Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (青年海外協力隊, seinen kaigai kyōryokutai)[1] is a government system for dispatching young Japanese volunteers overseas operated by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Since 1965, more than 30,000 Japanese volunteers have been dispatched to more than 80 developing countries in Asia, Middle East, Africa, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Oceania.
As of July 2013, the Education, Culture & Sports sector constitute about half of JOCVs who are working.
However, as of April 2011, the number of applicants reached a nadir at only 1,351 each half-year because Tōhoku earthquake and Arab Spring effected and the government cut benefits last year.
In terms of health check, the required medical standard is strict because serious health problems can occur in developing countries to even one who can live a healthy life in Japan.
As previously explained, some of applicants with high technical capability and without matching for requests can be 'registered'.
If applicants passes the second screening, they will start to spend 65 days training as JOCV members in either of 2 training centers: one in Komagane City, Nagano Prefecture and another in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture.
If they join JOCV after leaving their own offices, the period of unemployment benefit payments can be expanded of the day when they start training.