Commissioned to Build a Same-Day Short-Time Work Matching Service in Yakushima Town

Matchbox Technologies Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture; President: Hiroaki Sato; hereinafter “the Company”) supports the construction and operation of official local government spot work platforms that match job openings and workers on a daily or hourly basis online. This time, Matchbox Technologies has been commissioned by Yakushima Town (Mayor: Koji Arakawa) of Kumage District, Kagoshima Prefecture, for the “Yakushima Town Same-Day Short-Time Work Matching Service Construction Project.” Yakushima Town will launch the official spot work platform “Yakushima Town Matchbox” on Thursday, July 16, 2026, and provide the application.

On the website and application of “Yakushima Town Matchbox,” job openings from local businesses will be aggregated, allowing viewing and application from across the country. The platform will be managed, maintained, and operated by Matchbox Technologies.

Through this project, Yakushima Town aims to centralize job postings and create a flexible and easy-to-work environment through spot work, thereby resolving labor shortages among local businesses.

On “Yakushima Town Matchbox,” workers can easily browse and apply digitally for spot work (gap-time part-time jobs) that allows flexible work on a daily or hourly basis, and businesses can easily post job openings. Additionally, with mutual agreement between the business and the worker, workers can register in a database dedicated to a specific business. By registering in a dedicated database, workers can maintain long-term relationships with preferred businesses and apply for exclusive job postings. For businesses, this results in reliable repeat workers, and for workers, it provides a reassuring workplace, creating an employment environment that is intermediate between full-time employment and part-time work.

In Yakushima Town, due to population decline and aging, securing human resources has become difficult, and because the tourism industry experiences large fluctuations in visitor numbers between peak and off-peak seasons, ensuring stable employment throughout the year has been a challenge. While there are workers who desire flexible work styles such as gap-time part-time jobs, existing private spot work services had few job postings in the town, so spot work utilization had not progressed.

To solve these issues, Yakushima Town will build its own official spot work platform using digital technology, supporting the resolution of local employment challenges by creating flexible employment opportunities and securing labor for local businesses.

The Company has launched similar official platforms for remote islands, such as “Sado Matchbox” and “Awajishima Matchbox.” The registration numbers as a percentage of the labor force population in the respective municipalities are approximately 10% and 3%, respectively (*).

“Sado Matchbox” is also used by Sado General Hospital to address labor shortages in remote island healthcare. Additionally, at “Awajishima Matchbox,” a case where a tile manufacturer transitioned from gap-time part-time work to long-term employment was introduced at the National Conference of Regional Finance Bureaus, demonstrating the track record of spot work platforms on remote islands.

*Labor force population is based on the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ “2020 Census Basic Tabulation on Employment Status.” The ratio for Awajishima Matchbox is calculated using the total labor force population of Sumoto City, Minamiawaji City, and Awaji City as the denominator.

Comment from the Mayor of Yakushima Town

In Yakushima Town, to address the issue of labor shortages by promoting diverse work styles, we will launch the official spot work platform “Yakushima Town Matchbox” in collaboration with Matchbox Technologies Co., Ltd.

“Yakushima Town Matchbox” is a new platform that flexibly connects job seekers with local businesses. We aim to create employment opportunities suitable for various lifestyles, including not only those willing to work on the island but also parents raising children, elderly people, those seeking side jobs, and even tourists.

We encourage all local businesses to utilize this service to discover new talent and improve operational efficiency. As a town, we will promote the creation of a comfortable working environment for everyone through this project and work to revitalize the local economy.

Business Briefing Session for Launch

Prior to the service launch on Thursday, July 16, 2026, briefing sessions will be held for businesses in Yakushima Town.

Dates: Thursday, June 18, 2026, and Friday, June 19, 2026 *Three sessions each day: ① 10:00-11:00, ② 14:00-15:00, ③ 16:00-17:00 *If the schedule does not work, individual explanations will be provided per company.

Venue: Yakushima Town Office Main Building, 2nd Floor Conference Room

Speakers: Yakushima Town Matchbox Operation Office (Matchbox Technologies Co., Ltd.)

Contents: What is Yakushima Town Matchbox, usage examples, free recruitment fee and labor processing fee campaign, operation demonstration, Q&A, etc.

Application: Please apply via the URL below. *Application deadline: Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 15:00 https://b.mxbx.jp/setsumeikai_press_form

Inquiries: Yakushima Town Matchbox Operation Office Tel: 050-5536-4648

At Matchbox Technologies, we aim to realize a society where everyone can work flexibly by leveraging digital technology. We will continue to collaborate with local governments to contribute to solving regional human resource challenges.

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About Yakushima Town

Yakushima Town, located in Kumage District, Kagoshima Prefecture, is situated approximately 135 kilometers south of Kagoshima City and about 60 kilometers south of mainland Kagoshima Prefecture, consisting of two islands: Yakushima and Kuchinoerabujima. The town is home to Kyushu’s highest peak, Mount Miyanoura, and a series of mountains over 1,000 meters, earning it the nickname “Ocean Alps.” Part of Yakushima Island was registered as Japan’s first UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in 1993, along with Shirakami-Sanchi, for its unique forest vegetation including thousand-year-old Yakusugi cedar trees and vertical vegetation distribution from subtropical to cool temperate zones.

With abundant natural resources such as Jomon Sugi and Shiratani Unsuikyo, the island attracts many domestic and international visitors for hiking and trekking. Additionally, taking advantage of the warm and rainy climate, fruit and tea cultivation as well as fishing are practiced. Among these, Yakushima Town’s tankan (a type of citrus) is cherished as a specialty product with a rich flavor balancing sweetness and acidity and a wonderful fragrance. This is a charming region where nature’s blessings and people’s lives are closely intertwined.

About “matchbox”

“Matchbox” is a self-sourcing type HR product that enables in-house management of spot work. In addition to current employees, alumni, registered part-timers, and previously hired spot workers can be registered as members in a system developed according to the company’s needs.