(6) Collaboration with People with a Deep Interest in and Understanding of Japan, Japanese Descendants (Nikkei) Living Abroad, and Others
ABE Initiative participants interacting with Japanese companies and other students (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 Program for Young 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 March 2024, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Training Program for Young Leaders, 28 AJAFA-21 members from nine countries visited Japan for a commemorative ceremony. During the ceremony, each country reported on the history of building trust between ASEAN countries and Japan through this program and shared future prospects. They confirmed that ASEAN countries and Japan will continue to work together as true equal partners to solve common global challenges. In March 2025, the Executive Council Meeting of AJAFA-21 national alumni association representatives for FY2024 is scheduled to be held in Laos.
Japan strives to increase follow-up support for participants of the ABE InitiativeNote 16 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 October 2024, the network had more than 1,200 people, including current participants and graduates, as well as Japanese corporate representatives and former Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCVs), disseminating business information related to Japanese companies in Africa and facilitating mutual exchange. The ABE Initiative also offers annual online 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 that stretches across the African continent, it is active in over 48 African countries. 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 also “Stories from the Field” for the activities of the alumni association of trainees returning from 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. As part of its technical cooperation with these communities, JICA implements training programs for Nikkei community members, as well as the Education Program for Next-Generation Nikkei for Nikkei youth (junior high school, high school, and university students), who assume a leading role in collaboration between Nikkei communities in Latin America and the Caribbean and Japan. In FY2023, 142 Nikkei people from 11 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 FY2023, 43 JOCVs were sent to four countries in support of development in the region while living and working alongside Nikkei people and members of Nikkei communities.
- Note 16: See the glossary.