Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
2 Mar 2026
Reply rate
95.8 %
Usually responds within 2 days
Feedback
17
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Details
Description
We’re Shota and Yuho, a couple who traveled to many countries before starting this shared house in the mountains of Kimino Town. Our experiences as backpackers taught us the value of community, nature, and living simply — lessons that inspired us to create the Knots Community, a project aimed at building a sustainable way of life in the countryside.
We live with our 5-year-old daughter in a hand-built house near the shared house where life flows at a natural pace, surrounded by mountains and greenery. During the day, we work at the share house together with the residents, and at night, we return home to rest. Our days are filled with small but meaningful routines — heating water with firewood, growing seasonal vegetables, cultivating Japanese pepper, and harvesting fruits like persimmons and chestnuts in autumn.
We currently have 3.7 hectares of land, and our goal is to restore and develop it through sustainable projects. We’re passionate about creating a place that connects people with nature and promotes eco-friendly living.
We’d also love to hear your ideas, share experiences, and learn together as we build this project.
We also have six chickens and a curious kitten named Chaya.
Right now, a Regional Revitalization Volunteer lives with us in the share house. They organize events and workshops to help revitalize the local area — and volunteers who are interested in community activities are more than welcome to join and take part!
Transport
It takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes by car from Osaka Kansai Airport.
Just a short walk away from the share house, you’ll find a quiet river where people often go fishing or spend time in nature.
Since there’s no supermarket nearby, we usually drive about 30 minutes by car to get groceries.
You’re welcome to join us on shopping trips if you’d like, and we also have a weekly market truck that comes by, where you can buy daily essentials.
On weekends, you can visit a small café close by, or relax at the nearby onsen and restaurant— the perfect way to relax and experience the slower pace of countryside Japan.
Life here is about more than sharing a space — it’s about sharing experiences, ideas, and moments together.
Day schedule :
1. Working hours are 5 hours per day, 3 days a week. The standard daily schedule is from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. The usual working days are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but if you would like to take a longer break or adjust your schedule, please feel free to discuss it with us. We are flexible and happy to accommodate your needs.
2. On Saturday nights, we all gather around the table to eat. Sometimes we cook together, and sometimes we have potlucks.
Once the day’s tasks are finished, you’re free to relax, explore the area, or spend your time as you like.
Workawayers will not be involved in any income-generating business activities (e.g., guest house operations). The gardening and farming activities are private work and not for any business purpose — we simply enjoy growing food for daily life and sharing it with everyone who stays.
About meals
We ask workawayers to prepare their own meals, but you’re welcome to use our homegrown vegetables and fresh eggs from our chickens available in the kitchen.
From time to time, we also enjoy cooking together and having BBQ nights, sharing good food and conversation under the stars.
What to bring
• Comfortable clothes that are suited for outside work
• Outdoor shoes
• Soap, Shampoo, Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Towels
• Several days' worth of groceries (Since we usually go shopping on weekends, please bring enough food to last until then.)
What We’re Looking For
• People who enjoy teamwork and community life
• Interested in sustainable living, farming, DIY, or countryside culture
• Open-minded and curious about learning new skills.
If you’re curious about sustainable living, community life, and the beauty of rural Japan, come join us at — and experience this new form of sharing for yourself.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Interests
Drawing & painting
Writing
Plant care
Music
Vegetarian or vegan
Pets
Self development
Sustainability
Farming
Events & social
Culture
Carpentry
Gardening
DIY & crafts
Cooking & food
Books
Art & design
Architecture
Animals
Outdoor activities
Mountain
Dancing
Camping
Nature
Yoga / Wellness
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You’ll also have the chance to learn from Shota’s experience as the founder of an organization, which restores traditional Japanese houses — a great opportunity if you’re interested in architecture or sustainable housing.
You can also learn Japanese cuisine from Yuho.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
By joining our small community, you’ll gain hands-on experience in rural life while living alongside other residents and volunteers. Activities change with the seasons, but may include:
• Growing and harvesting vegetables
• Foraging for wild plants and mushrooms
• Learning about hunting and food processing
• Collecting and storing firewood
• Language and cultural Exchange
• Participating in local events.
