Contracted for Toyama Prefecture's 'Human Resource Matching Platform Creation Project'
Matchbox Technologies will launch 'Toyama Matchbox', a spot-work platform covering all industries in Toyama Prefecture, starting July 1, 2026, building on the success of an earlier agriculture-focused initiative.
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- 📰 Published: April 25, 2026 at 02:01
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 17:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 21:22 (3h 50m after Collected)
Matchbox Technologies Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture; President and CEO: Hiroaki Sato; hereinafter 'the Company') has recently been contracted by Toyama Prefecture (Governor: Hachiro Nitta) for the 'Human Resource Matching Platform Creation Project'. Toyama Prefecture will launch its own proprietary HR matching platform, 'Toyama Matchbox', with services beginning on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Prior to the service launch, briefings for businesses within the prefecture will be held from Wednesday, May 20, 2026, to Friday, June 5, 2026.
The Company supports the construction and operation of the 'Local Government Official Matchbox', an official municipal employment platform that matches workers with jobs on a daily or hourly basis online. Since Friday, November 1, 2024, Toyama Prefecture has been rolling out 'Toyama Agri Matchbox', a spot-work matching service specialized in the agricultural sector. This initiative has created over 8,400 hours of employment to date and has contributed to securing long-term agricultural workers, with more than 20 individuals transitioning into long-term employment. Based on these achievements, this new project will build upon the efforts in the agricultural sector and expand the target scope to encompass all industries.
Through this project, Toyama Prefecture aims to support local companies in securing human resources while simultaneously creating flexible employment opportunities through the popularization of spot work, ultimately realizing a sustainable local community where diverse individuals can thrive.
In Toyama Prefecture, against the backdrop of a declining population and a shortage of workers, securing human resources has become a critical challenge across all local industries. A labor supply and demand simulation conducted by the prefecture indicated a potential shortage of approximately 100,000 workers by 2040. In particular, a shortage of over 20% is expected in the prefecture's core manufacturing industry, as well as in essential work sectors vital for maintaining the livelihood of residents, such as medical care, welfare, and construction.
Under these circumstances, spot work—a flexible working style that allows diverse individuals to actively participate—has garnered attention as an effective option for securing human resources. However, a survey by Toyama Prefecture revealed that over 90% of local businesses had never utilized spot work, indicating that it had not yet sufficiently penetrated the prefecture.
Given this background, Toyama Prefecture will promote the popularization of the new working style of spot work and support local businesses in securing human resources through this project. Furthermore, the prefecture plans to designate the nursing care/welfare, nursing, and construction sectors—where the labor shortage is particularly severe—as priority support areas, implementing focused assistance such as support for task carving and measures to alleviate the burden of recruitment fees.
■ About 'Toyama Matchbox'
'Toyama Matchbox' is Toyama Prefecture's proprietary HR matching platform for all industries. Businesses in Toyama Prefecture can easily post job openings in increments of a day or a few hours. Job seekers from inside and outside the prefecture can search for and apply to jobs that fit their schedules and preferences via smartphones. While providing employment opportunities to diverse individuals, it also allows local businesses to address busy periods and temporary staff shortages, and to create new touchpoints that can lead to continuous employment.
Expanding to an all-industry version based on the results of 'Toyama Agri Matchbox'
A key feature of this project is that it develops the 'Toyama Agri Matchbox', which Toyama Prefecture previously rolled out specifically for the agricultural sector, and expands its scope to all industries. Toyama Prefecture began demonstration experiments of 'Toyama Agri Matchbox' in November 2024. During the four-month demonstration period, approximately 15% of agricultural businesses in Toyama Prefecture registered, and the platform yielded results such as the emergence of over 60 repeat agricultural workers. Following this, full-scale operations as an official project began in April 2025 (*). To date, it has generated approximately 2,000 hires and over 8,400 hours of employment, alongside multiple cases leading to long-term employment, confirming the effectiveness of spot work within Toyama Prefecture.
With the upcoming 'Toyama Matchbox', the knowledge gained from past initiatives will be leveraged to develop a new foundation supporting human resource securement for a broader range of industries within the prefecture.
* Press release regarding 'Toyama Agri Matchbox': https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000111.000068701.html
■ Holding business briefings ahead of the launch
Prior to the service launch on Wednesday, July 1, briefings will be held for businesses in Toyama Prefecture.
