Shima City, Mie Prefecture (Mayor: Masayoshi Hashizume) has signed a partnership agreement with Otetsutabi Inc. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Rina Nagaoka), which operates a human resource matching service that combines "helping out" and "travel." The agreement aims to resolve labor shortages within the city, create and expand a "related population" (people with connections to the area), and promote future relocation and settlement to achieve sustainable development of the local economy. This partnership between a municipality and "Otetsutabi" is the first of its kind in Mie Prefecture. The signing ceremony for this agreement was held at Shima City Hall on June 29, 2026 (Mon.), followed by an "Otetsutabi Utilization Seminar" for local businesses in the afternoon. Rina Nagaoka (left), CEO of Otetsutabi Inc., and Masayoshi Hashizume (right), Mayor of Shima City, holding the agreement. 1. Background and Objectives of the Partnership Agreement: Creating "Fans of the Region" Beyond Temporary Recruitment Shima City is blessed with wonderful tourist resources and seafood. However, labor shortages and a lack of future successors are significant regional challenges, not only in accommodations and primary industries but in all sectors supporting the community. These issues are difficult to resolve with temporary job postings alone, making the presence of a "related population" that continuously engages with the region from outside indispensable. This agreement will leverage Otetsutabi's network, which has over 97,000 registered users nationwide, to attract motivated workers from across the country by using "travel" as a hook, thereby alleviating the region's labor shortage. Furthermore, we aim to build a self-sustaining virtuous cycle model where participants who become fans of Shima City (related population) through their stay will lead to continued visits and future relocation and settlement. Comment from Masayoshi Hashizume, Mayor of Shima City "I am extremely p