RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions, Yandri Susanto, has announced plans to send at least 30,000 young people from rural areas to Japan through an internship and scholarship program in partnership with Exceed Cooperative Japan. The initiative is part of the government's efforts to strengthen the capacity of rural human resources by providing international work experience and practical skills that participants can apply upon returning to Indonesia.

He said the partnership will begin with the signing of a memorandum of understanding in Osaka, Japan. The government will also conduct participant mapping and work with ten village associations to meet the recruitment target requested by Exceed Cooperative Japan.

“We will sign the MoU in Osaka. Their initial request is for at least 30,000 participants. We will carry out a detailed mapping process to ensure the program runs effectively, and we will involve ten village associations to fulfill the quota requested by Exceed Cooperative Japan,” Yandri said during a meeting with representatives of Exceed Cooperative Japan and Hakko Fukushikai Foundation Japan at the Ministry’s headquarters in Jakarta on Monday August 3, 2026.

According to him, the partnership will benefit both countries, as Indonesia has abundant human resources while Japan faces a declining productive-age population. The program is expected to equip rural youth with international experience and professional skills while preparing them to become future drivers of village development.

“We will launch the ‘Youth Build Villages, Build Indonesia’ initiative. Productive-age men and women will be sent to Japan through scholarships and internship schemes. After completing the program, they will return as village aggregators who understand how to develop their hometowns based on each village’s unique potential,” he said.

Recruitment and training for participants will begin soon with the involvement of multiple stakeholders. In addition to village associations, the State-Owned Banks Association (Himbara) and the Red and White Village Cooperative (KDKMP) will support the program, including preparations for participants' departure, which is scheduled to begin next year.

Exceed Cooperative Japan President Director, Watanabe Daisuke, welcomed the planned partnership, describing it as a strategic response to Japan’s growing labor shortage. He said Japan has increasingly relied on Indonesian workers over the past seven years to fill positions in healthcare, logistics, construction, manufacturing, and agriculture as the country's productive-age population continues to decline.

The partnership will be formalized through the signing of a memorandum of understanding and a cooperation agreement in Osaka, providing a stronger framework for its implementation. The Indonesian government hopes the initiative will not only expand employment opportunities for rural youth but also produce a new generation of community leaders capable of driving economic growth and sustainable development in their villages after returning home.