NINAITE Co-hosts 'Specified Skilled Foreign Worker Acceptance Seminar' with Sapporo City on June 3 to Support First-Time Hiring

NINAITE Inc. (Headquarters: Sapporo City, Hokkaido; CEO: Sanshiro Yokoyama), acting as the operational organizer for the "FY2026 Foreigner Acceptance and Retention Support Project" co-hosted with Sapporo City, will hold the "Specified Skilled Foreign Worker Acceptance Seminar" on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at EZO HUB SAPPORO (Higashi-ku, Sapporo). The seminar aims to raise awareness of this support project. Participation is free, with a capacity of 90 attendees. By utilizing this program, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in Sapporo can have up to two-thirds of their initial hiring costs subsidized, allowing them to hire with an out-of-pocket expense of just one-third.

Background | The Era of "Hiring Anytime" is Over

In March 2026, the Immigration Services Agency suspended the acceptance of workers under the "food service" sector of the Specified Skilled Worker program. The implementation of acceptance caps within the program is shifting the premise of foreign hiring from "we can hire anytime" to "we must secure excellent foreign talent early."

Meanwhile, in Hokkaido and Sapporo, securing a future workforce for industries that support civic life, such as nursing care, has become a critical issue. Under these circumstances, Sapporo City established this project to create a public-private support system for SMEs undertaking foreign hiring for the first time.

Seminar Highlights | A Three-Way Dialogue: Host Companies × Education × Registered Support Organizations

The seminar will provide companies considering their first steps in hiring foreign talent with an overview of regulatory trends and realistic insights into actual workplace situations. The crosstalk session will feature Mina Mori, Section Chief of the Recruiting Department at Hikarinomori Gakuen (a social welfare corporation that currently employs 48 foreign staff), and Tomohiro Kitauji, CEO of Kurobo Inc., which supports workplace education for host companies nationwide using video manuals. They will provide concrete examples of the pathway to talent retention from both the employer's and the educator's perspectives.

Event Overview

Event Name: Specified Skilled Foreign Worker Acceptance Seminar Date and Time: Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 13:30–16:00 (Registration opens at 13:00) Venue: EZO HUB SAPPORO Higuma Hall (2F Satsudora HD Headquarters, 1-20, Kita 8-jo Higashi 4-chome, Higashi-ku, Sapporo) Capacity: 90 people (Free admission, prior registration required)

Speaker Profiles

Seminar Instructor Yuya Miyagi / Director and General Manager of Business Division, NINAITE Inc. Formerly stationed in Serbia with JICA, engaged in volunteer programs and refugee assistance. Currently oversees NINAITE's Foreign Talent Business Division, managing recruitment, dispatch, and AI-driven retention support services.

Guest Speaker Mina Mori / Section Chief, Recruiting Department, Hikarinomori Gakuen Social Welfare Corporation In charge of hiring and educating foreign talent at the organization. Currently driving the acceptance of 48 foreign workers and focusing on human resource development, including an original 1-month training program upon arrival. Plans to continue hiring approximately 10 workers annually.

Guest Speaker Tomohiro Kitauji / CEO, Kurobo Inc. Provides support for improving workplace education using video manuals. Offers services that assist efforts to streamline education and enhance work quality in sectors such as agriculture, nursing care, and manufacturing.

About the "FY2026 Foreigner Acceptance and Retention Support Project" Target: SMEs with a base in Sapporo (Priority given to companies with no prior foreign hiring experience) Subsidy Details: Subsidizes up to 2/3 of the acceptance costs under the Specified Skilled Worker program Capacity: Limited to 50 companies Operations: NINAITE Inc. Organizer: Sapporo City Comfortable Workplace Promotion Council Cooperation: Hokkaido Labor Bureau

About NINAITE Revolutionizing foreign employment through the fusion of fieldwork and technology, NINAITE, headquartered in Sapporo, Hokkaido, provides a one-stop solution for industries suffering from chronic labor shortages nationwide, such as agriculture, nursing care, food service, and manufacturing. Services range from recruitment and education to retention support, dispatch, and labor management. The company has supported over 1,450 individuals to date, maintaining an average retention rate of over 80%. NINAITE collaborates with more than 60 Japanese language educational institutions across 8 Asian and African countries. In 2026, it will open the NINAITE INDONESIA Japanese language school in Indonesia and release the foreign employment OS 'ninaite.ai'.