- Nagaland-Japan Connect 2026 enabled direct job interactions for over 450 registered Naga youths across key sectors
- The initiative strengthens long-term Nagaland–Japan cooperation amid Japan’s growing demand for skilled workers
- Agreements were inked for vocational training, internships, and international placements with Japanese partners
The government of Nagaland through its Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland IDAN conducted Nagaland Japan Connect 2026 recently at the Integrated Business Hub Innovation Centre (IBHIC) which is located in Dimapur to establish job opportunities for Naga youth in Japan.
The event saw strong participation, recording over 450 student registrations, and featured direct job interviews and interactions with Japanese employers across sectors including agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, electronics, hospitality, and heavy machinery.
Deputy Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang who attended the programme as special guest described the initiative as a strategic economic intervention which developed through mutual trust between partners who shared common future ambitions.
He remembered the established relationship between Nagaland and Japan which began in 2014 and later developed into formal educational programs that supported skill development and workforce mobility.
IDAN Chairman Abu Metha opened the event by explaining that the program resulted from joint efforts by government staff and departments who worked under the guidance of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to create more global work opportunities for young people from the state.
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Kunitoshi Hojo, who serves as Deputy Director General of the Kochi Prefectural Department of Commerce and Labour, explained that Japan faces a dual problem because its population ages and its workforce declines, which creates a growing need for skilled workers from overseas.
He shared that Kochi Prefecture, which had no Naga workers in 2024, currently employs 19 Naga youths, with more expected to be placed through the initiative.
The event included participation from eight companies based in Kochi Prefecture. The parties involved in the project established several memoranda of understanding to create a framework for their collaboration which included vocational training and internship programs and international job placement services and investment support initiatives.
The official representative of Nagaland in Japan became Konnekt Asia while NYK and IDAN signed a MoU to develop a vocational training ecosystem combining foreign language skills with industry-oriented technical training.