Minpaku – Experience a Regional Home Stay

Our Area
The city of Minamishimabara is located on the edge of Nagasaki prefecture. Surrounded by the sea and mountains, Minamishimabara is blessed with a rich natural environment, fundamental for the prosperity of its three key industries: agriculture, forestry and fisheries. With the intent to promote tourism and make the most of these resources, they offer work-and-stay experiences, hosted by local farmers and fishermen.

Home Stay
During your stay, your host family will warmly welcome you into their home, and treat you as a guest. In exchange, you are expected to work in the fields and, according to the season, help in planting or harvesting rice or vegetables. If the host is a fishing family, you will help in fishing activities. Both you and your host family can enjoy cooking meals together using freshly gathered local products too. The time spent together is sure to have you feeling like a member of the family in no time, and you might even find yourself shedding a few tears when it comes time to say goodbye.
How about trying out a homestay with the locals and experiencing the charming atmosphere of Minamishimabara all at once?

Key Points of a Home Stay in Minamishimabara
1. This home stay is offered in an area known for its agriculture, forestry, and fishery quality, and is a place where guests can partake of the daily life of the locals in these industries as well as of fresh local products.

2. All of the host families have obtained permission and been inspected by public health officials and are able to offer simple accommodations, and have liability insurance. Furthermore, all hosts have attended special training courses on sanitation and hygiene, so guests can rest assured that they are staying in a safe environment.

3. This homestay plan combines both a working experience and a one night stay, so guests can overcome any language barriers and experience the joy of staying with a Japanese host family in the countryside.

Home Stay Sample Schedule
** Your schedule will be adjusted based on your time of arrival and stay type.

Day 1

14:00 Meeting at as designated location, then traveling to the host family’s home
14:30 Arrive at the host family’s home, self introductions, learning the family’s rules, etc
15:00 Helping the host family; experience various activities based on the season (farming/fishing/cooking with harvested products, etc)
17:30 Preparing and eating dinner, cleaning up
19:00 Enjoying a bath; a public bath or hot spring may be available in the neighborhood
20:00 Chatting with your host family
22:00 Bed time

Day 2
6:30 Wake up, prepare and have breakfast, clean up
8:30 Leave your host family

Sample Work Experiences
Farm – planting vegetable seeds, rice cultivation or harvesting
Fishery – feeding Japanese amberjack, fishing, fish preparing
Forestry – thinning or pruning trees, lawn-mowing, wood-chopping, making your own chopsticks
Others – cooking local cuisines, feeding cattle

Important Points to Note
1. Amenities
Minpaku (regional home stays) are a tourist program wherein visitors can experience the daily reality of life in a farmhouse or fishing home, as well as cultural exchanges. As you are staying at someone’s home, the amenities available will differ from a hotel, so please bring your own towels, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. In addition, as you will be working, you should bring clothing with you that you don’t mind working in or getting dirty.

2. Access
Minamishimabara is located in an area that is not easily accessed via public transportation routes. Trains and buses that do travel to these areas may not come as often as those in larger cities do. It is vital to make your own travel arrangements, via public transportation or rental cars, based on your own schedule and needs.

3. Meals
At Minpaku home stays, traditional Japanese meals are offered to guests. As such, there may be some ingredients in each meal that international guests are not accustomed to, or may be prepared in ways that you may not have seen before. If you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions, please inform us right away when making your reservation. The meals served at each home stay are served in a casual, family-oriented atmosphere.

4. How to Make a Reservation
Reservations in English are available via email.
Please confirm the contents of each stay on our website before making your reservations in order to avoid confusion.

For Information and Reservations
Minamishimabara Himawari Tourism Association
Address: Nagasaki, Minamishimabara, Minamiarimachootsu 1395, Arima Christian Heritage Museum 2F
Phone: +81-957-65-6333
E-mail: kankou@himawarinet.ne.jp
Website: https://himawari-kankou.jp/homestay/