Thank you for your interest in our place!
Hi! I'm Nao.
I enjoy talking with and meeting new people. When my husband and I opened Nano Village in 2013 I couldn't speak English at all, fast forward to now, we have hosted over 250 people from all over the world and my English has improved a lot...I hope!
I love the Japanese culture and I want to share it with other people. If you come here, I hope I can share authentic Japanese culture with you!
See you soon! :)
What is nano village?
Nano village is located in the traditional small Japanese village of Kibi-chuo in the beautiful country side of Japan in the Okayama prefecture. Here at Nano village, our mission is to share traditional Japanese culture with our workawayers while also learning about other cultures. In addition to hosting workawayers, we also have a Japanese guest. If you are happy please enjoy spending with them.
We give priority to people who have a Working Holiday visa.
If you do not have a Working Holiday visa.
A few years ago at another Workaway host like Nano Village, 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 Nano Village is different!
At Nano Village, our guests do not work. You are invited to experience Japanese culture through social interaction with Japanese family members and neighbors, and by joining in with typical day to day activities.
We welcome you to join our family, share your language and culture with us, and to enjoy learning more about the Japanese way of life.
When you talk to anyone about Nano Village, please be clear that you are NOT doing any work here! This is very important, for you and for us, now and even after you have left Nano Village.
Thank you for your help with this,and we hope you enjoy your stay.
What will you be doing?
I want my daughters to know about different cultures and values and it would be great if you could share your skills with them.
- Playing with our young, friendly and sociable daughters. By playing and interacting with our daughters, please try to speak in English with them as much as possible.
- When Japanese guests visit Nano village, this will give you a chance to exchange cultures and conversation.
Seasonal Activities
Spring: Harvest, prepare and eat bamboo shoots, gardening activities
Summer: Visit local festivals, put on events (eg bamboo slider, game event), gardening
Autumn: Visit traditional festivals, picking fruits, drying fruits and making jams
Winter: Make and eat mochi, burn bamboo and house hold chores
Hours expected
Hours expected is only 3 hours a day for 5 days a week with two days off to explore or relax.
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 daily when the children are picked up from school.
Will this experience be good for you?
If you like:
- Playing with kids
- Living the countryside
- Meeting new people
- Experiencing Japanese culture
- Trying new things
Accommodation
You will sleep in a capsule style dorm room.
We will provide:
- Blanket
- Japanese mattress
- Pillow
Kitchen
There is a Japanese size kitchen you are free to use. In the kitchen there is fridge, small freezer, microwave, gas hob/stove and rice cooker.
Bath room
We have a bath room and 2 toilets.
If you can bring your own shampoo and body soap, we are happy:)
Shopping
Our home is in the country side so there is not many shops around. I recommend you will buy some foods in the city on your first day.
There is a small vegetable shop around 40 minutes walk away and a convenience store around 30 minutes walk away. During the weekday I take my children to kindergarten you are welcome to come with and go to the convenience store then in the car.
Sometimes I go to the big supermarket in Okayama City which is a 40 minute drive away, you are welcome to join me.
■Vegetable shop
You can buy seasonal vegetables. Cheap and fresh. There are not many varieties depending on the season.
There are also processed goods, but the price is higher than in the city and the variety is not sufficient.
You can also use credit cards.
■Kibi Plaza
There is a large convenience store where you can buy meat and fish, but there are not many kinds. There is also a \100 shop in the plaza.
You can also use credit cards.
Recommendations On Days Off
Okayama City is 1 hour by bus + 20 minute walk from Nano Village
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 by the days will vary depending on the schedule.
↓Please click about access to our place!
Please checkout our Instagram and Facebook page to see what we are doing!
Do you want to be a part of nano village?
If you are happy with everything, reply with the following information:
①Arrival date and time if known
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