Share languages and culture with our family in Matsumoto, Japan

Detalles

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  Descripción

  【Applications for 2026 are now closed.Thank you so much for your interest in staying with our family! We look forward to welcoming new Workawayers in 2027!】
  
  【About Our Family & Homestay】
  We are a Japanese family of four living in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture.
  Our home is located in central Matsumoto, about a 10-minute walk from Matsumoto Station. Major sightseeing spots such as Matsumoto Castle, Nakamachi Street, and Nawate Street are also within walking distance.
  We are a married couple with two sons, aged 10 and 8. We both work, so weekdays can sometimes be busy, but we value spending time together as a family on our days off.
  We really enjoy international exchange and have welcomed international students and travellers into our home in the past. We greatly value the opportunity to learn from people with different cultures, backgrounds, and ways of thinking.
  We especially welcome a woman who is kind to children and genuinely enjoys spending time with them.
  【Our Children & Cultural Exchange】
  Our children are active and cheerful. They often argue with each other, but they are also very close and are curious about other countries, cultures, and languages.
  We believe that being able to speak English will help broaden their world, so they have recently started attending English conversation classes. They seem to really enjoy learning English.
  During your stay, we would like you to communicate with our children in English through play, games, everyday conversations, and simple daily activities.
  We would also be very happy if you could share your culture, customs, hobbies, skills, or special interests with them. By meeting people from different backgrounds, we hope our children can discover new ways of thinking and develop a broader view of the world.
  At my wife's request, we are currently accepting women only while our family becomes more comfortable and experienced with welcoming people from overseas. We appreciate your understanding.
  【Helping Around the House】
  We would also like you to help with everyday household tasks, such as cooking together, washing dishes after meals, tidying shared spaces, and doing some light cleaning.
  We are not looking for a housekeeper. We hope you will naturally take part in everyday household tasks as a member of the family and enjoy sharing daily life with us.
  【Length of Stay】
  We hope to welcome you as a member of our family, rather than simply as a guest.
  With this in mind, and to give our children enough time to build meaningful relationships with you, our minimum stay is generally two weeks, although we would ideally prefer stays of three weeks or longer.
  However, we also believe that sharing cultures with people from around the world is a wonderful experience for our children.
  Therefore, we have decided to welcome shorter stays of less than a weeks as well, provided that you are willing to contribute towards the cost of breakfast and dinner during your stay.
  We hope this will give more people the opportunity to experience everyday Japanese family life with us while sharing their own cultures with our children.
  【Before Your Stay】
  Since posting our profile, we have thankfully received many inquiries. Thank you very much for your interest in our family!
  We hope to welcome someone not simply as a guest, but as a member of our family. For that reason, we believe it is important for both sides to get to know each other and see whether we would be a good fit before making a final decision.
  We would therefore like to have a video call first and then decide together whether to move forward with the stay.
  We look forward to meeting you and sharing wonderful experiences together! 😊
  【About Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture】
  　Matsumoto is a regional city located near the centre of Nagano Prefecture and surrounded by beautiful mountains.
  　It is not a large city like Tokyo or Kyoto, but it is a peaceful place where you can experience Japanese nature, history, culture, and everyday local life.
  　In the city centre, you can visit the National Treasure Matsumoto Castle, as well as Nakamachi Street and Nawate Street, which still retain the atmosphere of an old castle town. There are also local cafés, museums, art galleries, and nearby hot springs.
  　Matsumoto is also a convenient gateway to Kamikochi and the Japanese Alps, making it a great base for hiking and enjoying beautiful mountain scenery. ⛰
  　Public transport is less frequent than in larger cities, but many of the main sightseeing spots in central Matsumoto can be reached on foot.
  　Matsumoto offers a good balance between convenience and the peaceful, relaxed atmosphere of a regional Japanese city. 🚌
  　We live in an ordinary Japanese family home. Our house is not new, luxurious, or perfect. Our children can sometimes be noisy, and our English is limited.
  　Even so, we are looking forward to sharing everyday Japanese family life, home-cooked food, conversations, and cultural experiences with you.
  　We warmly welcome a friendly, respectful, and open-minded person who will enjoy living with our family and communicating openly with us.
  
  Since you will be spending time with our children, who do not speak English, we would really appreciate it if you could speak a little Japanese and communicate with them at a basic conversational level.

