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16 May 2025
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UPDATE APRIL 1, 2025: Hey folks! We are taking some time off from Workaway except for small project bursts due to many of us traveling. Please check in with us if you are traveling in Japan, and especially if you are generally handy and/or have renovation experience, please come have a chat. We have not defined the schedule through fall (because 2024 was a whirlwind and we need to put a break somewhere!), but we'd be glad to talk to you.
NOTE ABOUT RESPONSE TIME: We're so glad so many people want to come spend time with us, and we have made so many great friends so far since joining the site in June 2024. We are trying to reply to all messages but there are always dozens to respond to; if we don't reach out, please don't take it personally.
===Basics below===
僕ら、日本語も話せますよ！是非ご気軽に連絡ください。
（日本語は英語の後に続く）
We are a community hub built in a ski lodge at the foot of Mt. Madarao, on the border of Niigata and Nagano Prefectures in Japan. We are not a business, not for profit, and community-first. We believe that snowsports and the slow life should be more accessible, and we are generating goodwill that others will benefit from ("paying it forward"). Currently, over 250 people are part of our "official" community; we do not advertise on booking sites, we do not have traditional accommodation guests. During the winter, we would be best described as a communal share house or co-living space, where we all do chores for each other (cooking, cleaning, clearing snow) and ride together.
At the moment, we are focusing on renovating, cleaning, and decorating our ski lodge (owned since late 2022), and we are looking to expand our network to another location near Tokyo. We hope to create a larger, wholesome network across Japan of people who, frankly, give a damn.
やほーです。僕らは非営利・コミュニティ優先のスキー場前コーリビング場となります。コロナ水際対策が終わった2022年に斑尾高原スキー場前のペンションを購入し、今はリフォームを続けております。スキー・スノボはみんなのスポーツになるように努力しておりまして、僕らの共益ペンションではワイワイも交流もいろいろメリットがあるように作っている居場所です。
現在これから東京周辺でもう1ヶ所共益スペースを追加する工夫もしており、日本全国にまたがる、「熱心のある人」と「恩送りをする人」のネットワークを作りあげたいと思っております。
現在、２５０人が公式コミュニティにご参加いただいております。
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Interests
Events & social
Hiking
Nature
DIY & crafts
Languages
Photography
Mountain
Cycling
Adventure sports
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
In the off-season (April to mid-Dec), the Den is mostly quiet, but we invite you to explore the Myoko and Iiyama areas, including the various cultural sites around (snow monkeys, Nozawa Onsen village, Zenkoji in Nagano City, etc.). We frequently cycle around the mountain and at nearby Lake Nojiri, and you are welcome to join for activities, including hangouts with neighbors and friends in the larger area. Depending on timing, we also may be able to offer temporary space in Tokyo and to meet and mingle with our community.
Please do be aware that the mountain is somewhat remote! Outings off the mountain will need to be planned ahead, although we can help to coordinate that with you.
The Den's owner (it's me John, hi!) is a long-time Japan resident and fluent in Japanese, and can share insights about life in Japan in places like Osaka, Tokyo, Yokohama, and of course in the mountains and on a ski hill.
Life in the Den is fairly Western and is not an immersive Japanese cultural experience like a farmstay or homestay with a three-generation Japanese family (I did this twice in Japan and I loved it!), but it is a way to get to know a different side of life in Japan (i.e., how to carve out a unique way of living in Japan while balancing cultures).
We also hope to learn more about inclusive and service-focused communities elsewhere in the world. Most everyone involved with the Den has traveled extensively.
Help
NOTE: These are lingering tasks from 2024 that we did not complete and will be processing through 2025, although what schedule we tackle these on may not be fixed or decided!
- Decorating walls (mural artists very welcome!)
- Interior and exterior beautification (e.g., power washing, planting herbs/flowers/vegetables, tree trimming, digging up pipes)
- Interior design of guest rooms to create a sense of community and collaboration
- Building vanities (wood) and other storage
- Demolishing fixtures
- Filling out our web/social media presence
- Setting up a booking system so friends can book their own rooms without going through me
- Taking videos of common check-in/check-out procedures
- Creating signage, stickers, possibly even clothing
- Laser etching/engraving items to help people understand how to use things in the lodge
- Designing a calling card
We've done most of these things ourselves or know someone who has, and we're glad to help walk you through :)
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Japanese: Fluent
Accommodation
Basic info: Private rooms provided (no sharing except in precommunicated situations), shared toilets/showers, strong Wi-Fi, desks in rooms (if your room has no desk when you arrive and you want one, please let us know and we will add one!), open common space with working/yoga/gaming areas, big backyard for touching grass, parking for drivers.
