Profile information
Host rating
80 %
Last replied
4 Jun 2026
Reply rate
71.8 %
Usually responds within 12 days
Feedback
69
Facebook verified
Email verified
Host offers payment
Badges (4)
Details
Description
Hi! My name is Taiyo, and I live on the beautiful island of Ojika in Nagasaki with my wife and our five children.
Ojika is a small island with a population of around 2,000 people. Located about 3 hours by ferry from Sasebo and 5 hours from Fukuoka, it is known for its beautiful beaches, peaceful countryside, rich fishing culture, and friendly local community.
My family runs a traditional Japanese inn (ryokan), guesthouse, rental car business, and rental bicycle service. We are also actively involved in community projects and animal rescue activities.
We are looking for positive, independent people who would like to experience authentic island life while helping us with our daily operations.
This opportunity is available for solo Workawayers only.
🧹 Tasks You Might Help With
Depending on the season and your interests, you may help with:
Cleaning guest rooms and common areas
Preparing and serving meals
Washing dishes and kitchen support
Social media content (Instagram, Facebook, blog)
Photography and video creation
Gardening and simple farming tasks
Weeding and outdoor maintenance
Minor DIY and renovation projects
Bicycle maintenance
General errands and support around the inn
Helping with our cat rescue activities
🐱 Animal Care & Cat Rescue Activities
Animal lovers are especially welcome.
Our family is involved in local cat rescue efforts on Ojika Island. We help care for rescued cats, support adoption activities, and work to improve the welfare of stray cats on the island.
Depending on the situation, helpers may have opportunities to:
Feed and care for rescued cats
Help clean cat areas
Take photos and videos for adoption promotion
Assist with cat-related projects and events
This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone interested in animal welfare and community-based rescue work.
🏡 What We Provide
Accommodation in our Workawayer share house
Private or shared room depending on availability
Free Wi-Fi
Free electricity and water
Washing machine
Bicycle use free of charge
Opportunities to participate in local events and community activities
Opportunities to experience traditional island life
💰 Payment & Work Conditions
Hourly wage: ¥1,050 per hour
Working hours: approximately 5–7 hours per day
Usually 5 days per week
Minimum stay: 3 weeks
Longer stays are very welcome
🍳 Shared House & Meals
Our staff house is located in a quiet residential area where neighboring homes are very close together.
For safety reasons and to prevent fire accidents, cooking with gas stoves or open flames is not permitted inside the shared house.
Available facilities include:
Microwave
Hot water kettle
Refrigerator
We provide homemade staff meals at the inn.
If you would like to join our meal program, we ask for a small contribution of:
¥300 per day
This includes:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Accommodation, utilities, Wi-Fi, laundry facilities, and bicycle use remain free of charge.
🛂 Visa Requirements
⚠️ You must hold a valid visa that allows employment in Japan.
Accepted visas include:
Working Holiday Visa
Student Visa (with permission for part-time work)
Spouse Visa
Permanent Resident Visa
Long-Term Resident Visa
Unfortunately, tourist visas are not eligible due to Japanese labor regulations.
🌺 Ideal For People Who Want To
Experience real rural Japanese life
Learn about island communities
Improve Japanese language skills
Meet local residents
Enjoy nature and outdoor activities
Develop photography or videography skills
Learn about tourism and hospitality
Learn about cat rescue and animal welfare
Escape busy city life
Create lifelong friendships and memories
🌏 Cultural Exchange & Learning Opportunities
Ojika offers a unique chance to experience life in a small Japanese island community.
You can:
Practice Japanese daily
Learn about hospitality and tourism management
Learn how a family-run business operates
Experience local festivals and traditions
Learn about rural entrepreneurship
Participate in community and animal welfare projects
Many previous helpers have told us that living in Ojika gave them a deeper understanding of Japan than they could have experienced in larger cities.
🚢 Access
From Fukuoka (Hakata Port)
Night ferry departs at 11:45 PM
From Nagasaki (Sasebo Port)
Day ferries depart at 10:40 AM and 5:00 PM
We will pick you up from Ojika Port when you arrive.
🎣 What Else Can You Do Here?
During your free time, you can enjoy:
Fishing
Cycling around the island
Swimming
Hiking
Photography
Exploring historic villages
Visiting beautiful beaches
Meeting local residents
Spending time with our rescue cats
🌈 Final Message
We hope your stay on Ojika becomes much more than just a job.