• Babysitting
Languages
Languages spoken
Japanese: Fluent
English: IntermediateThis host offers a language exchange
Our English is still a work in progress, but we really enjoy communicating with you and learning together through conversation!
Accommodation
About accommodation
The share house is equipped with a shared kitchen, a common bathroom, and a shower room available for all residents.
Workawayers usually stay in a shared mixed-gender dormitory room (up to 4 people).
In some cases, a private room may be available depending on availability, but we cannot promise this beforehand.
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
Chickens
Chaya
New member of the share house. Still trying to figure out why he has a tail.
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (7)
She has a bright and friendly personality, and even when we first met, she felt like someone we had known for a long time. We shared many conversations about our cultures, social issues, and life in our respective countries. We were impressed by her genuine curiosity and her strong desire to learn new… read more
Calm and kind, he quickly became our daughter’s favorite right after he arrived! He loves cooking, and every dish he makes is absolutely delicious!! (Future hosts — you should definitely ask him to cook for you.)
One day, he prepared a special dinner for everyone. He started preparing the day before and spent… read more
She loves hiking and being active, and she helped us a lot with outdoor tasks such as mowing the grass and cutting firewood. She also challenged herself by working on metal fittings used in our construction projects. In addition, she willingly took care of the chickens.🐓
She is quiet and gentle, and she has a… read more
Photos
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
She has a bright and friendly personality, and even when we first met, she felt like someone we had known for a long time. We shared many conversations about our cultures, social issues, and life in our respective countries. We were impressed by her genuine curiosity and her strong desire to learn new… read more
Calm and kind, he quickly became our daughter’s favorite right after he arrived! He loves cooking, and every dish he makes is absolutely delicious!! (Future hosts — you should definitely ask him to cook for you.)
One day, he prepared a special dinner for everyone. He started preparing the day before and spent… read more
She loves hiking and being active, and she helped us a lot with outdoor tasks such as mowing the grass and cutting firewood. She also challenged herself by working on metal fittings used in our construction projects. In addition, she willingly took care of the chickens.🐓
She is quiet and gentle, and she has a… read more
She sometimes delivers jokes with a completely straight face, which made her a great and memorable character in our community.
She also has a very creative side and is skilled at sewing and baking.
On potluck day, she baked an authentic chocolate cake, and the quality was truly impressive!
We… read more
He loves cooking, and whenever he was around, it was common to see people gathering to cook meals together, share food, or enjoy snack time (he always seemed to be eating something, which made us smile!). Thanks to his voice and… read more
She was our very first Workawayer, and we truly feel that we could not have asked for a better person to begin this journey with.
She left so many wonderful things behind at our place.
Because she is highly creative, she painted for us, built a firewood rack through a DIY… read more
When he first arrived, he seemed a little reserved, but little by little he opened up. The more time we spent together, the more we could truly feel our connection growing. Saying goodbye to him was honestly very hard—because we felt that if we had been… read more
He is sincere and worked with great dedication at all times.
He helped with garden work such as grass cutting and chopping firewood, and even challenged himself with DIY projects, despite having little prior experience.
He is a quiet and modest person who does not speak much, but he is very… read more
The work is really enjoyable, so time passes very quickly. During our free time, we usually cook… read more
He has many special skills, including juggling and spinning tops, but his unicycle performance in particular was truly impressive. It is clear that unicycling is something he has been passionate about for a long time.
In addition to his native language, he speaks… read more
We spent almost three weeks in the community, where we helped in diverse activities, learning new skills and experimenting Japanese culture and countryside life in a close way.
we always felt the warmness of our hosts and fellow volunteers while we were living the peaceful and slow paced… read more
Montse was very reliable and naturally took on a role of organizing and supporting everyone.
Salvi was always relaxed, often singing, and brought a very calming and positive energy to our place.
Both of them worked very hard and genuinely tried their best to help improve our space.
They took on… read more
