Japan Names 17 Countries Approved for Technical Intern Training Programme

• Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare published a list of countries with formal bilateral agreements to participate in the programme
• All 17 approved nations are located in Asia or the Pacific, with no African, European, or American country appearing on the list
• The agreements set out a formal framework governing how interns and sending organisations participate in Japan's technical training initiative

Japan has identified 17 countries whose nationals are eligible to participate in its Technical Intern Training Programme through formalised bilateral channels, with every approved nation drawn exclusively from Asia and the Pacific region.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare released the list of countries that have signed memoranda of cooperation with Japan, outlining the formal agreements designed to ensure the programme operates smoothly between Japan and its partner sending nations.

The 17 countries on the list are Vietnam, Cambodia, India, the Philippines, Laos, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bhutan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal, East Timor, and Fiji.

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The signatories are concentrated primarily across South and Southeast Asia, with Fiji representing the sole Pacific island nation on the list.

No country from Africa, Europe, or the Americas features among the approved sending nations under this framework.

What the Technical Intern Training Programme Involves

The programme enables nationals from participating countries to travel to Japan to acquire skills and knowledge across designated industries. The bilateral agreements provide a structured framework intended to protect the interests of both the sending country and the interns themselves, while holding Japanese organisations to established operational guidelines.

The ministry indicated that the agreements exist to coordinate activity between Japan and each participating sending country, ensuring the initiative runs without disruption on either side.

The publication of the list carries practical significance for prospective interns and the organisations that facilitate their placement. Only nationals from countries that have signed a memorandum of cooperation can access the programme through this particular formalised route.

Nations that have not concluded such an agreement are not recognised as approved sending countries under the framework.

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The complete absence of African nations from the list means citizens of countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa do not currently have a formalised pathway into the programme through this channel.

Source: YEN.com.gh