Interaction between Japanese company representatives and ABE Initiative graduates at a reporting session after returning to their country (Photo: JICA)

Foreign nationals who have participated in training programs or studied in Japan through Japan’s ODA are important human assets with an understanding of Japanese culture and values. There are also cases where these people form alumni associations and engage in activities to promote exchanges with and understanding of Japan after returning to their home countries. Through our overseas diplomatic missions, MOFA facilitates collaboration with these people, who have a deep interest in and understanding of Japan.

In ASEAN countries, after returning to their home countries, participants of JICA’s Training Programme for Youth Leaders (the former Youth Invitation Program) have established alumni associations in their own countries. In 1988, the alumni associations in each ASEAN country were integrated into the newly launched “ASEAN-Japan Friendships Association for the 21st Century (AJAFA-21).” Since then, AJAFA-21 has continued to conduct exchange activities within the ASEAN region and with Japan. In December 2023, more than 100 members from eight ASEAN countries visited Japan to commemorate the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, expanding exchanges and confirming their continuous commitment to contributing to Japan-ASEAN cooperation through alumni activities.

Through the ABE Initiative,Note 14 Japan strives to increase follow-up support for participants after they complete the program. Using online methods and other means, Japan provides networking opportunities with Japanese company representatives and information to participants who wish to work for Japanese companies. To strengthen networking among ABE Initiative participants, a social media network was launched in April 2020. As of November 2023, the network had approximately 1,070 people, including current participants and graduates, as well as Japanese corporate representatives and former Japan Overseas Volunteers (JOCVs), disseminating business information related to Japanese companies in Africa and facilitating mutual exchange. The ABE Initiative also offers networking opportunities for all graduates to connect with each other. Furthermore, a group of volunteer participants established an organization called Kakehashi Africa, which aims to become a business partner with Japanese companies. While maintaining a network across Africa, the organization is engaged in activities such as conducting business surveys, providing business information, and matching the needs of Japanese companies and local resources. It has also collaborated with JICA, including on entrepreneurship training (see “Stories from the Field 1” and “Stories from the Field 5” for the activities of former international students who have studied in Japan).

In many cases, Japanese descendants (Nikkei people) form Nikkei communities in the countries of their residence and play a role as the foundation of strong ties between Japan and those countries. Nikkei communities in Latin America and the Caribbean, which account for approximately 60% of the world’s Nikkei people, support regional development and contribute greatly to the economic growth of their countries through the transfer of technology, etc., while also playing an important role as a “bridge” and “partner” with Japan. JICA implements the Training for Nikkei communities technical cooperation and the Program for Developing Leaders in Nikkei Communities technical cooperation for professionals who assume a leading role in cooperation between Nikkei communities in Latin America and the Caribbean and Japan. In FY2022, 152 Nikkei people from nine Latin American and the Caribbean countries participated in the Training for Nikkei communities. In addition, JICA dispatches JOCVs to Nikkei communities who are motivated to apply their skills and experience to the communities in Latin America and the Caribbean. In FY2022, 29 volunteers were sent to five countries in support of development in the region while living and working alongside Nikkei people and members of Nikkei communities.

Featured Project 14

Bolivia, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, and Mexico

Nurturing Young Entrepreneurs in “Nikkei” Communities
Seminar to Foster Young Entrepreneurs in Nikkei Communities across Latin America
(March 2023)

Many Japanese immigrants and their descendants (Nikkei) live in Latin America and the Caribbean, where they have formed and developed their colonies and communities. On the other hand, many young Nikkei people from those colonies do not find the local industry centering on agriculture attractive, which leads them to move to urban areas or migrate to other countries to find work. The outflow of young Nikkei people and the resulting aging of Nikkei communities pose serious challenges to the sustainable development of these Nikkei communities.

To address this challenge, the JICA Bolivia Office held a seminar in March 2023 in the Department of Santa Cruz, where Nikkei colonies have been settled, with the aim of nurturing young entrepreneurs from Nikkei communities in Latin America. The seminar was attended by a total of 41 participants, mostly Nikkei people between the ages of 18 and 52, not only from Bolivia, but also from Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, and Peru. Group works were conducted aiming at generating business ideas. The JICA Bolivia Office had previously implemented “Project NINJA (Next Innovation with Japan)Note 1 in Bolivia” from September 2022 to January 2023 to foster an entrepreneurial mindset among young Nikkei people so as to revitalize Nikkei communities in Bolivia. The outcome of said project led to the realization of this multinational seminar, expanding the target area to other Nikkei communities throughout Latin America.

The seminar contributed not only to the development of Nikkei entrepreneurs but also to the formation of human networks across national borders among young Nikkei people, who are expected to lead the future Nikkei communities.

Participants from Nikkei communities across Latin America, who discussed business ideas over three days (Photo: JICA)

Deepening discussions between members from different countries (Photo: JICA)

Note 1: See Note 23.

1. Note 14: See the glossary.

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