Naruto City, Tokushima Prefecture, Partner of Otsutabi, Selected for MIC's 'Hometown Resident Registration System Model Project'; Building a Model from Creating Related Population to Institutionalization with Otsutabi

Otsutabi Inc. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & CEO: Rina Nagaoka; hereinafter 'Otsutabi'), which operates the human resource matching service 'Otsutabi' that combines work and travel, announced that its partner, Naruto City in Tokushima Prefecture, has been selected for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' (MIC) 'Hometown Resident Registration System Model Project.' In response, Otsutabi will collaborate with the city to build a model for implementing this system.

Background: What is the new national 'Hometown Resident Registration System'?

The 'Hometown Resident Registration System' promoted by the MIC is designed to visualize and institutionalize people who have ongoing connections with regions other than their place of residence as 'hometown residents.' In March 2026, 21 municipalities were selected as model projects from 161 applications nationwide, with Naruto City being one of them.

History of Collaboration with Naruto City

Otsutabi and Naruto City have been building on the following initiatives to simultaneously address labor shortages and create a related population:

- Promoting the acceptance of Otsutabi participants in collaboration with local businesses
- Creating work and stay opportunities for participants from outside the region
- Fostering a related population through interaction with local businesses and residents
- Building relationships that lead to repeat participation and continued visits

These on-the-ground practices have formed a significant foundation for the selection in this model project. Press releases on past collaborations are as follows:

▼ Otsutabi Signs Partnership Agreement with Naruto City
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000120.000036175.html

▼ Otsutabi and Naruto City Win 'Special Award' at the 1st National Sharing City Awards
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000114.000036175.html

▼ Otsutabi Partners with Naruto City to Promote 'Half-Agriculture, Half-X,' a New Lifestyle Combining Agriculture
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000091.000036175.html

▼ Otsutabi and Naruto City to Address Labor Shortages in Medical, Nursing Care, and Childcare Fields
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000165.000036175.html

▼ Otsutabi and Naruto City Promote UIJ Turn through Public-Private Partnership; Launch Second Round of 'Adult Job Experience' Working at Local Companies
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000188.000036175.html

▼ Otsutabi Obtains Certification from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for 'Activities Contributing to the Revitalization of Farming and Fishing Villages'; Achievements in Creating Related Population and Migration in Naruto City, Tokushima Prefecture Recognized
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000196.000036175.html

Overview of the Model Project: Connecting the Field and the System with 'Data'

In this model project, Naruto City and Otsutabi will promote the following initiatives based on their past achievements:

- Creating a related population through 'short-term work × stay' via Otsutabi
- Datafication of participants' regional experiences and relationships
- Examining collaboration with the 'Hometown Resident Registration System' and related apps
- Designing pathways for continued visits and deepening relationships (repeats, dual residency, etc.)

The goal is to build a model that connects the field and the system, shaping the entire flow from 'creating a related population to its establishment.'

Comment from Naruto City, Tokushima Prefecture

'Through our partnership with Otsutabi, Naruto City has been working to connect local businesses with participants from across the country and create a new related population. Taking this model project selection as an opportunity, we aim to further develop these efforts and lead to the creation of 'hometown residents' who are continuously involved with the region. We will proceed with the implementation of the system and its establishment in the region in collaboration with Otsutabi.'

Rina Nagaoka, Representative Director & CEO, Otsutabi Inc.

'We have been tackling the common challenges of regional labor shortages and creating a related population together with Naruto City for several years since our founding. I am deeply moved and feel a renewed sense of responsibility that our 'deep interactions with local people through helping out' have now led to a public framework like the national 'Hometown Resident Registration System Model Project.' What we aim for is not simply labor matching. We transform the critical issue of regional labor shortages into 'opportunities for engagement' for people from outside the region to deeply immerse themselves, creating an experience where that region becomes a 'second hometown' for them. In this model project, we will visualize the interactions born in the field as 'hometown residents' and build a new flow of people from Naruto City where the system and the field are linked. We will strive to make this challenge in Naruto City a sustainable leading model that can be utilized by local governments nationwide.'

Future Outlook

Through this model project, Otsutabi will promote sustainable community development from the following perspectives while addressing regional issues such as labor shortages:

- Development from creating a related population to building sustainable relationships
- Visualization of regional issues and development of an acceptance environment in collaboration with local governments
- Building a system for a society where people travel between, engage with, and support multiple regions
- Expansion to other regions based on practices in Naruto City

Going forward, Otsutabi will leverage the knowledge gained through initiatives in Naruto City to create new relationships between regions and people, contributing to the realization of a sustainable regional society throughout Japan.

What is 'Otsutabi'?

'Otsutabi' is a human resource matching service that combines 'helping out' and 'travel.' It matches regional businesses struggling with labor shortages with travelers who want to 'work while traveling.'

Travelers are responsible for their own transportation costs to the destination, but they can reduce the financial burden of travel by receiving compensation for working at their destination. They can also enjoy the local culture and lifestyle more deeply through interaction with local people.

Regional businesses can gather workers from all over the country by offering compensation and accommodation (such as dormitories) to workers from outside the region, without needing to provide transportation costs. The recruitment period can be set flexibly, from a minimum of 1 night and 2 days to a maximum of less than 2 months, and working hours, job content, etc., can also be arranged flexibly. Furthermore, if workers use their days off or free time to sightsee in the region, it is expected to revitalize the local economy.

See the Otsutabi website

Working Travel in Rural Areas as a Gateway to 'Related Population'

The average stay period for 'Otsutabi' is about two weeks. By actually working in the region, travelers build connections with people and relationships with the region that cannot be obtained through mere tourism. Such experiences not only resolve short-term labor shortages but also lead to the creation of a 'related population' that maintains ongoing ties with the region.

In fact, a post-participation survey of Otsutabi users showed the following results:

- 81% of people stayed in a region (municipality) they 'had no plans to visit without Otsutabi'
- 49% responded that they 'did not know about that region (municipality) until they stayed there'
- 70% responded that it was their 'first time visiting the region (municipality)'
- 86% of people responded that they 'would like to visit the region where they stayed again someday'

National Examples: From 'Otsutabi' to Migration and Settlement

Starting with 'Otsutabi'...