Volunteer
Want to experience life in rural Japan?
We plant rice with no pesticides and no fertilisers, make tea from century-old tea bushes, and provide a good life to goats and chickens.
What we do
Volunteers will weed, feed, plant, harvest, move things, scrub, build, and repair. It is very physically demanding work.
We are currently renovating a future artist’s residency on top of planting rice and making tea.
What you’ll learn
You will learn about community relations, traditions, and customs of rural Japan, what farming without chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides entails, live in and work on traditional Japanese architecture, and enjoy the company of curious goats and chickens.
What’s provided
Free accommodation (Electricity, water, internet provided)
Free rice
We share the cost of lunchtime groceries, and take turns to make dinner. Breakfast is not communal.
Bicycles, and a small 2-seater truck are available to get you between Ryunohara and the volunteer house (15-minute cycle, steep uphill, or 5 minute drive). We also make occasional trips to waterfalls, swim in the river in front of Ryunohara, and soak in the nearby Ryujin onsen.
Requirements
Volunteers must be able to stay at least 3 weeks, and a maximum of 4 weeks to be considered. All volunteers must show proof that they have purchased travel insurance (in case of accidents).
FAQs
What’s the accommodation like?
There are several houses here we use to house volunteers. The main volunteer house is a 5-minute drive away. Volunteers usually get their own room, but it is possible that you may have to share rooms with other volunteers when we have more people in the busy rice transplanting season in May and June.
How do I get to Ryunohara?
Please take the train to Kii-Tanabe Station. If we are not busy with guests Lee will pick you up from the station (70-minute car ride), but if we are extremely busy when you arrive you might have to take the bus from Kii-Tanabe Station (3 buses a day, ¥1,550 each way). You’ll get details closer to the day you arrive.
How many volunteers are there at a time?
There’s usually 2 volunteers here at any one time, but there are times when there’s an overlap and we might have 3 volunteers around. We don’t take more than 3 volunteers at a time because transportation becomes logistically difficult, and waiting times for the shower and toilet can add up.
Can I come for less than 3 weeks?
No, we have a strict minimum of 21 days because it takes time for new volunteers to get used to the routine here. There are specificities to every routine that require explanation, and training a new volunteer takes time. Wet weather can also make it impossible to work, so 3 weeks is needed.
Do I have to be very fit?
Most of our activities require a lot of stamina but not strength. You can expect to go up steep slopes to tether the goats, or to repair the water pipes for the paddy fields. People with mobility issues or serious chronic pains or injuries will find it difficult to carry out tasks here.
Is there a minimum/maximum age?
You must be at least 18 years old, the age of adulthood in Japan, and no more than 96. Most of our volunteers are in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s. You can volunteer as long as you are reasonably fit.
