AI Agent Training: What to Learn First and Subsidies in Japan

The materials, prices and subsidy details in this article were checked on each official page on October 2, 2026. Subsidy requirements and rates change every fiscal year. Before applying, check the sources at the end and your local Prefectural Labour Bureau for the latest details.

Before choosing AI agent training, decide who should be able to do what. If every employee takes the same course, it is too hard for people who only use AI and too basic for people who build it. This article splits trainees into three groups and explains, in order, how each should learn and how to get help with the cost.

Split trainees into users, builders and managers

The AI Guidelines for Business (version 1.2) from Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) expect each party to provide the education needed so that people involved with AI have correct understanding and knowledge. Inside a company, people involved with AI play more than one role.

• Users: ask AI agents to do work, check the output and use it in their jobs
• Builders: assemble workflows and agents with tools such as n8n or Dify
• Managers: set rules for use, permissions and how to evaluate results

The three build on each other. Everyone first learns how to use AI and the company's rules. Builders and managers then move on to specialized content.

What users should learn

Training for users focuses on judgment more than operation. As actions for businesses that use AI, the AI Guidelines for Business list using AI with an understanding of the accuracy of its output and the level of risk. They also list not entering personal or confidential information inappropriately.

• How to ask: state the goal, background and output format in the instructions
• How to check: compare numbers, proper nouns and dates against the original sources
• What not to enter: set internal rules for handling personal information and confidential documents
• Records: keep track of what you asked and which output you used

The basic way to learn AI agents is to try them on your own work. At the end of the training, have each trainee pick one task from their job and write out the steps for asking an AI agent to do it. Those written steps become usage examples to share inside the company.

What builders should learn (hands-on with n8n and Dify)

Training for AI agent development centers on hands-on practice. n8n and Dify both publish official learning materials.

Learning n8n

The official n8n documentation points to n8n Academy as the starting point for learning. Each course includes exercises that build real workflows, a quiz for each section and a final exam. Passing with 70% or more earns a badge and a certificate. Most courses use a practice API, so you can work through them without setting up accounts for outside services.

• QS101 n8n Quickstart: a first hands-on introduction
• N8N101 Essentials: Your First Workflows: build your first workflows
• N8N102 Integrations: APIs & Connected Workflows: connect to other services through APIs
• N8N103 In Practice: AI, Testing & Best Practices: AI, testing and good build practices

Learning Dify

The official Dify documentation includes Japanese tutorials. The “30-Minute Quick Start” teaches the main features while you build a sample workflow. “Workflow 101” is a series of 10 lessons. It covers the start and output nodes, LLM nodes, knowledge retrieval and agent nodes in order, and ends with publishing and monitoring an app.

To start Dify training without spending money, you can use the Sandbox plan on Dify Cloud. The pricing page lists it with no fee, 200 message credits, up to 5 apps and 1 member. Its member limit does not suit exercises where several people share a workspace, so have each trainee work in their own account.

Step-by-step instructions are in How to Use n8n and How to Use Dify.

Public learning materials at no cost

To give everyone the same foundation, you can also use materials published by the Japanese government.

• Manabi DX: a digital skills training platform run by METI and the Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan (IPA). METI and IPA review courses against the Digital Skill Standards and other criteria, and list only courses that pass. It offers entry points for finding courses with no tuition fee and courses on generative AI
• MIC, “First Steps with Generative AI”: beginner material covering the basics of generative AI, introductory ways to use it and cautions
• Digital Skill Standards: guidelines from METI and IPA on the people and skills needed for digital transformation (DX). A supplement reflecting the impact of generative AI was added in July 2024

Public materials suit the basics for users. For builders' hands-on practice, combine them with each tool's official materials.

Subsidies for training costs

MHLW's Human Resources Development Support Subsidy may cover the cost of training employees. It reimburses part of training costs and wages during training when an employer provides job-related training to its employees according to a plan. There are seven courses. The two easiest to consider for AI agent training are the following.

Investment in People Promotion Course

This is a limited-time subsidy for fiscal years Reiwa 4 to 8 (fiscal 2022–2026). Flat-rate training covers the use of subscription-based training services. The cost subsidy rate is 60% for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and 45% for large companies, with an extra 15% if wage requirements and other conditions are met. The cost subsidy is capped at ¥20,000 per trainee per month.

Advanced digital talent training covers training at levels 3 and 4 of the IT Skill Standards or the DX Promotion Skill Standards, among others. The cost subsidy rate is 75% for SMEs and 60% for large companies.

An MHLW leaflet gives an example of introducing an unlimited-access e-learning service for an annual fee of ¥2,000,000. Applying the SME cost subsidy rate of 60% gives a subsidy of ¥1,200,000. For a large company at 45%, it is ¥900,000.

Reskilling Support for Business Development Course

This course covers training in specialized knowledge and skills needed for business expansion or internal digital transformation. Training must be 10 hours or more and must be Off-JT (training held separately from regular work). The cost subsidy rate is 75% for SMEs and 60% for large companies. The wage subsidy is ¥1,000 per person per hour for SMEs and ¥500 for large companies. Training through e-learning, correspondence courses or flat-rate services receives only the cost subsidy, not the wage subsidy.

Application steps

1. Appoint a vocational ability development promoter, create an in-house vocational ability development plan and share it with employees
2. Submit the vocational training implementation plan notification and other forms to your local Prefectural Labour Bureau between 6 months and 1 month before training starts
3. Run the training according to the plan, and pay the full training cost before applying for payment
4. Apply for payment within 2 months of the day after training ends

For flat-rate training, the plan notification deadline is, in principle, counted from the first day of the flat-rate service contract. Under the revision of the payment guidelines on May 14, 2026, some applications now require a statement explaining the pricing of tuition and other fees (Form No. 28). The requirements are detailed, so check with your local Prefectural Labour Bureau before applying.

Making training stick in daily work

Training alone does not change how work gets done. After training, create opportunities to use what was learned.

• Choose one target task and document the steps for asking an AI agent to do it
• Run a trial for a set period and record the time spent and the number of corrections
• Update internal rules, such as what information may be entered and how to check output, to match the training content
• Share the approaches that worked across the company

Managers also take on the role of checking after rules are in place. As actions for businesses that use AI, the AI Guidelines for Business list items such as the following. In training, translate them into your company's own procedures.

• Follow the usage cautions set by the provider and use AI within the intended scope
• Check that it works as specified
• Keep and use the documents received from the provider
• Follow the provider's terms of service

A local government DX case study from MIC describes how Tobetsu Town in Hokkaido expanded the use of generative AI through study sessions for staff, creating guidelines and sharing good examples on an internal bulletin board. It is an example of combining training with a place to share. How to proceed inside a company is also covered in AI adoption for small and medium-sized businesses.

Try ready-made AI employees while builders develop

Developing builders takes time. In the meantime, you can adopt an AI agent that has already been built and use it as a practice ground for users.

Employee Store is a marketplace where companies can adopt AI agents (AI employees) built by developers. Prices are a one-time purchase, a monthly fee, or a setup fee plus a monthly fee. You can browse categories such as sales support, customer support and back office. After purchase, the seller delivers through the delivery box, and the buyer checks the contents and confirms receipt. AI agents on offer are listed in AI employees.