Mima City, Tokushima Prefecture, Recruits 'Regional Revitalization Cooperation Squad' to Promote the 'Tokushima Matchbox' Spot Work Platform

Matchbox Technologies, Inc. (Headquarters: Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture; President and CEO: Hiroaki Sato; hereinafter "the Company"), in collaboration with Tokushima Prefecture, operates the spot work platform "Tokushima Matchbox." Mima City, Tokushima Prefecture, which is currently promoting initiatives to establish itself as a yuzu production hub, will begin utilizing the "Regional Revitalization Cooperation Squad" (Chiiki Okoshi Kyoryokutai) starting in fiscal year 2026 to support the adoption and utilization of this platform.

Mima City, one of the leading yuzu production areas in the prefecture, is currently working with Tokushima Prefecture and private companies to establish a yuzu production base, making the resolution of labor shortages during busy periods, such as harvest, a critical issue. To address these challenges, the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Squad will act as a bridge between the government, private businesses, and agricultural workers, taking on the role of promoting "Tokushima Matchbox" and supporting its integration within the region. The Regional Revitalization Cooperation Squad is a national government program where individuals who move from urban areas to rural regions work on solving local issues and regional revitalization for a term of one to three years while receiving support from the local municipality.

The Company aims to further strengthen its collaboration with Mima City and Tokushima Prefecture, securing labor for businesses during peak agricultural seasons and creating a "related population" (people who have a connection to the region) centered on agriculture. Through this initiative, we will also develop a new model for securing agricultural talent in Mima City and work toward expanding it both within and outside the prefecture.

About Tokushima Matchbox "Tokushima Matchbox" is a spot work platform launched in August 2025 through a partnership between the Company and Tokushima Prefecture. It serves as a new employment opportunity promotion project that utilizes digital technology to connect diverse talent from inside and outside the prefecture with local businesses.

Businesses within the prefecture can post spot work job openings for free, and job seekers can apply for short-term work opportunities—ranging from a single day to a few hours—within the prefecture. Furthermore, thanks to a mechanism developed based on patents, the platform complies with laws and systems related to spot work, such as leave allowances and tax calculations. By collaborating with government agencies and others, we provide a service that both businesses and job seekers can use with peace of mind.

This project aims to maximize employment opportunities in the region by supporting the talent acquisition needs of local businesses and providing flexible work styles to diverse individuals, including local residents. It is also expected to serve as a new employment infrastructure that supports the building of relationships with people who work continuously in the region, rather than just securing temporary labor.

Expanding Spot Work Utilization in the Agricultural Sector "Tokushima Matchbox" is seeing significant adoption within the agricultural sector in Tokushima Prefecture.

"Seiryu Farm," an agricultural business in Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture, has introduced "Tokushima Matchbox" as a countermeasure to labor shortages during busy periods like the harvest. By utilizing "Self-Sourcing (*)," they have achieved results in securing a stable workforce during peak seasons. Starting from a state where spot work was almost never used, they successfully hired 38 people in just one month after implementation. Many of the applicants were inexperienced in agriculture, but they learned the tasks in a short period and became productive workers, leading to the participation of new talent in agriculture.

Against the backdrop of such success stories in the agricultural sector, interest in initiatives to secure agricultural talent using spot work is growing among various municipalities in Tokushima Prefecture.

(*) Self-Sourcing: A mechanism that allows businesses to register past employees, alumni, and others into their own dedicated talent pool, enabling them to recruit directly by publishing limited job postings when needed. This makes it easier to secure spot work talent who can work on an ongoing basis.

Mima City's Initiatives (From the Mima City Website) Mima City is one of the leading yuzu production areas in the prefecture. The city, in collaboration with Mizkan Co., Ltd., Zen-Noh Tokushima, JA Tokushima, and Tokushima Prefecture, is working to strengthen the stable supply system for yuzu and build a value chain from production to processing and sales.

Through these efforts, the city aims to develop as a yuzu production hub and is working to create a mechanism for securing spot work talent through the use of "Tokushima Matchbox" to resolve labor shortages during busy periods such as the harvest.

Regarding the Recruitment of the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Squad The Regional Revitalization Cooperation Squad members being recruited will act as a bridge between the government, private businesses, and agricultural workers, promoting the adoption and supporting the use of "Tokushima Matchbox" within the region.

<Main Activities> - Promoting the adoption of spot work in collaboration with "Tokushima Matchbox" - Providing registration and utilization support to agricultural businesses - Providing follow-up support on the day of work - Planning and operating "Furusato Working Holidays" - Support activities related to creating an agricultural "related population"

We encourage those interested in regional support centered on agriculture and the creation of talent acquisition mechanisms to apply.

Recruitment Period: March 31, 2026 (Tuesday) to May 1, 2026 (Friday) (Planned) Application Guidelines: https://www.city.mima.lg.jp/gyosei/docs/2515970.html

Comment from Mima City, Tokushima Prefecture, Agriculture and Forestry Division Mima City is working on creating a mechanism to secure spot work talent as a new initiative toward becoming a yuzu production hub. We hope that the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Squad members we recruit will work with us to build the future of the yuzu production area by promoting spot work and creating an agricultural related population. We look forward to applications from motivated individuals who are interested in agriculture and regional development and want to contribute to building a yuzu production hub.

Comment from Tokushima Prefecture, Department of Lifestyle and Environment, Labor and Employment Policy Division We are very pleased that the promotion of "Tokushima Matchbox" using the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Squad is being launched in Mima City. As a prefecture, we will support this initiative in Mima City to become a new model case for securing agricultural talent, and we will work to promote further utilization throughout the prefecture.

We at Matchbox Technologies aim to realize a "society where everyone can work flexibly" by utilizing digital technology. We will continue to collaborate with local governments to contribute to solving regional talent issues.

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About "matchbox" "matchbox" is a Self-Sourcing® cloud system that allows companies to complete the recruitment and management of spot work in-house. By registering current employees, alumni (former employees), registered part-time workers, and spot workers who have been hired once into a system developed for the company, businesses can build their own unique talent pool, significantly reducing the time and cost of recruitment. Additionally, because all processes from recruitment to payroll and labor management can be easily managed centrally through the system, it is ideal for improving operational efficiency. It allows businesses to select reliable talent, and for the sake of job seekers, it includes features such as automatic payment of leave allowances and credit checks on companies, aiming for a fair and safe service for both companies and workers. By building a community based on trust between companies and workers, matchbox realizes an environment where everyone can work flexibly.

"matchbox" Service Page: https://business.matchbox.jp/