Our goal is to create meaningful experiences, cultural exchange, friendships, and unforgettable memories.
Whether you are interested in hospitality, photography, nature, Japanese culture, or animal rescue, we would love to welcome you into our community.
Come experience island life with us.
Looking forward to meeting you!
Enjoy Island Life 🏝✨
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Interests
Videography
Pets
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You can learn or develop your Japanese language skills by talking with locals or with our Japanese staff. You have the opportunity to meet the local Ojika residents and feel part of a small community in this unique countryside environment. You can learn about the running of the inn and guesthouse and get tips on starting and running your own business. Benefit from a happy and healthy lifestyle- biking, exploring, swimming, hiking, eating great food, meeting wonderful people and making lifelong memories.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Host offers payment in line with the minimum wage
This host offers accommodation and payment.
Help
We need you to help in the smooth running of our business, including:
-cleaning the rooms
-talking to the guests
-creating PR materials like videos and artwork
-helping with gardening and renovation
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Japanese: Fluent
Accommodation
We have a large Workaway-only share house located 10 minutes walk from the Inn. It has free WiFi, free use of the washing machine, Japanese-style house.
What else ...
Whatever you want to do, gardening, fishing, cycling, swimming, take care of our cats and more things to do.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (60)
just given that quote might be all you need to know if you’re thinking about whether or not to come to Ojika Island, but of course there’s so much more to say.
Working and living here on Ojika Island has been pure bliss. You’re being treated as a dear friend, with kindness and… read more
Photos
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(4.9)
Communication:
(4.9)
just given that quote might be all you need to know if you’re thinking about whether or not to come to Ojika Island, but of course there’s so much more to say.
Working and living here on Ojika Island has been pure bliss. You’re being treated as a dear friend, with kindness and… read more
I would like to thank all the staff for being such wonderful, positive,… read more
Volunteers stay in a Japanese style house with tatami and futon about 1-2 minute walk from the guest accommodation,… read more
I stayed at the Guesthouse between December 1st and January 15th, it was my first workaway experience and I couldn’t dream of a better place ! Taiyo-san and all the people from the guesthouse and the karaoke (Ume-san, Tsukuru-san, An-chan, Mirai-san, Mama-san, Sayaka-san…) are very… read more
I spent 2.5 weeks here in January 2020, and wish I could have stayed another month or two!
Although I was the only workawayer at the inn for most of my time, I felt so welcomed and included by Taiyo-san, Mama-san and the other staff. The work is simple cleaning, and you can listen to… read more
I arrived on Ojika Island in the beginning of September and stayed two months.
I was worried two months would be too long to stay on this little Island but it turned out to not be enough, I would have stayed longer if it would have been possible (due to other plans I… read more
Host Taiyo-san is such a warm and genuine person who brightened every one of my days with his smile and quirky personality. He has spent time living abroad and also tour-guiding foreigners around Japan, and he knows exactly how to make things comfortable for volunteers from all over the world.
The… read more
It is a big pleasure to work at his island inn, since he and stuff and his familily is always in a good mood (with a big smile) and he's taking really good care of you.
The work is not very difficult or hard, especially when everybody is working together. And Taiyo-san… read more
Ojika island is an amazing place to be able to spend your free time. I was swimming everyday for the… read more
I spent one month on Ojika island and I had a great time. The job itself is easy and can go fast depending on how many people work the same day. Cleaning is not super exciting but if you come here, you already know that;) I enjoyed helping out during dinner time with serving… read more
I really dont know what else to say. All the other comments are so accurate and already describing everything. I can just say that I had a unique stay at this wonderful place.
Not only all the amazing travellers I met and will never forget, also the whole family (and yes, the staff is also… read more
Taiyo and his whole family is extremely welcoming and will go out of their way to make you feel at home. They even often organize some… read more
I fell in love with this beautiful island and its people. It was the best month I've had in Japan and doubt it can be beaten. This was my first workaway experience but I met many who said this was the No. 1 place they had worked at so far.
1. The work is light and fair, in the morning from 7.45am to… read more
The island is small but I've never felt lonely and I met people who became my lifelong friends (or at least that's what I hope for). I stayed there for 6 weeks and experienced so many things... We met locals, tried to communicate in Japanese, we went to a… read more
The rythm of work is very chill, and we got an entire afternoon to explore the island thanks to the e-bike (electric bike), or… read more
I can only recommend at 1000% this Workaway!
