Organized together with Kikuya Community Group (KCG), formed by the local young people to think of the future of their small village. Ikata is famous for its main industry of oranges farming, but has been facing depopulation, lack of workers and ageing society since most of young people leave the town. So, the number of abandoned orange farms is increasing and the town is losing its tradition, life, custom and scenery. KCG strongly hopes to host vols. to work together to animate the town and revive the farms.
Work:
We will help orange farming (This is the main work!! Harvesting, taking care of trees, etc, depend on season! Especially, Jan., Feb., Mar. are hard!!), support local youth club (If you have chance), and create new activities to animate the town.
Accommodation:
Share room at the volunteers’ house. Volunteers cook for themselves. Pocket money is 20,000 yen per month.
Location:
In the edge of Sata Peninsula, surrounded by the sea, so fishing is also famous. There are only 30 houses in this community. The climate is relatively warm though it can be cold in winter.
Terminal:
Matsuyama (2.5 hours by bus). From Tokyo, 12-13 hours by highway bus.
Leisure Activities:
Participation in the local events, exchange with the local groups, etc.
Special Remarks:
Speaking good Japanese, strong motivation to work with the host, respect to the local custom and life, open mind and flexibility. Be ready that work is for quite a long and hard (Especially, Dec. to April.)
Organized together with Kyodo Gakusha Shintoku Farm, a cooperative community where people with various backgrounds such as mentally disadvantaged, people who are tired of city life, who wants to learn farming, etc. They have five communities in Tokyo, Nagano and Hokkaido and grow animals and vegetables in ecological, organic way with utilizing Bacterium. Their cheese got the 1st prize in the national contest!
Work:
We will develop the rangeland and do various types of agricultural works (planting, weeding, cultivating, harvesting, to make organic vegetables taking care of animals, etc.) as well as house work.
Accommodation:
Shared room (male and female are separated), cooked as a group by turns (vegetarian is possible!)
Location:
Agricultural country side, 120 km east of Sapporo. Minus 20 degree in winter and 20 in summer.
Terminal:
From Sapporo, 4 hours by express train. From Tokyo, 13 hours by bullet train or 32 hours by ship.
Special Remarks:
Motivation to learn and speak Japanese language, strong motivation for the host. Skills of agriculture or construction can be useful!
Organized together with Tohoku Ashitanomori(TA) since 2011 (but first time for the long term voluntary program with NICE). TA is a NPO running organic farming and ecological life which isn't depend on fossil fuels. Rokkasho village is known by nuclear fuel processing facility, but TA set up the mission to set up the eco village only. We aim to organic farming and ecological lifestyle through as LMTV, also conservation these mountains to save water, and activate the area.
Work:
We will do organic farming and many agricultural activities in the eco village. We set up sustainable lifestyle using forest (ex. thinning the forests, pealing woods, utilize thinning etc.). We join local events too.
Study Scheme:
Similar type of eco-village communities in each country. Bring some info..!
Accommodation:
movable house. Sleeping bags needed! Cooked by volunteers
Location:
On the pacific side, Aomori prefecture. The Rokkasho villadge is 253.01 km2. There are so many tee trees to tree thinning.
Terminal:
Tokyo (7 hours by bullet train or 10 hours by bus, You need to arrive at Narita airport by 19:00 on 31 Jul. and can leave there after 09:00 on 11 Aug.)
Special Remarks:
Speaking good Japanese! Motivation to learn and speak Japanese language, strong motivation for the host. Interest in agricultural & exchange with a community. Adaptability to enjoy a simple lifestyle!
Organized together with Maki Farm of Kyodo Gakusha (KG). KG is a NPO running 5 organic farming communities in Japan where people with various backgrounds such as mentally disadvantaged, those who want to learn farming, etc. in order to change our society from competitive to cooperative. Maki Farm has 5-10 members and is located in a very isolated area (no accessible for cars and we have to walk 4 km in the mountains!), so once it became an abandon village in 1970s.
Work:
We will help their organic farming (weeding in rice and vegetable fields, planting vegetables, taking care of goats and chicken, etc.) and also carry the things from the town, renovate the trails, help their house work, etc. Be ready to work for quite a long time (05:30-18:00 with some brakes) and hard.
Accommodation:
Building for volunteers in the farm, cooking as a group by turn (Vegetarian is possible!)
Location:
Very isolated, but beautiful village near “Japanese Northern Alps”. About 900 meters asl. There are something remained here that most of Japanese areas have lost in modernization.
Terminal:
From Tokyo, 4 hours by express train or 6-8 hours by bus and train
Special Remarks:
Speaking good Japanese (common language will be Japanese) and strong motivation to work and enjoy simple life in the isolated area and respect to the local culture and way of the local organization! Skills of agriculture or construction can be useful!
