WORKCAMP PROGRAM IN JAPAN 2013

In Japan, children are having fewer chances to talk with elder people in the neighborhood
and also they tend to stay home playing video games. TENKIMURA was established in 1987
to reconsider and improve the situation that children are put, and to help their healthier
growth. This organization has many programs and organizes events related to nature
activities for children, aiming to create a better local community and offer supports to
parents in their child-rearing. The slogan is “The earth is a playground!” Lots of local
people are involved in the events as supporters and TENKIMURA provides children with
chances to explore the nature, and hopefully, the event will stay in their minds as a precious
memory for the rest of their life.
Work:
This program consists of two sections. 1: Camping with children, 2: Repair work on old,
traditional Japanese-style houses.
As for 1: The summer camp is a program for elementary school children (6 to 12 years old).
Volunteers will be expected to act as their leaders. You will cook, play in the river and do
other activities with children while making sure they are all safe.
As for 2: Volunteers will stay at Japanese-style old thatched house and participate in repair
work on those houses. You can experience Japanese old life-style and see how nature was
close to the life of people in the past. Volunteers will have opportunities to visit the facility
for the elderly.
Accommodation:
Volunteers will be staying at the camping site for the first half of the program and will be
accommodated in the office, an old house, for the second.
Facilities:
Bedding will be limited, and may need a sleeping bag in some part of the stay. There are a
washer, a kitchen, a lavatory and a bathroom. A small shop, public phone, Internet café are
available nearby.
Meals:
Volunteers are expected to cook by themselves, sometimes with children. Foodstuffs (of
approx. 500 JPY per meal) will be provided.
During the camp, cooking is done in the camping site, and after the camp, a kitchen in the
office is available.
What to bring:
Volunteers need to bring a sleeping bag, swimwear, work clothes and something to
introduce
your country with, such as a game. Need Clothing suitable for activities, such as T-shirts,
pants,
and sneakers. Long-sleeved shirts and a hat/cap are a must. In addition to clothing, please
bring
toiletries, towels and other things you need for your daily life.
Location:
Shiga prefecture is in the central part of Japan and is famous for Lake Biwa, the biggest lake
in the country, which occupies one sixth of the total area of the prefecture. Kusatsu City lies
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