Experience Japanese Family Life with 4 Children | Cultural Exchange in Tochigi, Japan

Details

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  Description

  Before applying, please read the following information carefully.
  
  * No smokers.
  * Because you will be staying as part of our family with young children, we currently accept female travelers, couples, and families.
  * We can accommodate one person, a couple, or a small family of up to four people (for example, two adults and up to two children).
  * The bathroom and toilets are shared with our family. There are two toilets in the house.
  * The guest room is a Japanese-style tatami room (washitsu), and you will sleep on a traditional Japanese futon.
  * The guest room is next to our living room and is separated only by a curtain. There is no lock, so it is not a completely private room.
  * Because our children have breakfast in the living room before school, there can be some noise and activity from early in the morning. If you are not comfortable waking up early or sleeping in a room next to a family living space, this arrangement may not be suitable for you.
  * If you would like to drink alcohol, please purchase it at your own expense.
  * I work as a freelancer, so there may occasionally be some work-related activity at home.
  
  
  Welcome to our family in Tochigi, about 1.5 hours from Tokyo.
  
  We are a family of six with four children, aged 4, 9, 11 and 13.
  
  We started hosting because we enjoy meeting people from other countries. We want our children to have more chances to meet people from different countries and learn that there are many different ways to live.
  
  We also want to learn about your country and your family life.
  
  We are especially interested in people from Europe, including Germany, Austria and Switzerland. We are also interested in France, Finland, the Netherlands, Scotland and other countries.
  
  We like cultural exchange
  
  We would like to talk with you about your country, your family and your life.
  
  For example:
  
  * What is school like in your country?
  * How do children spend their free time?
  * What is family life like?
  * What do parents think is important when raising children?
  * How do children become independent?
  
  You can also experience our normal family life in Japan.
  
  We may have breakfast together, go to a park, cook together, play with the children, or just talk at home.
  
  We don’t expect everything to be perfect. Our home is a real family home, so sometimes it is busy and noisy!
  
  Families with children are welcome
  
  We are also happy to welcome parents with children.
  
  If you are a parent and want to experience everyday life in Japan with your child, we think staying with our family could be a nice experience.
  
  Our children often have friends stay overnight, so they are used to having other children in the house.
  
  We can accommodate a family of up to four people, such as two adults and up to two children.
  
  Depending on the timing, there may also be a chance for your child to experience a Japanese school.
  
  What kind of person are we looking for?
  
  We welcome women, couples and families.
  
  For couples, we prefer people around their 30s or older who have some work or life experience.
  
  For people traveling alone, we are looking for someone who is independent, responsible and comfortable living with a family.
  
  You don’t need to speak perfect English.
  
  Your first language can be English, German, French, Spanish or another language. We are happy to communicate with people from different countries.
  
  The most important things for us are:
  
  * kind and respectful
  * responsible and independent
  * likes children
  * interested in family life and education
  * interested in other cultures
  * happy to talk with us and share your own culture
  * comfortable helping with simple things around the house
  
  About our family
  
  I am a freelance photographer and a former hospital nurse.
  
  My husband is also a nurse.
  
  We have four children, so our house is usually lively!
  
  Our children like playing, talking and meeting people from other countries. We want them to feel that the world is bigger than Japan.
  
  We also hope to make friends through Workaway.
  
  Maybe you will stay with us in Japan, and someday we can visit your country.
  
  It would be great if one day you could say,
  
  “If you come to Germany / Switzerland / Austria / Finland, come and stay with us!”
  
  That is the kind of relationship we would like to have with our guests.
  
  We don’t want to meet many people for only a few days. We would rather meet people who we can remember and hopefully meet again someday.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Teaching

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Interests

  

  Adventure sports

  

  Water sports

  

  Music

  

  Books

  

  Photography

  

  Art & design

  

  Team sports

  

  Cycling
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We would love our Workawayer to become part of our family and experience everyday life in Japan with us.
  
  We usually have dinner together as a family, and our Workawayer is welcome to join us. In our free time, we enjoy going to cafés, eating out, travelling, and exploring new places. We would be happy to take our Workawayer with us when possible and introduce them to our local area and Japanese culture.
  
  We can share our knowledge of Japanese culture, food, family life, and everyday life in Japan. As I have worked as a nurse for more than 10 years and am now a freelancer , I can also share my experiences in healthcare and raising children.
  