1) Ojika is a small island, but so beautiful!! I enjoyed cycling everyday around the island and always discovered new beaches, temples, trees etc...
2) Nice and organised work: we had to do the… read more
1) The food was excellent (sashimi everyday… read more
It would be enough to say that it was such a good experience that I decided to stay one more extra-week at the end, but I would like to go into more detail.
On the basics of the work, we helped Taiyo run his Island Inn smoothly, in the morning by… read more
I’ll never forget this time in my life
I had such beautiful moments
Ojika is very unique place, and they is so many different way to enjoy it
By riding bicycle all around the island, crossing small villages and country side, going to the beach, looking at the sun rise and sun set, visiting temples, going to the… read more
Taiyo-san is a kind and generous person, his family is lovely, the other Workawayers were… read more
The work is quite fun as well and there is a lot of free time to do whatever in the afternoon!
Taiyo-san, I think you are really talented in seeing new… read more
Ojika Island is a wonderful place, and Taiyo-san is a great host! Super friendly, and his family is really warm and kind.
The island itself is amazing, and you can cycle everywhere pretty quickly! It has some gorgeous beaches, which even in late March are good for swimming in if you’re brave, and the water is… read more
Ojika is a… read more
So what do we have:
Best boss ever? check
Best cheff ever? check
Best workmates? check
Best landscapes? check (like guys everything is so beautiful in this island and you can cycle to any point of the island!)
Best locals? CHECK (BEST PEOPLE EVER ISTG)
Friendly cats to pet on… read more
---Host---
Taiyo (太陽さん) is probably the most hard working person I have ever met. He gives all his heart and soul to the smooth running of his inn and I was very impressed by the quality of his service to the customers. I think he is a great example… read more
The island is beautiful and peaceful, a perfect place to relax and a joy to explore.
Taiyo is a great host and his family is just lovely. Akari-san and Mama-san cook amazing meals with Papa-san bringing fresh fish every day.… read more
Taiyo san is cool and a good boss, we get very very good food(Thank you Akari chan i love u <3) and a lot of cool things to experience everyday (such as fishing contest, BBQ party, karaoke , going to another world heritage island..etc way too much amazing experience ) .The people here are all super cute and… read more
I stayed here for almost two months during the summer and it was so amazing. Taiyo and his family were so welcoming and helpfull. I stayed in a big Japanese style house with the other workawayers. We all slept on futons on tatami floors, and we had the house to ourselves. Everyday we got amazing food, and… read more
Also Ojika Island is really beautiful, there are plenty of events and work to provide is not complicated mainly doing the… read more
The work consists of daily chores around the Inn… read more
Best of luck!
Really an incredible place, with so many kind and funny people, amazing landscapes, many places to visit and activities to experience!!!
I stayed in Ojika for 2 months but there are still so many places I'd like to visit around there! Not because I had no… read more
Taiyo is really chill and has a ton of cool stories about what he used to get up to. Akari is amazing and incredibly fun to be around. When you're in Ojika, they make you feel welcomed and… read more
Work-wise, the workload isn't very heavy (probably because it was in the… read more
About the work it was not easy everyday (specialy during July-August) but it was always fun and the accommodation totaly worth it.
If you like countryside and… read more
Thank you very much for your feed back.
We really appreciate your works you've done here. Everything is perfect and quick.
You are the wild, friendly and we were always happy with you. You have a lot of stills and hope your next trip will be very amazing time.
We are so lucky accepting you!
We hope we can meet again in near… read more
"Working" for Taiyo was my first experience with workaway and my best experience of the trip! I stayed for 3 weeks, which flew by. The food was the best I've ever had (Ill be requesting some recipes when I get home).
For those of you… read more
Personally, I've never attended a journey all by myself - let alone, ending up so far away from my home country, that is Germany. Plus, this has been my first workaway experience, so I didn't really know, what to expect, until I was picked up by… read more
Taiyo is very welcoming and accommodating, always willing to help. I could also say the same about his family, who made me feel at home. I did not get a chance to meet his wife and kids during my stay, which I am sad about.
Workload typically depends on how busy it is, plus some once-over… read more
His wife Akari it's been like a… read more
