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Host is looking for help immediately
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17 Jun 2026
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Description
We are a couple in our fifties who have spent our careers as international journalists -
We have always been drawn to places that carry a story. This farmhouse is one of them.
This is a large traditional Japanese farmhouse in rural Japan, over around 130 years old. It was once owned by a remarkable man - a scientist, photographer, silk producer, and collector who spent his life cultivating silkworms, travelling, and amassing an extraordinary archive of books, photographs, documents, ceramics, scientific instruments, and historical objects. Much of that collection remains inside the house today. We are still discovering what is here.
Our project is the full restoration of this farmhouse - structurally, practically, and historically. That means carpentry, painting, and repair tasks, but also cataloging antiques, restoring vintage equipment, building a productive vegetable garden, and reviving the small mulberry farm on the property. It is a large, long-term undertaking and we are looking for people who want to become a genuine part of it rather than simply pass through.
We split our time between the farmhouse and our family home. We are usually present - sometimes both of us, sometimes one - and we take the relationships we build here seriously. We want helpers to feel trusted, involved, and at home.
If you are someone who works hard, stays curious, and finds meaning in doing things properly - we would love to hear from you. The location is about 2 hours away from Tokyo. Immersed in nature but easy for you to go out on trips and exploration.
Our station name is NOGAMI station, it's about 30minutes walk to our home.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Light gardening
Creative DIY projects
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Light maintenance
Interests
Culture
Videography
Movies & TV
Farming
Charity work
Performing arts
Writing
Drawing & painting
Carpentry
Animals
Architecture
Cooking & food
Gardening
Photography
Plant care
Music
History
DIY & crafts
Books
Art & design
Yoga / Wellness
Team sports
Nature
Camping
Mountain
Beach
Outdoor activities
Hiking
Cycling
Adventure sports
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
This place offers something that is genuinely rare - a living immersion in rural Japanese life, history, and craft rather than a curated tourist version of it.
The farmhouse itself is a cultural artifact. Over 130 years old, it was built and lived in the traditional way - hand-cut beams, tatami rooms, sliding screens, a mulberry farm.
We have spent decades exploring and telling stories, both personally and professionally. Conversation here tends to go somewhere interesting. We are genuinely curious about the people who come, and we enjoy sharing what we know about Japanese rural life, local history, food, and the story of this particular place.
Day to day, cultural exchange happens naturally - cooking meals together, visiting local markets, understanding the rhythms of a Japanese village, learning about sericulture and traditional craftsmanship, and slowly uncovering the history embedded in the house room by room.
The village itself is part of the exchange. It is a real, working community - not a tourist destination. Helpers who stay long enough tend to become a quiet part of it.
For the right people, this is less a cultural exchange programme and more a way of briefly living inside a piece of Japanese history.
Help
We are restoring a 130-year-old traditional Japanese farmhouse from the ground up, and the scope of tasks is genuinely broad. We are looking for people who want to contribute meaningfully to a long-term project rather than tick tasks off a list.
The tasks falls into a few areas:
**Hands-on restoration** - carpentry, woodworking, painting, surface preparation, repairing rooms and structures throughout the house. Experience with traditional buildings or natural materials is a bonus, but a good eye, patience, and willingness to learn matter just as much.
**Historical cataloging and conservation** - sorting, documenting, cleaning, and caring for a significant collection of antiques, books, photographs, documents, ceramics, and scientific instruments left by the previous owner. This suits people who are detail-oriented, careful, and genuinely curious about history.
**Garden and farm tasks** - building and maintaining a productive vegetable garden, tending the small mulberry farm, landscaping, and outdoor projects. Interest in organic growing, permaculture, or simply working outside is very welcome. We also have a hiking area in the back of the house and I want to clean and make the trails for people who love hiking, in this area I want you to help planting mulberries around the mountains.
**General maintenance and housekeeping** - keeping the house running well as restoration progresses, which is unglamorous but essential.
We don't expect any one person to cover all of this. Our ideal is a small team of 3-4 people with different strengths who complement each other well.
What matters most to us is reliability, genuine motivation, and the ability to do tasks with initiative. We would like you to stay for a minimum of 1 week or longer stays is welcome too - 1 weeks at minimum - because this project rewards people who take the time to understand the place.
When you apply, please tell us specifically why this project interests you. That tells us more than a list of skills ever could. Please always tell us the date you plan to arrive and the date you plan to leave.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Japanese: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.
Accommodation
Helpers stay in their own private traditional Japanese room within the farmhouse - tatami floor, sliding screens, natural light. The rooms are the real thing, part of the original house, and living in them is part of the experience.
The house is fully equipped for comfortable daily life:
- Hot shower
- Washing machine
- Full kitchen with all facilities
- Common living areas with space to relax, read, and unwind
- Internet access
- Guitars and other instruments available
- Plenty of quiet corners and outdoor space
Food is provided. Meals can be prepared together as a group or independently - we are relaxed about this and happy to find a rhythm that works for whoever is here.
The house comfortably hosts 3-4 helpers at a time. We hope people will enjoy each other's company - cooking together, exploring the area on days off, and building a small sense of community among themselves.
Bicycles are available for getting around. A scooter may also be available for responsible riders. The village has a supermarket and everyday amenities close by. A beautiful river within easy reach is perfect for swimming in the warmer months.
The surrounding area is quiet, green, and genuinely rural - not a tourist destination, but a real Japanese village with its own rhythm and character. For people who want that, it is exactly the right kind of place to be.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
Can possibly accept pets
This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
