RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesian Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Kemendes PDT) is promoting Japanese language training not only as an educational program but also as a gateway to international employment opportunities.

The initiative is expected to have a tangible economic impact, enabling participants with sufficient language proficiency to access jobs abroad, particularly in Japan. This, in turn, aims to boost family incomes and improve the overall well-being of rural communities.

“This training is a shared effort to improve participants’ standard of living, support family economic development, and ultimately contribute to better health in rural and disadvantaged communities,” said Mulyadin Malik, Head of the Village and Disadvantaged Regions Information Development Agency (BPI), at the opening ceremony of the second batch of Japanese language training at the ministry’s office in Jakarta on Thursday, April 1, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Mulyadin emphasized that the program goes beyond language skills, offering participants pathways to employment and broader access to skills, information, and opportunities.

He explained that participants will have the option to pursue further training until they reach a level that qualifies them to work in Japan, making the program a sustainable pathway with clear results.

The program also reflects a shift in village development strategy from a previous focus on infrastructure to strengthening human resources. Japanese language training is seen as a way to expand rural communities’ access to global opportunities that were previously limited.

Collaboration with the private sector is central to the program. Through a partnership with PT Mojo Indonesia Raya, the training combines industry needs with participant capacity development. “This training is part of our collaboration with Kemendes PDT to improve the quality of village human resources through foreign language competency,” said Andi Irma Sarjani, Head of the Education Department at PT Mojo Indonesia Raya.

Public enthusiasm for the program has grown significantly. Enrollment for the second batch, which ran from February 16 to March 27, attracted 1,457 participants from 36 provinces, 288 regencies and cities, and 1,183 villages.

This marks a sharp increase compared to the first batch, which had only 118 participants. The surge demonstrates that overseas job opportunities are a strong attraction and a new source of hope for rural communities.

The training is divided into two stages: an initial stage focusing on mastering the hiragana and katakana alphabets, and an advanced stage covering basic kanji, beginner-level Japanese for everyday conversation, and an introduction to tourism.

After completing the online training, participants may continue with more intensive courses at job training institutions (LPK) to further improve their Japanese language skills in preparation for employment in Japan. ***