ODA Topics 7
Revitalizing Japan through Development Cooperation
Japan’s development cooperation is supported by a diverse range of actors, including companies, local governments, universities, and the civil society. The involvement of these actors is essential for the effective implementation of Japan’s development cooperation. However, did you know that their involvement also contributes to the revitalization and internationalization of Japanese society?
One of the cases in which such effects are seen is the regional revitalization in Japan through interactions with overseas talent. Although there is a temporary decrease due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of foreigners visiting Japan has been increasing in recent years. There were 2.93 million foreign nationals residing in Japan as of the end of 2019 and 1.66 million foreigners working in Japan as of the end of October 2019, both of which were record highs. For the purpose of leveraging this increase in overseas human resources for revitalization of Japanese regional communities, it has become important to create an enabling environment for hosting overseas talent smoothly and appropriately and realize a symbiotic society.
In 2019, the “Xieng Khouang-Kagawa Prefecture-JICA Cooperation Program for Sustainable Agricultural Development” was launched under the collaboration of JICA, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos, and the Kagawa Prefecture Farmers’ Co-op. Through this program, JICA, in collaboration with relevant people of Kagawa Prefecture, provides technical cooperation in Xieng Khouang Province in Laos aiming at increasing production of agricultural products to improve the livelihood of farmers and promote agricultural development in Xieng Khouang Province. In addition, Kagawa Prefecture, a participant in this program, is expected to benefit from smoother hosting of talented technical intern trainees from Laos, promotion of business expansion in Laos, and deepening of cross-cultural understanding via interacting with foreign talent (see “Master Techniques from Japan to the World” for details)
In Miyazaki City, the Bangladesh-Japan ICT Engineers’ Training Program (B-JET) has been established with the collaboration of JICA, Miyazaki City, University of Miyazaki, and local IT companies. The program is designed to support the development of ICT professionals who underpin growth in Bangladesh. ICT professionals from Bangladesh such as graduates of Bangladesh universities of engineering come to Japan after learning the Japanese language and business manners and then intern at IT companies in Miyazaki City while continuing their Japanese language studies at University of Miyazaki. Some of the ICT professionals trained by this initiative found employment in Miyazaki City, which in turn contributes to the internationalization of the city and the revitalization of its ICT industry.
Similar impacts are also witnessed at universities. The JICA Development Studies Program (JICA-DSP) was launched in 2018 to provide international students coming to Japan on ODA programs with an opportunity to systematically learn about Japan’s experiences with its own modernization and development and experiences as a donor, and to train the students into future leaders of developing countries. Some of the programs offered at JICA-DSP are not only for international students funded by ODA but are also open to other international and Japanese students. It is expected that having talented people come to Japan from developing countries and learn with other students in English about the Japanese experience will contribute to making Japanese university education as a whole more dynamic and international.
Bangladeshi students participating in B-JET in Japan after training in Bangladesh for internships in Miyazaki
International students participating in “Understanding the Japanese Development Experience” as part of JICA-DSP (Photo: Nagaoka City Museum of Local History)