The Den is yours to enjoy as you wish. We have around 12 private guest rooms with double beds, a desk, and strong Wi-Fi (we are told it is better than anywhere in Chicago, whatever that means). Our kitchen is open to you, and like with our Denizens (housemates during the snow season), we all cook for each other and do household chores with each other. We will make sure the food basics are stocked and you will have access anytime.
You are very welcome to take your meals alone or with whoever is at the Den at the time, at a timing you prefer. Separated refrigeration/food storage space is provided. Coffee and tea are available at any time.
Our lounge and its massive gaming setup is also available, plus a medium-sized workout space (large by Japanese standards!) in the off-season. The lodge is very much large enough to have your own privacy.
What else ...
LOCATION:
We are located 30 minutes by local bus from the nearest bullet train station, meaning access to Tokyo and other major hubs is relatively easy. Those looking to save money can also take a train from us to Nagano Station (in Nagano City) and take a highway bus from there, or vice versa (highway bus to Nagano and local train to us). We also from time to time drive between the Den and Tokyo, meaning if schedules align we could provide you with transportation depending on your location.
FOOD:
We will make sure our groceries are stocked for all meals (for breakfast, usually eggs/bacon/milk[incl. soy or almond]/yogurt/bread/butter/jam/cereal), and we all take care of ourselves for breakfast and lunch at whatever time is best for each of us; for dinner, we rotate cooking and dishcleaning responsibilities and occasionally go out to town for a meal. We try to keep tofu and other common vegetarian options, but please let us know if you have any particular needs.
CLOTHING:
Please bring clothes you're comfortable getting dirty/dusty in! We of course will have a washing machine and dryer to clean your clothes. Between October and April, it's cold, so bring warm clothes! (8-15C degrees in Oct/April, then many below zero days November to March). In the summer, it gets up to around 30C. Only 'uncomfortable' warm time is August.
BRINGING GOODIES?:
If you are stopping by and bringing goodies, bring us some of your favorite tea! Tea and coffee are our lifeblood here and we share them with all who pass through. We especially love ginger tea.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We are very flexible with time and would be happy to talk about your schedule and traveling around Japan before and after your visit with us.
Space for parking camper vans
We have a large enough parking space but are not very familiar with water outlets about how we could best support your camper. There are power outlets toward the outside of the Den, and we have a long outdoor extension cable.
Can possibly accept pets
We have three marvelous little cats in the house who live between our common space and one of the rooms. If you are highly allergic to cats, we may not be appropriate for you! However, the lodge is very large and we may be able to accommodate. We are generally pet-positive, we only ask that you bring the necessary pet-proofing for temporary accommodations. Please check in with us about your needs!
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (28)
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(4.7)
Communication:
(5.0)
-He’d pick us up late at night from the station after our day trips to… read more
John went above and bayond to satisfy all our wishes and needs.
During our stay we were 14-21 people (plus Cassie and cute little adopted kittens). That might sound crowded, but I promise it wasn't. The house is big enough so everyone can have some space and good… read more
We got to help John and makes his beautiful place nicer by participating in renovation work : carpentry, flooring, painting, general DIY ...
We learned lots of things, and we were supervised by generous and amazing people (thank you John and Tsubasa).
Lots of other volunteers coming from all around the world.… read more
Would be glad to have them again!
I came here with a friend and was supposed to stay for less than a month, but I ended up staying for almost two as it really felt like home. John and Anna are kind, fun and warmhearted people and made us feel welcomed… read more
Jules was absolutely great. Got along with everyone in the house, was always helpful and willing to try out new things. His ability to self-organize and to manage his own time was also greatly appreciated, and the cohort that he was in did a fantastic job ensuring they enjoyed… read more
It turned out that we were able to work together to learn new things about our… read more
John is a very kind hearted man with a great vision for this project. We are extremely inspired… read more
The community vibe is great, with interesting people from all over… read more
The work wasn’t too difficult. There was always someone to help me… read more
The workload is very manageable, about 4 hours each day, and you will not be asked to do… read more
We'd gladly host him again anytime!
Anyway,… read more
I spent about 10 days at John's lodge, and it was a lovely experience. John, Sarah, and the other lodgers are all super easygoing, friendly, and helpful. I mostly helped with renovation work in the rooms (Sarah is an expert!), as well as helping with meal prep and playing with the kitten. The work was manual but not… read more
