Experience a slow life in the countryside on the mountain near Nagano, Japan

Details

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  Description

  I am Qingru(you can call me Chin), with my husband- Pierre and my son-Inen, three of us are living on the mountain, a beautiful place in Japanese countryside, trying to live the life as simple as we wished.
  I was born and grew up in China, came to Japan to study architecture, after a few years working in Tokyo, I quit everything, started the self-discovered journey around world.
  In Burma, I met Pierre during a volunteer activity, then we decided to discover the world together, specially when we were stuck in Tokyo due to Covid-19, we have built a mobile house with recycling materials, and lived in that 2 square meters on the road with few belongings,at the end, we have made and distributed a documentary by ourselves.
  After all the traveling experiences, we settled down in Ooka, where has beautiful nature but forgotten by modern people.It’s quite inconvenient for most people, but we are enjoying to live with what we have, and creat things by our own hands.
  In the first year, we already had grew and harvested rice and vegetables for ourselves, then Inen arrived, joined us.
  Our life didn’t change so much, now three of us are still living in Kominka(the traditional house), which was abandoned for 8 years, without gas and water systems. Both of us are repairing the house, doing gardening, cooking, crafting… make our life as simple as we can.
  
  About our lifestyle
  •We cook by wood everyday in the outdoor kitchen, we only have two meals brunch around 11am and dinner around 5pm. A main work will be chopping wood as well depends on the season.
  •the water is from top of the village, pure spring water, for drinking and daily use, so all the soap shampoo, we use natural ones to avoid the pollution for the environment
  •we don’t have hot water boiler, we have solar cooker and solar heater for hot water, so we can’t take a shower or bath everyday if it’s raining
  •we try to not consume too much electricity because of nuclear power disaster in fukushima. Basically we have few electric devices: one phone, one laptop, a small refrigerator, a semiautomatic washing machine and sometimes vacuum and blender.
  •there is compost toilet, and Fuki leaves instead of toilet paper, Pierre cleans it each 2 or 3 days. You may also help with, to face and deal with your own pee and poo.
  •People say we are like an old couple even we are the youngest ones in the village, because our life rhythm almost follow the sun, go to bed when it’s dark, around 8pm. Get up around 6am when we feel the first sunlight. Then mostly spend the time in the field, specially Pierre.
  •both of us don’t work normally, but Pierre started a handyman service recently, mainly we go to help the elderly neighbors, you also can join if you would love to

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Farmstay help

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house
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  Interests

  

  Van life

  

  Sustainability

  

  Self development

  

  Farming

  

  Writing

  

  Plant care

  

  Photography

  

  Music

  

  Languages

  

  Hitchhiking

  

  Gardening

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Carpentry

  

  Art & design

  

  Architecture

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Nature

  

  Mountain

  

  Hiking
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We are a family with multicultural mixed with western and eastern, we grow and eat rices, the same time making bread in the earth oven.
  Sometimes we were worried for the future, our next generation, eventually it’s better take the action than just think, the solution is how we live the life, by our own, without consuming too much nature resources, and respecting all the living beings.
  This is the most important thing we would love to share with our son-Inen, and you.

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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

  During your stay,it depends on the season, let’s share whatever we can together, for example:
  *nature farming
  *DIY
  *cooking by fire
  *waving basket by plants
  *sowing and knitting
  *painting
  *natural dying
  *making Koji and miso
  *laughing
  *playing with Inen
  *multi-languages exchange
  *chilling in the nature

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  Languages spoken

  French: Fluent
  Japanese: Fluent
  Chinese (Mandarin): Fluent
  English: Intermediate
  Spanish: Intermediate

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  Accommodation

  There is extra rooms in the house, traditional tatami room, you will sleep on the floor with futon, a Japanese way,
  Or, the mobile house, a small cabin in front of the house, in the garden, tiny but very cozy.

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  What else ...

  We don’t want to set many rules here.
  Just a few points we want to explain in advance
  •we basically don’t eat meat, but sometimes we will when we receive deer from the hunter, if you want to eat meat, you can just mange by yourself
  •we go to bed and get up early, you are free to do whatever you want, just please keep quiet for our kid
  •the shop, station all are far from where we live, it’s necessary to go out by car, we can give you a ride or pickup when we are available
  •we don’t have working schedule for everyday, if you are tired, go to rest, if you are into something, let’s work together fully as if time doesn’t exist, it’s very flexible
  •Pierre is a hand worker, it’s not possible to stop him once he focus on something. So sometimes work with him will be physical hard, but later sleep deeper.

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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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  Can host digital nomads

  This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

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