Schedule:
[For the nursing care, welfare, and nursing industries] Wednesday, May 20, 2026
[For the construction industry] Thursday, May 21, 2026
[For all industries] Tuesday, June 2; Wednesday, June 3; Thursday, June 4; and Friday, June 5, 2026
* Three sessions per day: 1) 10:00-11:30, 2) 13:00-14:30, 3) 15:00-16:30
* If the schedule is unsuitable, individual explanations will be provided for each company.
Venues: Toyama Prefectural Civic Center, Takaoka Cultural Hall, Tonami
The Company supports the construction and operation of the 'Local Government Official Matchbox', an official municipal employment platform that matches workers with jobs on a daily or hourly basis online. Since Friday, November 1, 2024, Toyama Prefecture has been rolling out 'Toyama Agri Matchbox', a spot-work matching service specialized in the agricultural sector. This initiative has created over 8,400 hours of employment to date and has contributed to securing long-term agricultural workers, with more than 20 individuals transitioning into long-term employment. Based on these achievements, this new project will build upon the efforts in the agricultural sector and expand the target scope to encompass all industries.
Through this project, Toyama Prefecture aims to support local companies in securing human resources while simultaneously creating flexible employment opportunities through the popularization of spot work, ultimately realizing a sustainable local community where diverse individuals can thrive.
In Toyama Prefecture, against the backdrop of a declining population and a shortage of workers, securing human resources has become a critical challenge across all local industries. A labor supply and demand simulation conducted by the prefecture indicated a potential shortage of approximately 100,000 workers by 2040. In particular, a shortage of over 20% is expected in the prefecture's core manufacturing industry, as well as in essential work sectors vital for maintaining the livelihood of residents, such as medical care, welfare, and construction.
Under these circumstances, spot work—a flexible working style that allows diverse individuals to actively participate—has garnered attention as an effective option for securing human resources. However, a survey by Toyama Prefecture revealed that over 90% of local businesses had never utilized spot work, indicating that it had not yet sufficiently penetrated the prefecture.
Given this background, Toyama Prefecture will promote the popularization of the new working style of spot work and support local businesses in securing human resources through this project. Furthermore, the prefecture plans to designate the nursing care/welfare, nursing, and construction sectors—where the labor shortage is particularly severe—as priority support areas, implementing focused assistance such as support for task carving and measures to alleviate the burden of recruitment fees.
■ About 'Toyama Matchbox'
'Toyama Matchbox' is Toyama Prefecture's proprietary HR matching platform for all industries. Businesses in Toyama Prefecture can easily post job openings in increments of a day or a few hours. Job seekers from inside and outside the prefecture can search for and apply to jobs that fit their schedules and preferences via smartphones. While providing employment opportunities to diverse individuals, it also allows local businesses to address busy periods and temporary staff shortages, and to create new touchpoints that can lead to continuous employment.
Expanding to an all-industry version based on the results of 'Toyama Agri Matchbox'
A key feature of this project is that it develops the 'Toyama Agri Matchbox', which Toyama Prefecture previously rolled out specifically for the agricultural sector, and expands its scope to all industries. Toyama Prefecture began demonstration experiments of 'Toyama Agri Matchbox' in November 2024. During the four-month demonstration period, approximately 15% of agricultural businesses in Toyama Prefecture registered, and the platform yielded results such as the emergence of over 60 repeat agricultural workers. Following this, full-scale operations as an official project began in April 2025 (*). To date, it has generated approximately 2,000 hires and over 8,400 hours of employment, alongside multiple cases leading to long-term employment, confirming the effectiveness of spot work within Toyama Prefecture.
With the upcoming 'Toyama Matchbox', the knowledge gained from past initiatives will be leveraged to develop a new foundation supporting human resource securement for a broader range of industries within the prefecture.
* Press release regarding 'Toyama Agri Matchbox': https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000111.000068701.html
■ Holding business briefings ahead of the launch
Prior to the service launch on Wednesday, July 1, briefings will be held for businesses in Toyama Prefecture.
Schedule:
[For the nursing care, welfare, and nursing industries] Wednesday, May 20, 2026
[For the construction industry] Thursday, May 21, 2026
[For all industries] Tuesday, June 2; Wednesday, June 3; Thursday, June 4; and Friday, June 5, 2026
* Three sessions per day: 1) 10:00-11:30, 2) 13:00-14:30, 3) 15:00-16:30
* If the schedule is unsuitable, individual explanations will be provided for each company.
Venues: Toyama Prefectural Civic Center, Takaoka Cultural Hall, Tonami