Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
11 Mar 2026
Reply rate
97.9 %
Usually responds within 5 days
Feedback
50
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Details
Description
Hello Workawayers!
Are you passionate about cultural exchange, love spending time with children, and enjoy sharing your own traditions and ideas? Then you might be a perfect fit for our community!
We run a small, community-based cultural exchange project in Isahaya City, Nagasaki, focused on connecting local children, families, and people from around the world.
This project is a great fit for Workawayers who:
✔︎ Enjoy interacting with kids and families in a warm, casual setting
✔︎ Can live cooperatively in a shared house environment
✔︎ Are eager to actively contribute ideas and energy to our activities
✔︎ Are flexible and happy to join a variety of activities, from cultural events to outdoor adventures
I’m Akino, a 35-year-old mother of three. I started this project in December 2023 to create a space where people from different backgrounds can meet, learn from each other, and build real connections. I’ve traveled to over a dozen countries and previously volunteered abroad, and now I bring those experiences into our local community by hosting Workawayers.
This project is best suited for people who enjoy active interaction with children, families, and local people, and who are comfortable with flexible schedules, rather than those looking for a very fixed routine or a lot of private time.
New Update: Our Project Is Growing
Since December 2025, our cultural exchange community has officially become a non-profit organization (NPO) in Japan.
In simple terms, this means we are a community-based, non-profit project focused on education, cultural exchange, and social impact rather than making money.
Becoming an NPO allows us to work more closely with local institutions, and we are now planning to expand our activities by collaborating with kindergartens, schools, and other educational organizations in the area.
How to Apply:
We receive many messages, so to make the process smooth, please send a complete first message using the application template (found in the “What else” section).
If your first message includes all the requested information and shows a genuine understanding of our community, and we feel you would be a good fit for an active and meaningful cultural exchange, we often confirm stays after just one message (when we have availability).
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Art Projects
Language practice
Teaching
Gardening
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Interests
Self development
Events & social
Culture
DIY & crafts
Languages
Gardening
Cooking & food
Hiking
Outdoor activities
Mountain
Camping
Nature
Yoga / Wellness
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Here, you’ll experience authentic rural Japanese life and real community connections.
You can:
・Share your culture and language with local children and families
・Experience Japanese customs, seasonal events, and home-style meals
・Practice Japanese through daily conversations
・Join crafts, cooking, outdoor activities, and local outings
・Gain experience in community-based and educational exchange
We believe that cultural exchange is a two-way journey. While you share your world with us, we are excited to share our culture, lifestyle, and hospitality with you!
As a non-profit organization, our project is supported by local members who truly care about cultural exchange.
They help make your stay in Isahaya more enjoyable by sharing local recommendations, inviting you to events, and sometimes even guiding you around the area.
Volunteers are genuinely welcomed by the community, not just hosted. The membership fees from these local supporters help cover essential costs such as rent, utilities, and internet for the Workawayer house. Thanks to this support, we are able to continue offering a stable and welcoming place for cultural exchange.
We hope volunteers remember that the best way to give back is through meaningful interaction—talking, sharing, playing, cooking, and spending time with local children and adults.
Your presence, openness, and willingness to connect are what make this exchange truly valuable for everyone.
Registered charity
This host is a registered charity in their country and is looking for volunteers to help with their project(s).
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
Your main role is to participate in cultural exchange programs and events and actively engage with local children and community members.
Sharing your own culture, language, or activity ideas is very welcome.
Main programs:
■Kids Cultural Exchange Program ( Wed & Thu & Fri, 15:00–19:00)
We host cultural exchange activities for local children through games, crafts, cooking, storytelling, and language activities. We cook together with the kids and share dinner as part of the program, interacting in a fun and friendly way.
■Parent & Toddler Cultural Exchange Program ( Tue, 10:00–14:00 )
A relaxed program for young children and their parents, sometimes including outings such as picnics or short trips. We usually cook and eat lunch together with the children and parents or eat out when we do outings.
■Community events / day trips / potlucks / camping / school visits ( About once/twice a week)
We regularly organize community events such as potlucks, day trips / seasonal gatherings, outdoor activities, and occasional visits to kindergartens or schools.
These activities are often included in our weekly schedule (about twice a week) and are an important part of building meaningful connections with the local community.
- Activities usually run 5 days per week, about 3 - 5 hours per day
- 2 full days off per week
- Days off are not always fixed, as events vary by week
- Volunteers are expected to help for around 20 hours per week.
