Connecting Tohoku Businesses with International Students
Great news has arrived for international students studying in Japan's Tohoku region who wish to find employment locally. The "Tohoku Consortium for Promoting the Active Participation of Highly Skilled Foreign Professionals"—jointly managed by the Tohoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, JETRO Sendai, and Tohoku University—is hosting the "Foreign Student Job Fair 2026 in Tohoku" to match outstanding local companies with international students.
This event is designed to help Tohoku-based companies secure talented foreign workers while providing students with a direct platform to communicate with excellent local businesses and seize employment opportunities. It is expected to be a highly practical opportunity for international students in the Tohoku region, who have historically faced more difficulty accessing job information compared to those in major metropolitan areas.
Target Audience and Scale of the Job Fair
This job fair targets approximately 100 international students who strongly desire to work in the Tohoku region. Any international student currently enrolled in a university, graduate school, or vocational school within the Tohoku region is eligible to apply.
- Target Audience: While primarily focusing on students graduating in 2027, international students of all academic years are welcome to attend. For underclassmen, this is an excellent opportunity to gauge the atmosphere of the Japanese job market and gather company information in advance.
- Cost: Participation is free of charge, eliminating any financial burden for international students.
- Venue: The event will be held at the Sendai International Center Exhibition Hall 2, located in the heart of Sendai City.
Twenty companies with headquarters or offices in the Tohoku region that are highly interested in hiring highly skilled foreign professionals are scheduled to participate. Notably, the doors have been opened to companies that have not yet hired foreign talent, allowing students to discover a wide range of hidden champions and local businesses. Meanwhile, the application deadline for participating companies is September 11, 2026.
Diverse Programs: From On-Site Interviews to Online Briefings
On the day of the event, a variety of programs will be offered to facilitate close communication between students and company representatives, enabling practical recruitment steps.
- Participating Company Presentations: Representatives from each company will take the stage to introduce their business sectors, strengths, corporate culture, and the roles and duties expected of foreign talent. This allows students to gain clear foundational knowledge about the companies before visiting their booths.
- Company Booth Consultations: International students and corporate HR managers will meet one-on-one at individual booths set up inside the venue for in-depth discussions. Since these sessions can go beyond simple consultations and lead to actual job interviews as part of the recruitment process, participants are advised to prepare thoroughly.
- Online Briefings: Online information sessions will also be held in parallel for companies that cannot participate in person or prefer a hybrid format.
What Employment in Tohoku Means for International Students
Many regional companies in Japan are actively recruiting highly skilled foreign professionals to expand their global business operations and promote multicultural coexistence. The Tohoku region is no exception; in fact, outstanding community-oriented local businesses are putting significant effort into recruiting international students.
Jointly hosted by the Tohoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry (a government agency), JETRO (responsible for trade promotion), and Tohoku University (the region's representative educational institution), this job fair is highly reliable as it features a large number of reputable companies. For international students wishing to start a stable career and settle down in the Tohoku region, this fair will serve as an invaluable bridge to local businesses.
Tools: Internet Finder
Source: J-Net21