Kayac Launches 'Relocation-Based Recruitment' Partnership with 10 Companies Including Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten and Fisherman Japan

Kayac Inc. (Headquarters: Kamakura, Kanagawa; Representative Director and CEO: Daisuke Yanagisawa; Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth: 3904) announced that starting in June 2026, it will begin a business partnership with 10 companies and organizations, including Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten (Headquarters: Nara, Nara; President: Aya Sengoku) and Fisherman Japan (Headquarters: Ishinomaki, Miyagi; Representative Director: Shota Abe), that are working to support local corporate recruitment.

This partnership aims to promote 'relocation-based recruitment,' where local private companies welcome workers from outside the region, supporting both relocation and recruitment as a unified process. Partners will use 'Smout,' a platform operated by Kayac that connects individuals with regions, to support recruitment. Furthermore, Kayac and its partners will share knowledge and challenges gained from local recruitment fields to build a 'relocation-based recruitment' model tailored to the realities of each region and industry.

*This partnership represents a practical initiative with 10 companies and organizations that expressed their intention to partner as of May 2026. Future expansion policies will be formulated based on acquired knowledge, and considerations for new partners will proceed after these policies are determined.

Background information highlights the deepening issue of talent drain and labor shortages in local areas. According to Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications statistics, 40 prefectures saw a net outflow of residents in 2025. Furthermore, a Teikoku Databank survey indicated that bankruptcies due to labor shortages in fiscal 2025 hit a record high of 441 cases, a 1.3-fold increase from the previous fiscal year.

Another significant issue is the mismatch caused by the separation of 'work' and 'lifestyle' information. While recruiting locally is difficult due to the decline in the working-age population, traditional recruitment methods are disadvantageous for hiring from outside the region. To address this, 'Smout' will combine job information from local private firms with 'lifestyle' information accumulated from over 1,190 regions nationwide, aiming to build a mechanism that provides both 'work' and 'lifestyle' seamlessly.

Key initiatives of the partnership include: 1. Recruitment support for local firms using 'Smout': Partners will proactively approach users interested in local regions by crafting effective messaging and using Smout's scouting features. 2. Knowledge sharing on 'relocation-based recruitment': Regularly sharing successful cases, challenges, and know-how to create opportunities for mutual learning. 3. Joint verification for building a 'relocation-based recruitment' model: Visualizing the needs of urban talent through user surveys and interviews to verify sustainable recruitment support models.