- In weeks with special programs or events, helping hours may be higher, and we will balance this by adjusting the schedule in surrounding weeks.
During school vacation periods (such as summer break or winter break),
our regular Kids and Parent & Toddler programs may be replaced by special programs.
Schedules and formats during these periods may differ from the usual weekly structure.
Flexibility is especially important during school holidays.
If you have travel plans or special requests, we are happy to discuss and adjust the schedule as long as we know at least one month in advance. A monthly schedule can be shared around the middle of the previous month upon request.
Housekeeping
As this is your home during your stay, volunteers share daily chores such as cleaning, laundry, dishes, garbage, compost, and gardening.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Japanese: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
French: Beginner
Thai: BeginnerThis 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
You’ll stay in a small, dedicated Workawayer house where we also host programs and events.
Our family lives about 1.6 km away, and I am always present and involved in all programs and activities. My children often join the programs as well, and for weekend events, my husband usually participates too. We regularly spend time together through activities and outings.
The house includes:
・One bedroom (2 beds)
・One living room (1 bed, separated by a curtain)
・Shared kitchen, toilet, and shower
We usually host 2–3 volunteers, so comfort with shared living and communication is important.
The nearest train station, JR Nishi-Isahaya, is a 14-minute walk (950m) away.
There’s a 7-Eleven about 10 minutes on foot (750m), and a supermarket about 23 minutes away (1.7 km). For fresh bread lovers, the popular bakery Kamando is just a 9-minute walk (650m)!
When you arrive in Isahaya on the first day, I can pick you up at JR Nishi-Isahaya Station, Isahaya Station, or the Isahaya Interchange bus stop.
If you're flying into Nagasaki Airport, you can take a bus to Isahaya Station.
Food
We always provide basic ingredients such as rice, seasonings, and local members often share vegetables or other foods with us.
We cover the cost of ingredients for meals shared during cultural exchange programs and events. For these shared meals, we decide the menu together with our volunteers. We would love for you to introduce dishes from your home country or suggest Japanese foods you'd like to try!
You are free to use any crops from our small garden as well. (Please note, depending on the season, there may be limited harvests.) If you help out in the garden during your stay, it would be a great gift to future volunteers!
Outside of program meals, you are responsible for your own food expenses and eating out.
We respect individual dietary choices, such as vegetarian diets. We do our best to be creative and inclusive—for example, by cooking vegetarian-friendly Japanese dishes together whenever possible.
That said, in a community-based setting with shared programs and events, we may not always be able to accommodate all dietary needs at every meal.
If suitable options are not available on certain occasions, we kindly ask volunteers to take care of their own meals at those times.
We appreciate your flexibility and encourage you to share your own food culture with us and the community!
What else ...
Thank you so much for reading all the way!
If you would like to apply, please copy and paste the following template into your message and fill it out:
★Application Template★ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
1. Available dates:
(Example: June 1 – July 22)
2. Self-introduction:
(A few sentences about who you are, your background, and your interests)
3. Why you would like to stay with us:
(What attracted you to our project and community?)
4. Skills or cultural ideas you can share:
(Any skills, hobbies, cultural experiences, or activities you would like to introduce)
5. What you would like to experience during your stay:
(This could be cultural exchange, daily life with locals, working with children, improving your Japanese, outdoor activities, or anything else you are curious about)
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
Please be as specific as you can.
Applications that include all of the above information will be given priority.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions before you apply.
Thank you so much for your understanding — we’re very excited to meet you!
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have Wi-Fi and can host digital nomads. However, please note that our programs run at scheduled times, and participation in these programs is required. If you have fixed working hours that cannot be adjusted, it may be difficult to match our schedule. You are welcome to do your own work during your free time.
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
My animals / pets
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (25)
They always greeted everyone they met through our programs and genuinely enjoyed talking and connecting with people… read more
She was calm, thoughtful, and very independent.
She planned a Harry Potter–themed activity, which the children really enjoyed, and everyone loved the fish and chips she made.
Sophie is not someone who immediately expresses her feelings. And… read more
What we appreciated most was how deeply he valued the sense of… read more
From the very first day, I immediately felt like part of Akino’s family and the community.
As a volunteer, my role was to speak English with the kids, play and cook with them, and prepare fun… 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:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
They always greeted everyone they met through our programs and genuinely enjoyed talking and connecting with people… read more
She was calm, thoughtful, and very independent.
