Thank you for your interest in our place!
Hi! I'm Nao.
My family is four people: my husband and two daughters (elementary school students).
I have been hosting Workaway for about 7 years and have hosted over 300 foreign guests as a family.
I enjoy talking with and meeting new people.
We had a very good time.
From 2024, we will start accepting homestays at a new location.
The place is about a 30-minute drive from my house.
I want to make it where guests enjoy Japanese culture.
We are looking forward to seeing you all.
What is our project?
Nano inn is located in Okayama city, in the beautiful country side of Japan in the Okayama prefecture.
In a traditional house, we create a place where everyone can have international exchange.
I also operate a guesthouse and cafe.
I hope that it will be a place where Japan people can enjoy interacting in English, and for foreign guests, it will be a place where they can enjoy Japanese culture.
Working Holiday visa is PREFERRED but not mandatory...
If you do not have a Working Holiday visa.
A few years ago at another Workaway host like us, the owner, staff and volunteers from other countries were arrested by police.
The reason was that the staff gave guests work to do at the house (for example cleaning, reception duty and making beds) in exchange for free accommodation.
This is not legal in Japan! We want to make it very clear that we are different!
I don't think it's illegal to volunteer on a tourist visa, but some people think that staying for free in exchange for volunteering is a form of work income (lodging fees), so we would like to take you in as a family.
At our place, our guests do not work. Though we prefer a working holiday visa, we are willing to accept some without. Personality is the most important feature on an application. Workawayers will stay and experience the Japanese countryside and getting to know locals as our friends and may pitch in when possible. Please come excited to pitch in when help is needed!
We welcome you to join our community, share your language and culture with us, and to enjoy learning more about the Japanese way of life.
When you talk to anyone about here, please be clear that you are NOT doing any work! This is very important, for you and for us, now and even after you have left our place.
Thank you for your help with this,and we hope you enjoy your stay.
Please understand that we cannot accept smokers. (including electronic cigarettes)
What will you be doing?
- It's an old house, so it would be helpful if you could help with cleaning.
- Please give guests information about the facilities when guests come.
- Please help me with English translations, etc.
- When Japanese guests visit Nano inn, this will give you a chance to exchange cultures and converse.
- Please help teach English to my daughters on weekends. When playing and interacting with our daughters, please try to speak in English with them as much as possible.
- If you are good at posting on social media, we would be happy if you could introduce our location in English
- We are currently renovating some of the rooms of the house. Please help with plastering and clearing out rooms
- If you are a carpenter, please help us with making shelves, etc.
Please check our instagram
Hours expected
The hours expected are only 3 hours a day for 5 days a week with two days off to explore or relax.
We accept 3~4 workawayers at the same time. I try to have them take turns taking holidays. If you are a couple, make sure you can take a day off on the same day.
Food is not provided but we have a well equipped kitchen (see below) and workawayers will have the opportunity to go to the grocery store/market most days.
Will this experience be good for you?
If you like:
- Living the countryside
- Meeting new people
- Experiencing Japanese culture
- Relaxing in a Japanese house
Accommodation
Share Room
You will sleep in a tatami room.
It will be a shared room with other guests
We will provide:
- Blanket
- Japanese mattress
- Pillow
Outdoor kitchen
There is a Japanese size kitchen you are free to use. In the kitchen there is fridge, small freezer, microwave, gas hob/stove, rice cooker and cupboard with kitchenware and cutlery.
Bathroom
We have a bathroom and 2 toilets.
We will appreciate if you can bring your own shampoo, body soap and towel :)
Shopping
Our home is in the countryside so there are not many shops around. I recommend that you buy some food in the city on your first day.
There is a small vegetable shop 3.6 km from Nano inn.
It is 5.4 km from Nano inn to Kanagawa（金川） Station, and there is a small supermarket( 津高店・御津店チラシ | 株式会社グランドマート (grandmart.co.jp) near the station.
We have one bicycle available for you to use. You can ride to the local supermarkets and restaurants by bicycle. The bicycle also has a basket. To get to Kanagawa by bicycle takes 20 - 30 minutes.
I live a 30-minute drive from the Nano Inn, when I go to Nano inn, I can bring you to the supermarket by car.
I recommend that you bring ingredients for 3 days before coming to Nano inn.
Access
There are not many buses. This is not a convenient place. Please refer to the bus schedule when deciding on arrival and departure dates.
【address】
Japanese→〒709-2124 岡山県岡山市北区御津高津1425
English→1425 Mitsu-Takatsu, Kita-ku, Okayama-city, Okayama
Take the train from Okayama Station to Kanagawa Station
It takes about 20 minutes to get from Okayama Station to Kanagawa Station by high-speed train, and about 30 minutes by regular train.
It costs 330 yen. Kanagawa Station is a very small station. I recommend that you buy a paper ticket instead of an IC card ticket at Okayama Station
★If Arriving By Bus★
Take a local bus from Kanagawa（金川） Station to Nano inn
Please note that the buses are infrequent. There are buses only on weekdays.
Take the bus at Kanagawa（金川） Station and get off at Otani（大谷）bus stop.
It costs 200 yen.
Bus schedule departing from JR Kanagawa station to Otani bus stop.
【Weekdays】
虎倉線(Kogura line) 16:16 19:00
【Monday, Thursday & Friday】
鼓田線(Tsutsumida line) 12:23 14:42
【Weekends and holidays】Not available
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☆For your return☆
Bus schedule departing from Otani bus stop to JR Kanagawa station
【Weekdays】
虎倉線(Kogura line) 7:58
【Monday, Thursday & Friday】
鼓田線(Tsutsumida line) 7:34 9:26 11:46 16:28
【Weekends and holidays】Not available
Get off at the Otani bus stop and walk
It takes 5 minutes to walk from Otani Bus Stop.
★If Walking★
The walk from Kanagawa to Nano Inn takes approximately one hour. It gets very dark, so we do not recommend walking at night.
★If Arriving By Taxi★
The drive from Kanagawa to Nano Inn takes approximately 10 minutes. There will almost always be a Taxi waiting in front of Kanagawa Station. The fee will costs around 2200 yen. When you get in the taxi, you can ask to be driven to the 'Mitsu Sports Park'. Nano Inn is not as well known, so this will be easier for the driver to underestand. The sports park is only a 3 minute walk to Nano Inn.
Recommendations On Days Off
There is a sports park 3 minutes from Nano inn by walking. There is a training room and a swimming pool for a fee.
It is also possible to rent a gymnasium and play basketball.
Hiroshima is 35 minutes by Shinkansen (bullet train) from Okayama Station.
Shikoku (Takamatsu Station) is 1 hour by local train from Okayama Station.
Himeji Station is 20 minutes by Shinkansen (bullet train) from Okayama Station.
Naoshima is 1 hour by local train and 20 minutes by ferry from Okayama Station.
*Please note you will have 2 days off a week, but the days will vary depending on the schedule.
Do you want to be a part of our community?
If you are happy with everything, reply with the following information:
①Arrival date and time if known（Arrival dates other than Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are preferable）
②Means of arrival
③Departure date
Please reply as soon as possible because we accept volunteers on a first come first served basis.
Our minimum stay : 2 weeks
Our maximum stay : around 1 month