Organized together with is ‘Agroecologia Kimura farm’. It is a local organization created in 2000 aiming to reduce the amount of waste created while cultivating, watering and maintaining the environment. Most of the resources of the site come from its fields, which are fertilized using manure. The spread of an organic farming standard in agriculture is the goal of the organization.
Work:
We will do natural farming in various ways such as making fertilize to use it on soil, planting vegetables, harvesting crops, etc… We will also help bringing land into cultivation, maintaining the forest (cutting bamboo trees, etc.). We will join the local events too.
Study Scheme:
About natural faring. Bring some info.!
Accommodation:
Japanese traditional house. Volunteers cook for themselves.
Location:
About 80 km from the center of Osaka. Most of the peninsula was designated as a quasi-national park.
Terminal:
From Osaka/Kyoto: 2 hours and a half by bus. From Tokyo: 2 hours by bullet train then 2 hours by bus.
Leisure Activities:
A famous landscape known as the "Three Views of Japan" (It is Amano-Hashidate) is located near the project site.
Special Remarks:
Speaking some Japanese, strong motivation to work with the host, respect of the local customs and life, open mind and flexibility. Those who can speak Portuguese language are welcome!
Organized together with Kikuya Community Group (KCG), formed by the local young people to think of the future of their small village. Ikata is famous for its main industry of oranges farming, but has been facing depopulation, lack of workers and ageing society since most of young people leave the town. So, the number of abandoned orange farms is increasing and the town is losing its tradition, life, custom and scenery. KCG strongly hopes to host vols. to work together to animate the town and revive the farms.
Work:
We will help orange farming (This is the main work!! Harvesting, taking care of trees, etc, depend on season! Especially, Jan., Feb., Mar. are hard!!), support local youth club (If you have chance), and create new activities to animate the town.
Accommodation:
Share room at the volunteers’ house. Volunteers cook for themselves. Pocket money is 20,000 yen per month.
Location:
In the edge of Sata Peninsula, surrounded by the sea, so fishing is also famous. There are only 30 houses in this community. The climate is relatively warm though it can be cold in winter.
Terminal:
Matsuyama (2.5 hours by bus). From Tokyo, 12-13 hours by highway bus.
Leisure Activities:
Participation in the local events, exchange with the local groups, etc.
Special Remarks:
Speaking good Japanese, strong motivation to work with the host, respect to the local custom and life, open mind and flexibility. Be ready that work is for quite a long and hard (Especially, Dec. to April.)
Organized together with ‘Agroecologia Kimura farm’. It is a local organization created in 2000 aiming to reduce the amount of waste created while cultivating, watering and maintaining the environment. Most of the resources of the site come from its fields, which are fertilized using manure. The spread of an organic farming standard in agriculture is the goal of the organization.
Work:
We will do natural farming in various ways such as making fertilize to use it on soil, planting vegetables, harvesting crops, etc… We will also help bringing land into cultivation, maintaining the forest (cutting bamboo trees, etc.). We will join the local events too.
Study Theme:
Natural farming. Please bring some information from your country.
Accommodation:
Japanese traditional house. Volunteers cook for themselves.
Location:
About 80 km from the center of Osaka. Most of the peninsula was designated as a quasi-national park.
Terminal:
From Osaka/Kyoto: 2 hours and a half by bus. From Tokyo: 2 hours by bullet train then 2 hours by bus.
Leisure time:
A famous landscape known as the "Three Views of Japan" (it is Amano-Hashidate) is located near the project site.
Skills Required:
Speaking some Japanese, strong motivation to work with the host, respect of the local customs and life, open mind and flexibility. Those who can speak Portuguese language are welcome.
* IMPORTANT! If you want to finish the project in other period (either shorter or longer), please choose among the following dates and clearly write on your application form - 3 August.
Organized together with Kyodo Gakusha Shintoku Farm, a cooperative community where people with various backgrounds such as mentally disadvantaged, people who are tired of city life, who wants to learn farming, etc. They have five communities in Tokyo, Nagano and Hokkaido and grow animals and vegetables in ecological, organic way with utilizing Bacterium. Their cheese got the 1st prize in the national contest!
Work:
We will develop the rangeland and do various types of agricultural works (planting, weeding, cultivating, harvesting, to make organic vegetables taking care of animals, etc.) as well as house work.
Accommodation:
Shared room (male and female are separated), cooked as a group by turns (vegetarian is possible!)
Location:
Agricultural country side, 120 km east of Sapporo. Minus 20 degree in winter and 20 in summer.
Terminal:
From Sapporo, 4 hours by express train. From Tokyo, 13 hours by bullet train or 32 hours by ship.
Special Remarks:
Motivation to learn and speak Japanese language, strong motivation for the host. Skills of agriculture or construction can be useful!
« If anyone is interested in doing some real volunteering and not paying stupid amounts of money to do it just visit VAP's website or drop them an e-mail. »
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