Director: Minami Yamada), Kinko Town MIRAI Support Cooperative (Chairperson: Shuichi Torigoe; Secretary General: Shusaku Kubo), and Cloud JAPAN (Representative Director: Atsutoshi Tanaka), a certified NPO with extensive expertise in implementing Furusato Working Holidays across Japan.
In recent years, regions facing population decline and labor shortages have found it crucial not just to 'increase migrants' but to nurture a 'relationship population'—people who stay involved with the region continuously. The Furusato Working Holiday is attracting attention as an entry point for young people to connect naturally with regions, being neither just tourism nor immediate migration.
### What is 'Furusato Working Holiday'?
Furusato Working Holiday is an initiative where people living in urban areas stay in rural regions for a set period, earn income through local work, and experience life in that area through learning and interacting with residents. It is promoted as a system with back-end support from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, showing a track record of approximately 5,100 participants over eight years.
The feature is that it is not simple tourism, nor does it assume immediate migration. By actually 'working, living, and interacting' rather than just 'visiting' for a short time, participants can touch upon the charms, challenges, and daily operations of the land. For the receiving region, meeting participants from the outside creates opportunities for new perspectives and vitality.
This mechanism is also gaining attention as an entry point for nurturing the 'relationship population.' It is highly significant that connections do not end as a one-off, as participants revisit the area after their stay, purchase local products, or remain involved through work and projects. With 66 municipalities nationwide adopting the system as of 2024, the Furusato Working Holiday is gathering expectations across the country as a new way to engage with regions situated between tourism and migration.
### Implementation in Kinko Town
Kinko Town plans to welcome a total of 16 participants in fiscal year 2026.
Through interactions with local businesses and residents, participants will experience Kinko Town's work, nature, food, lifestyle, and the warmth of its people, deepening their relationship with the community.
This project aims to create a fruitful program for both participants and hosts through the collaboration of local stakeholders. The goal is to create points of contact between youth and the region while helping participants find a 'place they want to return to' or a 'region they want to stay involved with' in their lives.
Specifically, NPO Tagayasu will support the 'Holiday' time, and Kinko Town MIRAI Support Cooperative will support the 'Working' time. Accommodations will be at Kinko Town Guesthouse Yorodde or nearby share houses.
Details will be posted on the portal site of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' Furusato Working Holiday in mid-June 2026.
### Bringing Nationally Accumulated Expertise to Kinko Town
In the first year of this project, Cloud JAPAN will serve as the contracted secretariat, utilizing the knowledge cultivated in various regions. Cloud JAPAN has managed the Furusato Working Holiday secretariat in Kesennuma, Miyagi, accepting a cumulative total of 394 people from 2021 to 2024, holding the record for the most participants in Japan for four consecutive years. Furthermore, they have produced 194 repeat visitors and 29 migrants. Additionally, they have experience supporting the introduction in Iyo City, Ehime, and Taga Town, Shiga, and now the expansion starts in Kinko Town.
#### Message to the People of Kagoshima
(From Cloud JAPAN Representative Director: Atsutoshi Tanaka)
'We are very happy to work on the Furusato Working Holiday in Kinko Town. In this project, we aim to create a program where meaningful encounters occur for both participants and the receiving region, collaborating with everyone who has been active in the area. We hope that young people who experience the charm, daily life, and warmth of Kinko Town will nurture new connections with the town. Utilizing the practical knowledge of Furusato Working Holidays accumulated across Japan, we will carefully take a new step in creating a relationship population in a way unique to Kinko Town, Kagoshima. We would be grateful if the local residents could warmly watch over us.'
In this project, participants will stay in Kinko Town for a certain period, earn income by engaging in local work, and foster new connections with the town through interaction with residents and daily life experiences. To build a community-rooted reception system, the operation will be a collaboration between NPO Tagayasu (Representative Director: Minami Yamada), Kinko Town MIRAI Support Cooperative (Chairperson: Shuichi Torigoe; Secretary General: Shusaku Kubo), and Cloud JAPAN (Representative Director: Atsutoshi Tanaka), a certified NPO with extensive expertise in implementing Furusato Working Holidays across Japan.
