Is Japan the answer for Nagaland’s unemployed youth?

Wewoü came to Dimapur, a city 120 kilometres away from her village Leshemi in Phek district, Nagaland, to study Japanese language and culture in the hope of going to Japan for work. She paid INR 10,000 for the training programme and an additional INR 6,000 for placement in an internship. 

Failing to find employment in their own state, many young people in Nagaland are learning Japanese at private institutions that offer blue-collar jobs for a period of three to five years in Japan. 

The push comes from the Nagaland government itself as the state’s 2025 Survey Report found an unemployment rate of 16.07 percent, out of which 55 percent had been unemployed for more than three years. 

In July 2025, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio led a state delegation to Japan. Among the agreements signed was an MoU between the Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland and ARMS Incorporation—an organisation recruiting young people for sectors such as machining, industrial packaging, care work, scaffolding, painting, and seat-product sewing in Japan—for longer-term cooperation in human-resource development and sports. A separate agreement with Kochi Prefecture focused on human-resource exchange and employment opportunities for Naga youth in Japan. 

Nagaland is thus increasingly viewing Japan as a possible destination for its labour force in the face of rampant unemployment and lack of opportunities within the state. 

Sanen, a Japanese-language ARMS teacher, says the popularity of these courses is increasing. “The early batches, in 2018, were small with seven to 10 students each. By 2024, this number had grown close to 100.” 

While there is aspiration and opportunity, interns have to pay ARMS approximately INR 2.4 lakh with interest for airfare, visa, and other costs. This is repaid in installments through deductions from their salaries. A worker’s monthly salary is roughly INR 1.13 lakh, of which they receive INR 84,765 after deductions. 

Sam,* an intern, says it’s very difficult to manage their expenses in the months they have to pay back the fees given the cost of living in Japan. “We are supposed to pay the amount within a year, but most of us find this challenging and it usually gets extended.”

This isn’t the only obstacle young people face. Sean,* an intern currently working in Japan, says, “Although we receive training in the Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji scripts along with Japanese culture and etiquettes, using the language in daily conversation is very different from learning it in a classroom… The work also requires us to remain physically active and on our feet for extended periods, so adjusting to the pace and demands of the job was not easy.”

“It can get very lonely here. At home, we often visit our neighbours and friends. Here, it is not like that. After working for five or six days, I usually spend my day off inside, sleeping and resting. Sometimes I meet friends who came through ARMS from Nagaland, but apart from that I don’t have much of a social life,” adds Sam.

The internship is not extendable beyond five years. The first batch is yet to come back to Nagaland, but questions around how many young people can be sent abroad, whether the current training provides enough support, and if there will be opportunities available once they return remain unanswered.

*Names changed to maintain confidentiality.

Kuvethilu Thuluo is 2026–27 IDR Northeast Media Fellow.

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