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  Tipos de ayuda y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Práctica de idiomas

  Enseñanza

  Cuidado de niños y juegos creativos

  Cocinar para toda la familia

  Ayuda doméstica
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  Intereses

  

  Historia

  

  Cultura

  

  Dibujo y pintura

  

  Arquitectura

  

  Películas y televisión

  

  Animales

  

  Deportes de equipo

  

  Actividades al aire libre

  

  Fotografía

  

  Cocina y alimentación

  

  Naturaleza

  

  Idiomas
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  Intercambio cultural y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  【What You Can Experience in Our Home】
  At our home, you can experience everyday Japanese family life through conversations with us, sharing meals together, and spending time with our children.
  Our home is not in a big and exciting city like Tokyo or Kyoto, nor is it in a picturesque traditional village like Takayama or Shirakawa-go. If your main purpose is sightseeing or looking for beautiful places to take Instagram photos, you may find our home a little quiet.
  However, if you are interested in experiencing ordinary daily life with a Japanese family and seeing what everyday life in Japan is really like, we think our home could be a good fit for you.
  We would be very happy for you to learn about life in Matsumoto, as well as Japanese culture and customs. At the same time, we would also love to learn about your culture, traditions, and everyday life in your country.
  My husband currently has many weekdays off, so when our schedules allow, he may be able to show you around Matsumoto, go shopping with you, or take you on short outings. These can also be good opportunities to experience everyday life outside the house and practice Japanese naturally.
  We are not qualified Japanese teachers, but if you are studying Japanese, we would be happy to support your learning whenever we have time.
  As native Japanese speakers, we can help you learn not only the Japanese found in textbooks or online lessons, but also the natural words, expressions, and ways of speaking that Japanese people actually use in everyday life.
  If you would like to practice Japanese with us, please feel free to ask!
  We may also cook simple Japanese home-style meals together. If you are interested, this could be a nice opportunity to learn how to make some everyday Japanese dishes yourself.
  If you are interested and our schedules allow, you may also be able to join us when we spend time with our friends.
  Meeting and talking with different Japanese people can be a great opportunity to practice your Japanese and experience natural conversations in real life.
  If you are interested, you may also have the chance to wear a kimono and walk around town.
  During festival season, if the timing works, we may also be able to wear yukata and go to a local festival together.
  More than anything, we hope you can enjoy not only visiting Japan, but actually living here for a while as part of a Japanese family.

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  Proyectos con niños

  En este proyecto podría haber niños. Para obtener más información, consulta nuestras directrices y consejos aquí.

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  Ayuda

  We would love to welcome someone who is interested in Japanese culture, respects others, and is willing to communicate actively with our family.
  
  【There are two main areas where we would like your help.】
  The first is giving our family, especially our children, regular opportunities to be exposed to English.
  We have two elementary school-aged sons, and we would love for you to spend time with them, have fun together, and communicate with them in English.
  Our children have only recently started attending English conversation classes, so they still speak very little English. However, they are interested in learning and seem to really enjoy their lessons.
  We would be very happy if you could help them gradually become more familiar with English and gain confidence using it through everyday life.
  For example, you could do simple English lessons with them, play games together such as Nintendo Switch 2 or Roblox, or simply chat with them naturally during everyday family life.
  You do not need to be a professional English teacher at all.
  What is most important to us is that you genuinely enjoy spending time with elementary school-aged children, treat them kindly, and can communicate with them patiently without rushing them.
  We would love for you to care for them and spend time with them almost as if they were your own younger brothers.
  Our children can be a little shy around new people. Our younger son in particular is very shy and has his own unique personality, so you may feel some distance from him at first.
  However, if you actively talk to him, play with him, and spend time together, we think he will gradually open up and become more comfortable with you.
  We would really appreciate someone who can be patient and treat both of our children with warmth and affection.
  
  The second area is helping with everyday household tasks.
  This may include bringing dishes and food to and from the table, washing dishes after meals, tidying shared spaces, vacuuming, and doing laundry.
  Because both of us work, we would honestly be very grateful for some help with the household chores!
  However, we are not looking for a housekeeper. We simply hope that you will take part in everyday household tasks as a member of our family.
  
  【Example Weekday Schedule】
  **6:40–7:10**
  Have breakfast with us and see the children off to school.
  **7:10–8:10**
  We would like you to help with washing the breakfast dishes, doing and hanging up laundry for yourself and the family, and doing some light cleaning around the house.
  **8:10–16:30**
  This will generally be your free time to spend however you like.
  On some days, we may ask you to help with grocery shopping or another small errand, but we will always let you know in advance.
  My husband currently has many weekdays off, so if you are interested in studying or practicing Japanese, he would be happy to help when he has time.
  When our schedules match, you may also be able to go grocery shopping or on short outings together and practice natural, everyday Japanese through real-life conversations.
  **16:30–20:00**
  After the children come home from school, we would like you to spend time with them until we return from work.
  This may include speaking with them in English, playing together, or simply staying nearby while they do their homework.
  If you are comfortable giving them simple English lessons as well, we would be especially happy!
  While the children are studying, you are also welcome to sit beside them and study Japanese yourself. We hope it can become a nice time where everyone studies together.
  After that, we would like you to help a little with preparing dinner and tidying up.
  After dinner, we can relax together in the living room.
  We are planning for a maximum of five hours of help per day, five days per week, with two days off each week.
  We would like to discuss your days off together in advance, depending on both your plans and our family schedule.
  The daily schedule may sometimes change depending on our work and family plans.
  Also, from late July to late August and from mid-March to early April, the children are on school holidays, so the schedule will be different from the weekday example above.
  We will always try to explain the daily schedule and anything we would like help with as clearly as possible in advance.
  Spending time with our children and taking part in everyday household tasks are both important parts of this cultural exchange.
  
