Experience authentic local family life and cultural exchange in Saga, Japan

Infos

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  Description

  Looking for a cultural exchange in Japan?
  
  Do you enjoy spending time with children, learning about different cultures, and meeting local people?
  
  Hi! Welcome to our home in Imari, Saga.
  
  We’re a family of four living in the countryside of Japan. We’d love to welcome people from other countries into our home, share our daily lives, and learn from each other.
  
  About our home and Imari
  
  We live in a quiet area surrounded by nature, in Saga Prefecture, next to Fukuoka.
  
  Our house was newly built in February 2026. It’s a modern Japanese-style home, and we’re still making it our own.
  
  Imari is a small town known for its traditional pottery, Imari ware. There are mountains, rice fields, pottery studios, and lots of beautiful places to explore nearby.
  
  If you want to experience everyday life in Japan away from the busy tourist spots, this could be a good place for you. Fukuoka is about two hours away by highway bus, too.
  
  We’d also love to show you around Imari and take you to some of our favorite local spots when we have time.
  
  A little about me
  
  Hi, I’m Makiko, 36, and a mum of two.
  
  I used to work for an American medical device company for eight years. But education has always been something I care deeply about. I also worked as a junior high school English teacher for two years, and I’m still involved in education today.
  
  I want children to grow up feeling happy and confident in who they are, and to feel free to choose their own path in life.
  
  One of my dreams is to create a place where children can explore their interests, meet people from different backgrounds, and learn from the world around them. I hope to make a place where they can feel safe being themselves.
  
  Hosting people through Workaway is one small step toward making that dream a reality.
  
  My husband and I have both lived and studied abroad. He speaks Chinese, and I speak English. I spent a year in Finland as an exchange student, which had a big influence on how I think about education.
  
  What we hope to share
  
  This is our first time officially hosting through Workaway, but we’ve already welcomed three groups of travelers who had Workaway experience.
  
  Last year, I also organized international exchange events for children about once a month with an American friend.
  
  We don’t want this to feel like a job, or just a place to stay in exchange for helping out. We’d rather share our everyday lives, have fun together, and learn from each other along the way.
  
  Depending on the day, that might mean playing with the kids, helping out in the garden, cooking together, or simply chatting about our different cultures.
  
  We know that everyone travels for different reasons, and we’re happy to hear what you’re interested in, too.
  
  We hope that even if you stay for only a short time, you’ll get a glimpse of everyday Japanese family life, meet some local people, and feel a little at home here in Japan.
  
  We’re looking forward to meeting you!
  
  Feel free to send us a message if you have any questions. We’d love to hear from you!

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Pratique d’une langue

  Enseignement

  Jardinage d'entretien

  Aide à la maison
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  The Highlight: Sunday International Exchange Day
  
  When a Workawayer stays with us, we organize an International Exchange Day on Sunday.
  
  With local children | 11:00–14:00
  
  We invite local children aged 7–15 to join us.
  
  You can share your culture and language through:
  
  Cooking and eating together
  
  Introducing your country and culture
  
  Reading picture books
  
  Teaching games from your country
  
  Crafts, music, stories, and other activities
  
  Playing and chatting together
  
  With local adults
  
  We also sometimes invite 2–3 local adults who want to practice English.
  
  As part of a casual potluck gathering, you can listen to their 10-minute English presentations, give friendly advice, and introduce your own country and culture.
  
  It's simply a relaxed opportunity to practice English while enjoying food, drinks, and conversation.
  
  If you choose to drink alcohol, please cover the cost of your own alcoholic drinks.
  
  If you enjoy meeting Japanese people, children, and sharing your own culture, we think you'll really enjoy this experience.

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  Projets impliquant des enfants

  Ce projet peut impliquer des enfants. Pour en savoir plus, consultez nos directives et conseils ici.

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  Aide

  The Highlight: Sunday International Exchange Day (details below)
  
  What We Need Help With
  Outside of the Sunday international exchange, we mainly ask for help with:
  - Vegetable gardening (Our vegetable garden is still a work in progress. )
  - Simple household chores
  - Helping with everyday family activities
  You don't need to be an expert at gardening or childcare.
  
  - Want to experience real, everyday Japanese life
  - Want to connect with Japanese people and local families
  - Love spending time with children
  - Are interested in Japanese culture, food, and traditions
  - Enjoy a slower, more local lifestyle
  - Want to share your own culture and language
  - Would like to find a place in Japan that feels a little like a second home
  - Are open-minded, friendly, independent, and respectful

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  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Anglais: Courant
  Japonais: Courant
  Finnish: Débutant

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  Cet hôte a indiqué qu’il souhaitait faire partager sa propre langue ou en apprendre une nouvelle.
  Contactez-le pour en savoir plus.
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  Hébergement

  You will have your own Japanese-style tatami room in our home.
  
  Please note that the room does not have a lock, as it is part of our family home. You can also choose to sleep in our loft space.
  
  The following facilities are shared with our family:
  Bathroom with a shower and bathtub
  Toilet
  Kitchen
  
  We provide all meals during your stay and usually eat together as a family.
  
  If you are vegetarian, we may sometimes ask you to prepare your own meal, as we may not always be able to provide suitable vegetarian food. We'll discuss this in advance.
  
  Wi-Fi is available. We have no pets. Smoking is allowed outdoors only.

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  Autres infos...

  As we currently work from home while raising our two children, we are not able to host guests for long periods.
  Our standard stay is 3 nights / 4 days, from Friday to Monday.
  If you have specific dates in mind, please feel free to contact us. We may be able to accommodate different dates depending on our schedule.
  Our home is in a quiet rural area, so public transportation is limited.
  - Highway bus: Fukuoka → Imari Station (about 2 hours). We can pick you up at Imari Station.
  - Train: Travel to Higashi-Karatsu Station, and we can pick you up there.
  （From Hakata Station/Fukuoka Airport: You can take a direct train with no transfers to Higashi-Karatsu Station.)
  
  We're happy to help you plan your journey.

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Deux

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