Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
14 Mar 2024
Reply rate
90.9 %
Usually responds within 7 days
Feedback
68
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Details
Description
We are currently accepting applications for June! Between June and September, we usually need a big help in our gardens.
We typically decide whom to host approximately a month and a half
or two months before the expected arrival date. We may not be able to respond if you send us applications before that.
Thank you so much!
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日本人の方でもOKです。
Hello! Thanks for reading our profile!
We appreciate so much people who send great messages! We really enjoy reading them. Unfortunately we can host only one person at a time and have to send rejection messages to many people. Please do not get discouraged even if we cannot host you.
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We only host solo travelers.
Please read our profile carefully. We won’t be returning messages whose sender has obviously not read it.
日本人の方の滞在も歓迎しています。(We welcome Japanese travelers, too!)
We are grateful to receive lots of inquiries. However we are afraid that many people have very brief profiles which give us too little information about her/him, with just a few photos, without any review. Please give ample information in your profile so we can get to know better your personality, character, your values, your dream etc..
We CANNOT host anyone without a travel insurance. Medical care in Japan is NOT free. We do not accept anyone reckless enough to travel around without proper insurance!
PLEASE avoid cancellation as much as possible!
Please note that it is absolutely NO SMOKING at our place, including the garden and the vicinity.
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About us
We are a married couple, MITAKE Naoya and Emi. You can address us as "Mitake-san" and "Emi-san." We moved to the VERY western part of Tokyo in 2016, closer to the mountains and the Tama River, to enjoy life in the natural environment. We are still in Tokyo with convenience stores and grocery stores, but the atmosphere is almost rural, though still accessible and commutable to the city center. Both of us commute to the city center. Emi is a clinical psychologist and works for a middle and high school for girls in the center of Tokyo, and MITAKE teaches comparative politics at Komazawa University. Mitake has lived in Dallas, Texas, USA from 1981-1982 as an high school exchange student, and spent 1 year in Belgium during the 90s. He is also a PQ coach (mental fitness coach), and enjoys providing coaching sessions to young people
Emi loves to paint, to play piano, and she makes stained-glass works. Many workawayers have joined the lessons she is taking and they loved it. She loves the works of MURAKAMI Haruki. MITAKE loves to play and watch tennis and a huge fan of Roger Federer. He is a long time fan of Queen, too. Both of us have lived in San Diego, California, USA from 1999-2001 when Mitake was a visiting scholar at UCSD. We both love nature and enjoys gardening.
We know a bit about what it is like to become workawayers as we ourselves have workawayed in Cambodia and Uganda. We have already hosted many travelers from many parts of the world including the ones we hosted in the city center when we lived in a condo there.
We believe Workaway is the one of the best ways to travel. It allows us, both hosts and stayers, to have great chances for cultural exchanges and learning from each other. We are glad to be able to meet travelers from around the world and hear their interesting stories, and give them opportunities to experience life in Japan. We get most joy when we see Workawayers go out there, explore the area and venture into having fun interactions with locals in Tokyo.
So, we would like you to state in your application your intention of coming and staying at our place and would also like very much to know how you would like to spend your free time here. Considering the fact that there are so many applicants, we would rather give chances to people who have clear intention of exploring our area, enjoying our neighborhood, and see and get to know our country, and thus make the best out of staying at our place!Types of help and learning opportunities
GardeningDIY and building projectsCreating/ Cooking family mealsHelp around the houseGeneral MaintenanceHelp with Computers/ InternetCultural exchange and learning opportunities
You can experience a totally different Tokyo here. While you can still go to the city center easily (we do commute there), the area is quiet and full of nature. By exploring the area, you might find different cultural aspects of Tokyo. We believe we communicate very well with people with different backgrounds. And being in the education field, we can take any question you might have on Japan, or whatever. We enjoy stimulating and inspiring conversational exchanges to each other.
Help
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Typically, we give priority to individuals who can commit to staying for four weeks. On occasion, we may host for a shorter duration, such as a week, when additional assistance is required alongside a Workawayer. Throughout the winter months, we generally refrain from hosting, given the limited gardening needs and the high utility costs for heating. However, exceptions may be made for hosting one or two Workawayers for a brief period based on specific needs.
We prioritize individuals aged 25 or above, emphasizing a certain level of life skills and social aptitude, who are capable of conducting chores independently. Preferably, candidates possess valuable job experiences, although we don't rule out younger applicants. Previous Workaway experience is a plus.
We seek Workawayers who are friendly, talkative, and outgoing, as well as environmentally conscious, dedicated, and humble. The ideal candidate is willing to learn new things, proactive, respectful, and cooperative in maintaining the quiet and clean environment of our house.
We mainly ask for help in the area of house chores and gardening. Please describe specifically your experience of cleaning and tidying in the house and gardening in your application.
