JENESYS Programme

Under the JAIF contribution, youth exchange through visits of ASEAN youth to Japan and Japanese to the ASEAN Member States (AMS) began in 2007 and continues today in a hybrid format of face-to-face and online exchanges, following online exchanges that began during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Project History:

2015 – Current: Upholding the theme “Japan’s Friendship Ties Programs JENESYS”, this project is intended to foster people-to-people exchanges between Japan and the Asia-Pacific region including the AMS with a total contribution of USD69 million as of October 2023. The programme aims to (1) Promote mutual trust and understanding, and build a basis for future friendship and cooperation, (2) Encourage an understanding of Japan’s economy, society, history, diverse culture, politics, and diplomatic relations, (3) Convey information about Japan to the general public of AMS and Timor-Leste through the participants of this project. By FY2022, around 11,000 youth between AMS and Japan had participated in this program. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the hybrid format of exchange started and continues to this day. In FY2023, in addition to online exchanges, approximately 700 youths are participating in face-to-face exchanges between AMS and Japan. From 2015, there are 11 programmes included in JENESYS series contributed by the GOJ through JAIF, namely JENESYS2015, JENESYS2016-Economics, JENESYS2016, JENESYS2017, JENESYS2018, JENESYS2019, JENESYS2020, JENESYS2021, JENESYS2022, JENESYS2022 Phase II, and JENESYS2023.

2013-2015: “JENESYS 2.0” is a successor project of “JENESYS programme” with a contribution of approximately USD73 million, aiming to promote the revitalization of the Japanese economy. Around 10,700 youth from AMS and Japan participated in this project.

2012-2013: “KIZUNA (bond) Project” is a student and youth exchange project aimed at promoting understanding on Japan’s revival efforts in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. A total of USD30 million was allocated for this project and during the period, there were 2,600 youths from AMS and Japan participated in this project.

2007 – 2012: “JENESYS Programme” (Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths) is a student and youth exchange project designed to strengthen solidarity between East Asia and Southeast Asia through the promotion of mutual understanding among younger generations in the region. During the period, the total budget for this program amounted to USD196 million and there were approximately 14,200 youths from AMS and Japan participated the exchange.