In partnership with

This project is actively working for SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDGs 10 (Reduced Inequalities), organized together with Kyodo Gakusha (since 2000 here), a cooperative community where people with various backgrounds such as mentally disadvantaged, people who are tired of city life, who want to learn farming, who want to live in the nature, etc. They have 5 communities in Japan incl. Maki and grow animals and vegetables in an ecological, organic way. Maki is located in a very isolated area (not accessible for cars and we have to walk 4 km in the mountains!), so it once became an abandon village in 1970s and then, was revived by Kyodo Gakusha. Over 10 people were living till several years ago, but less and less in these years (almost nobody in the winter), so vols. are needed even more!
*Outcome of this project: In 2025, we had 20 STVs for 4 short term workcamps and 3 LMTVs from 9 countries who greatly contributed to their protecting the houses, farming and caring animals that was difficult to finish by the time they needed without volunteers! See the long-term goal of this project as Local SDGs made by the previous project leader at https://www.slideshare.net/nice-workcamp/2019-ep3-188767935 (only in Japanese, sorry, but you can still enjoy the pictures!)

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Description of the Work

Volunteers mainly work for organic agriculture (cultivation, seeding, weeding, harvesting, taking care of goats, cows and chicken, making their feeds) and also carrying the things from the town to Maki, renovating the houses and trails on the way, constructing a hut, reconstructing the neighboring traditional house owned by the ex. inhabitant and destroyed by snow, help the house works especially cooking, etc. It's important and necessary to actively join the daily meeting and actively share the collective life. Be ready to work for quite a long time (06:00-18:00 with some brakes) and hard. It'd be surely good exercise to make your body more healthy!

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Accommodation & Food

Volunteers will live in the main house that is a very beautiful cultural heritage and equips the basic facilities such as water, electricity, kitchen, toilets and a bath room! Single room can be provided. They will have meals, meetings and social life with Kyodo Gakusha members. Meals will be cooked by volunteers together with the members by turns. Sleeping bag is not necessary. There is no wifi.

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Location & Leisure

Maki is located in the beautiful place near “Japanese Northern Alps”, at about 900 meters asl. and there is something remained here that most of Japanese areas have lost in modernization. Other activities - Exchange program, Excursion on a free day (possibly to Hakuba, a famous tourism spot), etc.

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Requirements

Motivation letter is needed! Volunteers need to have some Japanese speaking skill (manage to have basic daily conversation) and high motivation and patience to keep hard, long and important work in the very isolated, natural place, to respect the way of the local host and to learn and speak Japanese language is needed. No special skills nor experiences are needed.

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Appointment

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Host Organization