Many people seem to think cleaning and tidying is easy and anyone can do it. Yes, anyone can, but some people are better than others. We want to welcome people who are GOOD at cleaning and tidying (as we are NOT!). Please describe specifically your experience of cleaning and tidying in the house in your application.
The help with daily house chores includes various tasks, such as cleaning toilets and bathrooms, dusting, vacuuming, wiping the floors, cleaning windows, grocery shopping, possibly cooking, and other house-related chores. Additionally, there might be small maintenance or repair tasks.
We have no pets, no kids, no elderlies living together in the house.
Gardening includes weeding, insect control, plowing, relocating plants, small-scale landscaping, etc. Please be prepared to undertake these tasks, including dealing with insects, especially in early summer. Specific descriptions of your experience in these areas are welcomed here.
We welcome Workawayers who love cooking. This doesn't imply that we exclusively accept individuals with exceptional cooking skills, nor does it require you to cook for us constantly—this, in fact, doesn't happen too often. You're not obligated to eat with us all the time either. Instead, our experience has shown that individuals with good cooking skills often possess excellent communication skills, making their stay more fruitful. Moreover, they tend to spend less of our money on food. Please honestly inform us if you have good cooking abilities, as it is preferable.
Additionally, we request Workawayers to provide clear instructions to the next Workawayer.
You spend approximately four hours in helping us in the mornings, and 1hr in the evenings. On the days you help us, you need to be READY TO START by 7 am or so. In the summer, we might ask you to be ready as early as 5 am (as happened during the hot summer of 2023!). You certainly need to be an early riser!Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Japanese: Fluent
French: BeginnerAccommodation
We are located in the western part of the City of Ome in the Tokyo Metropolis. It generally takes about 1 hour and a half to get to our place from the city center such as Shinjuku or Shibuya. About 6 minutes from the nearest JR train station.
Please note that our place is very quiet, and you will spend a significant amount of time on your own during your stay, as we commute to work in the city center and do not have children.
Depending on the situation, your room arrangement may vary. We have traditional Japanese rooms as well as rather westernized style rooms. Sometimes you will get your own room but we cannot guarantee it as guests from other venues have priority. When we have no guests you can have a large Japanese room to yourself, but other times when we have other guests and/or helpers, you may need to share space with others, and/or to sleep in the space where others use as common space during the daytime. Please note that Japanese rooms are not as private as in Western houses as they are separated only by paper sliding doors. Toilets and bathrooms are common.
Other guests may be present at the time of your stay. In fact, it may be possible that you meet some students I teach at my university and former students who have graduated recently.
Please acknowledge that when other guests come or when we want to use the space, you may need to vacate the room you sleep temporarily during the daytime.
We generally offer reasonably priced food for all meals you have at our place, including lunches (excluding ready-to-eat food, expensive meat or fish, fancy desserts, and alcoholic beverages). Please note that we would appreciate it if you could consume white rice as much as possible, as it is the staple food of Japan (allowing you to learn our culture) and also the most economical option.
We are usually unable to cook for you, but you are welcome to cook for yourself in the kitchen. You can do your own grocery shopping using our bicycle.
You don't eat together all the time, but, of course, we enjoy cooking together and eating together, anytime when our circumstances and schedule allow us. In fact, those are the moments we have enjoyed most until now! We love it when Workawayers cook their home country's food for us, though it's not necessary to do so all the time.
Please note that it is absolutely no smoking at our place, including the garden and the vicinity.
Generally, walls in the Japanese houses are thin and ours is no exception: please keep it down, especially at night. No music, no dancing !!
The railroad track of the JR Ome line is just in front of us. Normally, people do not mind the noise and some vibration when the trains pass by as the service is infrequent here and the trains are short. But if you are extremely sensitive, you may be advised to consult us beforehand. Also, do NOT enter the railroad track.What else ...
You can have fun outdoor activities, such as rafting, canoeing, and so on in the nearby upstream of the Tama River, which is beautiful, though some of them are unfortunately a bit pricey. Walking, bicycling, hiking in the mountains are also available. Visiting shrines and temples nearby including the famous but less touristy Mitake Shrine. The Okutama Lake is about 30 minutes away by a train ride. And of course, you can visit the center of Tokyo once in a while if you miss the crowd and vibrant atmosphere there anytime, though it does cost about 1000 yen one way for the JR train ride.
We cannot guarantee, but if our schedule permits, we would love to take you around!!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.
How many Workawayers can stay?
One
Hours expected
Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (26)
With a deep understanding of art, especially a passion… read more
Aiden's sincerity, honesty, and dedication were evident in everything he did. He is not only hardworking but also a joy to be around! There's something about him that… read more
Roger genuinely enjoys spending time with… read more
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)
With a deep understanding of art, especially a passion… read more
Aiden's sincerity, honesty, and dedication were evident in everything he did. He is not only hardworking but also a joy to be around! There's something about him that… read more
Roger genuinely enjoys spending time with… read more
Sara consistently displayed a… read more
He took excellent care of our home during our absence, providing us with peace of mind. Knowing that our house was in such capable hands allowed us to fully enjoy our travels.