In recent years, regions facing population decline and labor shortages have found it crucial not just to 'increase migrants' but to nurture a 'relationship population'—people who stay involved with the region continuously. The Furusato Working Holiday is attracting attention as an entry point for young people to connect naturally with regions, being neither just tourism nor immediate migration.
### What is 'Furusato Working Holiday'?
Furusato Working Holiday is an initiative where people living in urban areas stay in rural regions for a set period, earn income through local work, and experience life in that area through learning and interacting with residents. It is promoted as a system with back-end support from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, showing a track record of approximately 5,100 participants over eight years.
The feature is that it is not simple tourism, nor does it assume immediate migration. By actually 'working, living, and interacting' rather than just 'visiting' for a short time, participants can touch upon the charms, challenges, and daily operations of the land. For the receiving region, meeting participants from the outside creates opportunities for new perspectives and vitality.
This mechanism is also gaining attention as an entry point for nurturing the 'relationship population.' It is highly significant that connections do not end as a one-off, as participants revisit the area after their stay, purchase local products, or remain involved through work and projects. With 66 municipalities nationwide adopting the system as of 2024, the Furusato Working Holiday is gathering expectations across the country as a new way to engage with regions situated between tourism and migration.
### Implementation in Kinko Town
Kinko Town plans to welcome a total of 16 participants in fiscal year 2026.
Through interactions with local businesses and residents, participants will experience Kinko Town's work, nature, food, lifestyle, and the warmth of its people, deepening their relationship with the community.
This project aims to create a fruitful program for both participants and hosts through the collaboration of local stakeholders. The goal is to create points of contact between youth and the region while helping participants find a 'place they want to return to' or a 'region they want to stay involved with' in their lives.
Specifically, NPO Tagayasu will support the 'Holiday' time, and Kinko Town MIRAI Support Cooperative will support the 'Working' time. Accommodations will be at Kinko Town Guesthouse Yorodde or nearby share houses.
Details will be posted on the portal site of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' Furusato Working Holiday in mid-June 2026.
### Bringing Nationally Accumulated Expertise to Kinko Town
In the first year of this project, Cloud JAPAN will serve as the contracted secretariat, utilizing the knowledge cultivated in various regions. Cloud JAPAN has managed the Furusato Working Holiday secretariat in Kesennuma, Miyagi, accepting a cumulative total of 394 people from 2021 to 2024, holding the record for the most participants in Japan for four consecutive years. Furthermore, they have produced 194 repeat visitors and 29 migrants. Additionally, they have experience supporting the introduction in Iyo City, Ehime, and Taga Town, Shiga, and now the expansion starts in Kinko Town.
#### Message to the People of Kagoshima
(From Cloud JAPAN Representative Director: Atsutoshi Tanaka)
'We are very happy to work on the Furusato Working Holiday in Kinko Town. In this project, we aim to create a program where meaningful encounters occur for both participants and the receiving region, collaborating with everyone who has been active in the area. We hope that young people who experience the charm, daily life, and warmth of Kinko Town will nurture new connections with the town. Utilizing the practical knowledge of Furusato Working Holidays accumulated across Japan, we will carefully take a new step in creating a relationship population in a way unique to Kinko Town, Kagoshima. We would be grateful if the local residents could warmly watch over us.'
FAQ
What is the 'Furusato Working Holiday'?
It is a government-supported program where urban residents stay in rural areas, earn income from local jobs, and experience local life through community interaction.
How many people can join and when?
Kinko Town plans to accept 16 participants in FY2026. Detailed application info is expected in mid-June 2026.
What is Cloud JAPAN's track record?
A certified NPO that managed Japan's most successful program in Kesennuma, hosting 394 people over 4 years and producing many repeat visitors and settlers.