  Our children would also love to learn from our Workawayer. If you have a special skill, hobby, or interest, such as sports, music, art, cooking, or languages, we would be happy for you to share it with them.
  
  At the same time, we are very interested in learning about different cultures and ways of life. We would love to hear about your country, food, traditions, language, and experiences.
  
  We hope this will be a genuine cultural exchange where both our family and our Workawayer can learn from each other, make memories together, and feel like part of the same family during their stay.

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  Au Pair Help

  This host is looking for Au pair help.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  Your Main Responsibilities
  
  We are mainly looking for someone who can support our four children with their homework and studies, while helping them enjoy using English in their everyday lives.
  
  Our children do not always want to do their homework, so we are looking for someone who can make studying fun and encourage them to get started in a positive way. You don’t need to be a qualified teacher. What matters most is that you are patient, encouraging, and enjoy learning and spending time with children.
  
  Morning: around 7:00–8:00
  * Have breakfast with our 4-year-old daughter.
  * Talk and interact with her in English.
  * Help her naturally enjoy using English as part of her morning routine.
  
  Evening: around 4:00–6:00/7:00-9:00
  * Spend time with our four children (13, 11, 9, and 4 years old).
  * Help them with their homework and studies.
  * Encourage them to study in a fun and positive way.
  * Explain things and support them when they find something difficult.
  * Talk with them and communicate in English throughout your time together.
  * Read, play games, or do activities together when they have finished their homework.
  * Occasionally help prepare a simple meal for the family.
  
  
  We are not looking for someone who simply tells the children to do their homework. We would love someone who can build a good relationship with them, talk with them, understand their personalities, and find ways to make learning enjoyable.
  
  English communication is essential. We want our children to have fun, feel comfortable, and naturally use English while spending time with you.
  
  If you have any particular skills, hobbies, or interests, we would also love you to share them with our children, such as sports, music, art, cooking, languages, or anything else you enjoy.
  
  This is not a main responsibility, but if you enjoy photography or taking videos, we would be very happy if you could help us capture some of our everyday family life during your stay.
  
  Create a short video to capture memories 📹
  During your stay, I’d love you to create a short video capturing the memories you make with our family and children.
  I will film some moments during your stay, and I’d like you to turn the footage into a short 5–10 minute video with English subtitles.
  The idea is to create a special memory that my children can look back on when they are older and remember the time they spent with you.
  
  
  The most important thing for us is that you genuinely enjoy spending time with children and are happy to become part of our family during your stay.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  Japanese: Fluent
  English: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  We would love to have a language exchange with our Workawayer. Our main goal is to give our children more opportunities to communicate in English, especially our eldest daughter, who hopes to study at a university overseas in the future. In return, we would be happy to help you learn Japanese and practice everyday Japanese conversation. You can learn Japanese naturally through our family life, meals, conversations, and activities with our children. We would love to share expressions, vocabulary, and cultural differences in a relaxed and fun way. We hope our language exchange will be a two-way experience where everyone can learn from each other.
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  Accommodation

  We offer a traditional Japanese-style tatami room (washitsu) next to our living room.
  
  The guest will sleep on a comfortable Japanese futon on the tatami floor. The room has a curtain that separates it from the living room, but there is no lock on the room, so please be aware that it is not a completely private space.
  
  The bathroom and toilets are shared with our family. There are two toilets in the house.
  
  We will provide a clean and comfortable place to sleep, as well as basic bedding and household amenities.
  
  We usually have dinner together as a family every evening, and our Workawayer is welcome to join us. We enjoy sharing homemade Japanese food and having conversations around the dinner table.
  
  For breakfast and lunch, we can discuss arrangements depending on your schedule. If you would like snacks, drinks, or alcohol, these will generally be at your own expense.
  
  Our home is a family home, so it can sometimes be lively and busy, especially with four children. We are looking for someone who enjoys a warm, family-oriented environment and is happy to be part of our everyday life.

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  What else ...

  We also have previous experience hosting children from overseas. We welcomed two children, aged 10 and 13, into our home and enjoyed sharing our family life and Japanese culture with them.
  
  This experience was very enjoyable for our whole family and gave us confidence in welcoming international guests into our home. We understand the importance of creating a safe, comfortable, and welcoming environment for children while also giving them opportunities to communicate, play, and experience everyday life in Japan.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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