Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
16 May 2025
Reply rate
96.4 %
Usually responds within 6 days
Feedback
10
Email verified
Badges (3)
Details
Description
5/17/2025 UPDATE : The workawayer who was scheduled to stay with me from MAY 31st 2025 to JUNE 16th 2025 has cancelled his trip to Japan. So contact me soon if anyone already or soon to arrive in Japan and flexible , wants to stay for a bit longer than 2 weeks...
Hi I'm Tom I am an American expat living in Sapporo Japan. I have been living in Japan for over 20 years and a number of years ago I bought a small farm property and built a small second residence, so I can stay there when I feel like it. I am now over 65 years old and up until a few years ago, I did not really need help with my DIY projects.
A few upgrades finished in 2024...
A larger newer fridge and a two burner IH cooktop along with a third single burner IH cooktop were installed...A ventilation hood was also built and installed.
The kerosene heater was moved from the kitchen to the back room, closer to the bedroom and allowing the kitchen to be the coolest room in the house in winter. The back room and bedroom are now the warmest.
2025 updates...The pump house pipes were insulated better and a heating cable was added to the intake pipe. A good quality temperature sensor was added to turn on the pump house heater and heating cable as necessary.So this winter I will have water for the entire winter hopefully.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
The place is located just on the outskirts of Sapporo, so it is very easy to go back and forth from my place into the city. there is a bus stop about five minutes walk from the place and from there the bus goes to the South Sapporo subway station. There are not many other locations like this that are so close to the city center around Hokkaido...
I am not really into doing cultural exchange as I am not Japanese, but you can learn a fair bit about gardening and farming and about DIY construction Japanese style ....sort of....
Help
I need help with various small projects related to DIY gardening and farming and construction . The help is not too difficult but it is repetitive... I will be there most of the time to provide instructions and to provide all the tools and materials needed. I will be working in a limited capacity where my skills are needed.
I prefer to start in the early mornings mainly to avoid the bugs, because the weather is cool and rainy in the spring time and fall and hot and humid in the summer and there can be biting bugs during all three seasons. The helping hours usually would be 6 am to 9 am. I am flexible and if the weather is real bad then I can pivot to another project until the weather improves or delay working until the afternoon. If you are not a morning person then this opportunity will not be a good fit for you... you are free to hangout after your help sessions or you can take off and do whatever it is you want to do. I usually work seven days a week in the spring summer and fall time but I do not expect you to do that. As long as you do five sessions a week we can work out which two days you would like to take off. I also can be flexible and offer 3 or 4 day work weeks with the hours adjusted.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Japanese: Intermediate
Spanish: Beginner
Accommodation
A three room basic residence that is comfortable for two persons, it would be possible to house three people if you can manage it. there is a basic kitchen with a fridge and IR stove top and a Microwave range along with basic cooking utensils and pots and pans. So you can cook basic meals.
The bedroom has a double bed, but I have found its not quite big enough for two people. There are extra futons that can be used for extra people.
The semi private bathroom has a Toto washlet toilet and sink and vanity and a shower. It is usable for most of the year as it is a rainwater catchment system.
AS THIS IS A RAIN CATCHMENT SYSTEM... CONSERVING WATER IS VERY IMPORTANT... THAT MEANS SHORT SHOWERS AND DISHES WASHED IN SINK AND RINSED IN A FRESHWATER TUB...
Koganeyu onsen is also nearby and I occasionally drive there to have a hot soak after a long days work.
There is fast internet at this location good WiFi and easy log in.
What else ...
You are free to hangout or take off after your help session is done and do whatever you like and go wherever you like...
Again the advantage to this opportunity is being close to Sapporo city and all it has to offer
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
I have very good internet connection here and two loud boom box speakers since I like to play deep house music at full volume. if the walls are not vibrating it isn't loud enough. I HAVE NO NEIGHBORS NEARBY
Space for parking camper vans
I have room 7 months out of the year, the other Five months is deep snow and therefore not really suitable for large campers although that would be fine if you are willing to shovel your parking space in the winter. BE aware there is up to 2-3 meters of snowpack on the ground at the end of winter
Can possibly accept pets
It depends on the pet. Big dogs would be fine but they would need to stay outside and are not allowed inside. Any other pet runs the high risk of becoming food for the local wildlife, mostly foxes and Tanuki dogs ...
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Feedback (6)
We agreed she could come and help out here if there were no other workawayers staying here. We made a deal where she would come help out and I would teach her gardening and growing skills and she could take home as… read more
Photos
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:
(4.7)
Communication:
(5.0)
We agreed she could come and help out here if there were no other workawayers staying here. We made a deal where she would come help out and I would teach her gardening and growing skills and she could take home as… read more
I helped him get oriented and settled in. And then I basically left him to his own and i showed up every few days with a project to do and some helpful hints on the work he was doing.
In the… read more
Tom is an incredibly kind and friendly character, and upon arrival gave extremely detailed advice on how to use the subway system (very confusing at first so this was much appreciated). He helped me get settled in, told me what needed to be done and then I was more or less on my… read more