Frédy is very kind,… read more
While being very “Japanese”, Emi san and Mitake san are very open and communicative. They immediately integrated me into… read more
If any other workawayers would like to hear about my stay in more detail, just send me a message and I would be more… read more
Notably, Pierre-Louis's youthful optimism and… read more
I felt warmly welcomed the very first time we met at their nearby station. I loved seing their well orchestrated life, giving me a great structure for the… read more
She consistently… read more
Luke's calm and friendly nature instantly put us at ease, creating a warm environment during his stay. His ability to engage in interesting conversations made our interaction with him a pleasure!
Luke's sincerity in carrying out household chores and gardening tasks… read more
Please make sure to go river boarding with their friend, Yohei-san, and also go to the stained glass making class. ラビト cafe is also a must!!
Please contact me if you’d like… read more
You get lucky when you come across places in the world where you feel genuinely peaceful and grounded. Mitake-san and Emi-san’s house is one of them. After reading previous reviews from other volunteers, I got an impression that they were very special people and I wanted to get to know them in my lifetime with hope for… read more
She is always respectful and caring. Always with smiles. She brought lots of stimulating conversations, happy moments and joy to our house! Her very passionate mindset has a strong encouraging vibe. We really were encouraged on our part to try new… read more
She did all the jobs perfectly, we had no problem. She cooked some delicious dishes too.… read more
Originally we planned to not host anyone in Feb as there is not much work. But we needed to someone to come and help us because I injured my lower back and became unable to do the gardening.
He responded to our Last-minute-request, and did… read more
He was a quick learner, very analytical and meticulous in good ways, and holds good amount of pure, charming curiosity in just about everything. He was accurate in doing things, and we in fact learned a lot from the way he did the chores in the house and… read more
She was relatively quiet, but communicates well, and in fact very interesting to talk to, and even funny!
Almost upon her arrival, she got strange blisters (huge ones!) on her ankles , but despite that, she made every effort to contribute to the help we needed. She did… read more
The area is peaceful and full of nature. The mountains are always in view. The river is wonderful for swimming. There are plenty of scenic bridges, and of course, a beautiful flower and veggie garden right outside your window :)
Emi-san and Mitake-san… read more
She is kind, caring, thoughtful and very reliable. She is very good at house chores, especially organizing and tidying things. We benefitted a lot from her… read more
She did lots of house chores diligently, and we were totally satisfied and grateful with the way she did her jobs.
During the time she was with us, it was the busiest season in removing insects from the vegetables in our vegetable garden, but thanks to… read more
Even though her stay was short, she was to make the best out of staying in Ome and… read more
As a workawayer she did everything with perfection. She was so reliable and dedicated that we had nothing… read more
In terms of the… read more
Her… read more
She was very friendly, outgoing, and polite. She did all the jobs related to house chores and gardening diligently, and not just that, she visited my students on campus and helped them practice English, which we appreciate so much. She made… read more
That was how his stay started with us. Looking back, it passed by as quickly as lightening. He is quiet, but actually very funny, and well balanced between perfection and joy. He did every house… read more
He is warm-hearted and pays respect to and likes to observe nature (especially fish!). He doesn’t mind… read more
It was memorable time. I feel so thankful that they hosted me and was so kind to me!
They let me stay in a very beautiful traditional Japanese room with tatami and a nice view from garden. Their house and the garden are both very lovely. My job there is just lightly and I had plenty of free time to read… read more
She is very caring, considerate and humble person, and think highly of helping out to people around. She is passionate about learning and learns things quickly. She proactively communicate well with anyone around.
Above all, we liked her attitude to… read more
When it comes to work of any sort, she always strive for perfection, which gives us the impression that she is very professional in her work. She… read more
Emi and Mitake san were wonderful hosts. First of all the work was easy and the hours left enough time in the day to explore the beautiful surroundings of Ome and Okutama. Usually there is gardening work to do but as it was Autumn and going into Winter there was little gardening and mainly had to… read more
We can recommend Jake to anyone who wants to have help and pleasant conversation!!
We can surly recommend Evana for anyone who needs… read more
Unfortunately the weather was terrible for the week they stayed with us It was… read more
The house is a real Japanese gem, full of character. To us (but we don't have much reference) this is a typical Japanese house, as you would know it from… read more
Ms. Yamakawa came as a first Japanese workawayer for us. She is calm and reserved, and did all the gardening and house chores we asked diligently. She only stayed several days, but it was very… read more
I had a great time here. The house and garden are lovely! I slept in a beautiful japanese style room (I particularly like the smell of tatami!) with a nice view of the garden.
Working here was quite enjoyable. I helped them with house… read more
Both guys were hardworking, very willing to help in any way! Mike was kind, always smiling, and very gentle. Atullya was very tall (for us anyway), which was very helpful… read more