She planned a Harry Potter–themed activity, which the children really enjoyed, and everyone loved the fish and chips she made.
Sophie is not someone who immediately expresses her feelings. And… read more
What we appreciated most was how deeply he valued the sense of… read more
From the very first day, I immediately felt like part of Akino’s family and the community.
As a volunteer, my role was to speak English with the kids, play and cook with them, and prepare fun… read more
Their communication beforehand was always polite and thoughtful, and we appreciated their willingness to join in when… read more
It was impressive how he was able to build connections not only through our international exchange programs but also within the local community. He joined the practice sessions of a local Eisa dance group,… read more
The kids were so polite and… read more
During his stay, the Workaway house was always kept clean and tidy, which we greatly appreciated. He also showed real care for our… read more
Everything was amazing. Everyone is so kind to you, Akino, the kids, all of the other parents, absolutely everyone.
The kids are all so nice and smart, I even felt bad not having enough to share with them… read more
The work itself was all about spending time with kids after school: speaking English, cooking together, organizing activities… It was such a lovely experience,… read more
As the first Czech volunteers we welcomed, we had so much fun experiencing cultural exchange with them — from learning about traditional dances to experiencing some very… read more
Akino San is an exceptional host. The opportunity she has built for the Isahaya children to meet Workawayers from all corners of the world is very impressive and inspiring.
I learned so much during my stay here. Children will respect you if you can provide… read more
Aviya was always thoughtful, ensuring that her presence would not add to the challenges of raising three children. She… read more
Akino and her family are lovely, we actually stayed with her family for a couple of days and felt welcome which we are very grateful for!
It was nice meeting the children and the cultural exchange was super interesting!
Overall a really good… read more
He truly enjoyed cooking and never hesitated to spend time creating delicious meals—perhaps it’s a French trait? From making crepes together… read more
I stayed there for 2 weeks and loved cooking with and for the kids, playing games with them and participating in the winter camp with them for 3 days !
Akino, the host, is a very impressive person by how many projects she is handling and developping while taking care of her kids and still… read more
She spent a lot of time with the children during their summer break, creating wonderful… read more
It was awesome to prep activities for the kids and also help around the house. To me, the best was cooking with/for the kids and playing in the nature around the house. We still had plenty of time off to travel around the area and the family also took us to nice… read more
Jane is a passionate… read more
The brief month I shared with her and her… read more
I enjoyed every single moment in the house. Akino and her family are such pleasant and kind individuals who were very welcoming and including from the start. As are all the kids and their parents in the community. I had so much fun with them.
If you like to play with kids, enjoy cooking,… read more
He prepared Shakshuka and Hummus at one of our events, exciting everyone with these delicious new flavors.
He had a natural talent for connecting with children, who… read more
This is a very pleasant and warm place, ideal for meeting other workawayers, children, their parents with whom you… read more
To give you an idea about the workload, there is afterschool… read more
Despite being a volunteer, she gave 120%… read more
The house has everything you could need and is comfortable to share with other volunteers. There’s also an amazing bakery nearby!… read more
She organized several cultural exchange events. Her events were so engaging… read more
She was willing to do any kind of work. She organized activities with the… read more
The intentions of the project are very pure and Akino is using her experiences and knowledge of self sufficient community to manage it beautifully.
I want to thank everyone for this adventure, for welcoming me in this immersion and the way you shared all you did… read more
He interacted well with the children and the locals and everyone loved him. For our children's events, he researched and mapped the safe forest around our house and organized a treasure hunt game. The kids had so much fun that they often ask for more treasure hunts now… read more
They were enthusiastic about their work and worked hard at everything they did.
Although not mentioned in their profile, they are great teachers and can teach English to children in fun and exciting way.
They are also very good at babysitting, as if they had extensive experience raising children.
They… read more
The house is very cool, with the traditional sliding doors and paper walls. The area is quiet and not bad for walking around. The previous Workawayers had prepared a lot of guides for how to use the various appliances which… read more
We have much admiration and respect for Akino. The place is her new comminuty project. She has a beautiful vision of what she wants to create. It will surely have profound impacts on everyone joining the… read more
They are thoughtful and kind to everyone. I'm really happy to have them as my first workawayer.
They did the job with a level of perfection that exceeded my expectations.
Catherine came up with fun and wonderful ideas for arts… read more
