My grandfather worked for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), mostly in Asia; his gifts and stories sparked my interest and is how I eventually ended up in Kumamoto. (Long, twisted journey.)
The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is similar to USAID. Japan Today reports that Kumamoto will be the first prefecture to coordinate with JICA to support non-Japanese workers as they prepare to come to Kumamoto and while they are here. The article says that, as of 2018, Kumamoto hosted 13,411 non-Japanese, up 16.64 percent from 2017, the highest increase in Japan. Most work in agriculture, followed by manufacturing and services. Kumadai will also participate. This is an interesting read. - William
