The launch of ARMS Incorporation (Mokokchung Chapter) on October 29 reflects how Nagaland is positioning itself within a new kind of international collaboration. Long dependent on public sector jobs, the state government is now visibly steering towards international labor mobility as a model for youth employment.
Following the launch, Meripeni, Project Lead of the Nagaland Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Mission (NSEDM) under IDAN, said, “This initiative for Japanese language training is a larger vision of the Government of Nagaland.”
She added that the mission, launched earlier this year on May 29, is “a vision to create, skill, employ and empower Nagaland.”
“We seek to prepare our young people for diverse and emerging industries both within the country and beyond,” she said.
“The important step towards this is the introduction of Japanese language training which equips our youth not only with communication skills but also with the discipline, precision and work culture that Japan is known for.”
ARMS Incorporation has been partnering with Nagaland for two years, during which time, “They have signed an MoU with the Government of Nagaland through IDAN and have collaborated in establishing the Centre of Excellence for Foreign Languages in Nagaland University,” Meripeni said.
“Within a span of two short years, ARMS Corporation have already trained and placed about 325 Naga students in Japan working in sectors like agriculture, industrial packaging, machine operation, construction and manufacturing,” she added, describing the outcome as “only the beginning.”
With the Mokokchung centre, the government says it is expanding access to youths from “Wokha, Longleng, Tuensang, Zunheboto and other districts,” reducing the need to travel to Dimapur or Kohima. Financial accessibility is also being addressed through ‘Skill Loans’ under the State Bank of India.
Japan’s interest in Northeast India, particularly in Nagaland, is not sudden.
The country’s ageing population and labor shortage have driven Tokyo to seek partnerships with countries that can provide a trained and reliable workforce. Nagaland, with its English-speaking youth and emerging vocational ecosystem, fits that demand neatly.
For Japan, the collaboration has opened an unexpected window into Nagaland – a state many in Japan had never heard of before.
“Japanese people were not aware about Nagaland before,” said Nagatoshi Shibata, Vice President of ARMS Incorporation. “Due to this initiative, Japanese people are now steadily getting to know about what Nagaland is and what kind of people they are.”
When asked about opportunities for white collar jobs in Japan, Shibata outlined how language proficiency directly influences job opportunities: “Japanese language is very crucial and important to get a job in Japan… We have five levels starting from N5 going up till N1, N1 being native level. In our institute, we teach students till the level of N4 and N3 depending on their requirement. But if a student wants to acquire a white-collar job in Japan, then it means the student will have to acquire a qualification above N3 level or its equivalent.”
But as Nagaland’s youth increasingly take up jobs abroad, a new question emerges – who ensures their safety and rights once they leave the country? When asked about the measures put in place to check workers exploitation, ARMS Incorporation claimed to have safety nets in place.
“We have a home branch in Japan which visits trainees twice a month to check on their wellbeing,” said Temjen Bursanen Jamir, Director of External Affairs, ARMS Incorporation. “If there are any issues with work or treatment, we are there to solve them.”
Jamir added that ARMS’ India office also maintains bi-monthly contact with trainees. So far, he said, “we haven’t had any issues – rather, we have testimonies from our students that Japan itself is very safe.”
The Government of Nagaland, meanwhile, is working on a monitoring mechanism for overseas workers.
“It’s a very new thing,” said Meripeni, “Nagaland government is also coming up with a mechanism on how to monitor these workers that are going out and working outside the country. We will be working closely with ARMS to monitor.”
“It is also the desire of our Chief Minister that all of these policies should be in place so we will definitely have a solid policy on this,” she added.
When asked whether the MoU has anything beyond skill learning, Meripeni noted that the partnership between Nagaland and Japan is not limited to labor export.
“It is more than just skills, it is more than just sending our labor force to Japan,” she said. “There is a broader perspective – about bringing expertise, investments, and in fact, there are companies from Japan who are coming in to invest in infrastructure as well.”
This forms part of a wider geopolitical and economic strategy: “The central government and the ministry is also putting pressure on the Northeast and our state to collaborate with Japanese companies and government. It is not just about skills but there are other things in play as well,” she added.
According to Bursanen, the course fee is about Rs 2.7 lakh, but flexibility has been introduced:
“We allow our students to pay only Rs 1 lakh divided into three parts – Rs 10,000 for registration, Rs 40,000 upon receiving an offer letter, and Rs 50,000 before departure. The remaining amount is paid back to us once they reach Japan, with a grace period of 2–3 months.”
The qualification required is Class 10 (Class 8 for caregivers), with classes running from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
As Nagaland deepens its Japan partnership, the initiative represents more than a skill program – it signals a quiet but strategic shift in how the state views employability, education, and its role in the global economy.