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A big part of our world trip is to do volunteer work in every country we visit. This way, we can travel long term as we are provided with free accommodation and food, in return for our help a few hours a day.
About Nakadaki Art Village
Nakadaki Art Village is located in a small town called Isumi, Chiba Prefecture (state), only 2h south of Tokyo by train. Mainly farmers live here and it’s a place where people can escape the busy city life and just relax in nature. It’s surrounded by big rice fields and only a 15 min drive away from the beach.
It is a very popular spot amongst the Japanese, but not too much for foreigners yet, as it is very small and remote. Most foreigners probably don’t even consider coming here.
Nakadaki Art Village’s concept is amazing. You basically enjoy the atmosphere of camping, but in more luxurious and comfortable accommodation, while relaxing, having a good time with friends and family or going for a hike.
In your free time, you can play some tennis as there is a tennis court, badminton, ping pong, pool and much more. You can also take a car and drive to the beach, rice fields or around the village. One thing is for sure, you will never get bored!
You can also book houses for outdoor events or private parties, such as birthdays, weddings, concerts and so on. The total area of the place is over 20,000 square meters which is pretty huge.
Accommodation in Nakadaki Art Village
Nakadaki Art Village has around 20 beautiful accommodations including tents and wood houses which all look different from each other. Each accommodation can easily be reached and is connected by hiking paths and wood areas.
The interior design includes wood stoves, beautiful furniture, outdoor porches to enjoy a BBQ and much more. The coal is provided, so you just need to bring your own food.
The houses differ by size, so it doesn’t matter if you come in big or small groups as there is more than enough space available! In some houses, up to 20 people can sleep. Some houses even have large projectors outside or inside to enjoy a movie with everyone.
Daily Tasks as a Volunteer in Japan
Our main task as a volunteer was housekeeping. This means we had to make sure the houses and tents were cleaned before the next guests arrived, including making beds, preparing the BBQ grill, vacuum, clean windows, and the outside area.
We also got to drive around in golf carts in order to faster get from one house to another and not carry all the equipment.
On days that were not so busy, we also got to do some DIY projects like creating a new wooden surface for the kitchen inside of the house where we stayed. So, we didn’t make beds all the time, but there was a variety of tasks available. They also appreciated your own initiative or ideas you brought to the table.
During our volunteer work in Japan, I learned how to fold Japanese futon mattresses the right way, as well as blankets! I learned new things about Japanese culture as we worked together with locals who I could ask anything. I also learned how to make Japanese dishes like Okonomiyaki, enjoyed lots of game nights and met new people from around the world and made great friendships in a short time!
If you are interested in staying there as a guest, you can check out their accommodation on the website and also make a reservation through there.
If you are interested in volunteer work abroad, sign up with Worldpackers and save 40% on the yearly membership with my promo code “sixmilesaway”.
You can also read more about volunteer work in Laos and volunteer work in South Korea.
I hope you enjoyed the little background information about volunteer work in Japan and maybe even use the same opportunity one day.
