Japanese Plus WWOOF Farmstay

After studying Japanese with GenkiJACS, why not stay on in Japan and volunteer at a farm, restaurant, art gallery, or other exciting opportunity? Genki Japanese School has partnered with Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF) Japan, to offer an expedited application process for our students.

What is WWOOF?

WWOOF is a network of hosts of a variety of types, all around Japan, that provide food and lodging to foreigners, while foreigners do volunteer work in the host's business. There is no exchange of money between WWOOFers and hosts - you only pay the yearly membership fee, 5,500 yen, to WWOOF Japan itself.Joining WWOOF allows you to stay in Japan cheaply, but also to have experiences that would otherwise be impossible to get, and to learn about the culture and lifestyle far more deeply than a tourist would.

How does WWOOF work?

1. When you sign up with GenkiJACS, you request WWOOF membership too.
2. We add the cost of your WWOOF membership to your GenkiJACS invoice.
3. When we receive your payment, we sign you up for WWOOF, and make the preliminary application.
4. You complete your application over the Internet.
5. You get access to the full database of WWOOF hosts across Japan - more than 300 hosts total!
6. When you find a host you are interested in, you send them a message indicating when you would like to stay with them (usually, starting just after your GenkiJACS study will finish). If they confirm, then you're all set! If they can't take you in then, you contact another host.
7. When the arranged time comes, you make your way to the host.

You can stay with a host for as long as you would like, up to a maximum of one year, or move to other hosts within the WWOOF network, to see a variety of areas of Japan. WWOOF is suitable for people staying for just a couple of weeks, or those who want to stay for up to a full year!

For more information about WWOOF Japan, see their website.