May 2025
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Japanese Language School Opens at Hot Spring Inn in Ureshino, Saga : Launch of a Community-Based Human Resource Development Model
(Source: Innovation Partners Inc.) Innovation Partners Inc. supported the conceptualization and attraction of a new Japanese language school, ICA International Conversation Academy Ureshino Campus, established within the premises of Wataya Besso, a long-standing hot spring inn in Ureshino City, Saga Prefecture. The ICA International Conversation Academy Ureshino Campus officially opened in April 2025 and is operated by ICA Co., Ltd., an affiliated company of Link Staff Co., Ltd. The school adopts a “job-linked” human resource development model aimed at enabling international students to work and settle in the region. It is accredited by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. A total of 41 students from five Asian countries, including India and Uzbekistan, are scheduled to enroll, with an average age of 25.9. This project was planned in response to the nationwide labor shortage in tourist areas and aims to support the acceptance and local integration of foreign human resources. While studying Japanese, students are expected to engage with the local community through part-time work at inns and, upon graduation, pursue full-time employment with local businesses. The establishment of an educational institution within a lodging facility is a rare model in Japan, aiming to build an...