  After we started hosting people, we realized something important.
  We do not want to treat the people who stay with us simply as “workers.” As much as possible, we would like to welcome you as part of our family.
  Because of this, especially in the late afternoon and evening, the line between “helping time” and “free time spent together as a family” may sometimes feel a little unclear.
  This does not mean that we expect you to work beyond the agreed helping hours.
  However, there may be small moments such as helping clear the table after dinner or naturally giving a hand with something while we are all spending time together — just as family members normally help each other in everyday life.
  For this reason, our home may not be the best fit for someone who prefers a very strict separation between helping hours and free time, or someone who would rather only do clearly assigned tasks.
  On the other hand, we would be very happy to welcome someone who enjoys living together as part of the family, naturally helping each other, spending time with the children, and sharing everyday life with us.

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  Idiomas

  Idiomas hablados
  Japonés: Fluido
  Inglés: Principiante

  Este anfitrión ofrece intercambio de idiomas
  We are native Japanese speakers, so all conversations within our home are in Japanese. If you would like to learn Japanese, we would be happy to help you practise and improve your Japanese during your stay. 【Our English ability】 Husband： He can understand the general meaning of some everyday conversations, but his speaking ability is very basic. Please think of his English as beginner-level. He communicates through simple words, gestures, facial expressions, and translation apps. Even when words are difficult, he enjoys connecting with people from the heart. Wife： She can understand simple everyday conversations and express basic ideas in English. However, she mainly communicates using gestures and translation apps. Our two sons： They can currently understand and speak very little English. They have only recently started learning and are still beginners.
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  Alojamiento

  You will have your own small private Western-style room in our family home. The room is equipped with a futon, air conditioning, hangers, and a desk.
  There is also a shared refrigerator outside your room that you are welcome to use.
  You may also share our hair dryer and hair straightener with the family.
  
  【Meals】
  On weekdays, we will provide breakfast and dinner. Whenever possible, we would like everyone to eat together as a family. We also ask that you help with preparing meals and cleaning up afterward.
  For lunch, we will provide basic ingredients, and you can prepare your own meal. You are also welcome to eat out, but if you choose to do so for personal reasons, you will need to cover the cost yourself.
  The host father often has weekdays off. When he is at home, you are welcome to cook lunch together or go out for lunch with him if you would like.
  On weekends and public holidays, we will generally provide three meals a day. However, if you choose to eat out, you will need to pay for your own meal. If our family invites you to eat out with us, we will cover the cost.
  Meal arrangements may be different during our children’s school holidays, but in general, you will not need to pay for food during your stay.
  
  
  【Dietary requirements】
  Please let us know in advance if you have any allergies or dietary restrictions.
  As we are a family with two growing elementary school-aged children, our meals mainly consist of Japanese home-style dishes made with meat or fish. Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate halal or vegan diets.
  For vegetarians, we may be able to prepare a limited number of simple tofu-based dishes. However, the variety will be very limited, so please prepare any additional food or ingredients you may need yourself.

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  Algo más...

  In your free time, you can explore Matsumoto Castle, Nakamachi Street, Nawate Street, local cafés, museums, and nearby hot springs. Matsumoto is also a great base for day trips to Kamikochi, the Japanese Alps, and many other places around Nagano Prefecture.
  
  When our work and family schedules allow, we would be happy to go sightseeing or spend time outside together. We may also be able to take you somewhere by car, so if there is somewhere you would like to visit, please feel free to let us know.
  
  　You can also borrow a bicycle during your stay.
  　As we are both working parents, our work or family schedules may sometimes change unexpectedly. We are therefore looking for someone who can be flexible when plans change and who is also comfortable enjoying their free time independently during the day.
  
  Smoking is strictly prohibited inside our home, anywhere on our property, and in the surrounding area. If you are found to have smoked in any of these areas, you may be required to leave immediately.
  
  Open and honest communication is very important to us. During your stay, if you have any questions, concerns, problems, or anything you would like to discuss about the schedule, please feel comfortable talking to us. We hope to build a relationship where we can communicate openly with each other and enjoy living together as a family.

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  Un poco más de información

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    Acceso a Internet

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    Acceso a Internet limitado

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    Tenemos animales

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    Somos fumadores

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    Puede alojar familias

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  Puede acoger a nómadas digitales

  Our home has Wi-Fi, and the guest bedroom is equipped with a desk and a wired LAN connection, making it a convenient environment for working remotely.

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  Uno

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