This article introduces the experience of Ms Matsumoto, a university student who did a two-week homestay in Samegawa Village, Fukushima Prefecture, in October 2022!
Profile of Ms Matsumoto
Birthplace: Chiba Prefecture Occupation.
University student
Period of stay: 2 weeks
Place of stay: Samegawa Village, Fukushima Prefecture
Introduction HP of stay place: https://familyinn.jp/en/hosts/white-house/
Name of host family: Mr. SHINJI
このページを見ているあなたにおすすめの「田舎ホームステイ」
普段の暮らしでは経験できない、新しい体験で価値観を広げませんか？田舎ホームステイ・まるごと田舎体験ができるファミリンがおすすめです。
ホストと過ごすもよし、スマホを置いて一人ゆったりするもよし、子供や家族と自然体験をするもよし。
少しでも気になった方は説明会に参加してみてください！
Why did you use Familinn twice?
Last time I did a homestay in Sanuki City, Kagawa Prefecture!
It was a very memorable stay last time and I was grateful and trusting!
You got homesick before, did you feel uneasy this time?
I was anxious, but more than that, I wanted to go, so I flew out!
If you are afraid, nothing will change.
By the way, I didn’t get homesick this time.
Tell us about your homestay experience
Agriculture…Harvesting rice, drying rice in the traditional way Rice trees, harvesting vegetables (soya beans, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, aubergines, peppers), looking after animals (dogs, goats, chickens).
Exchange…helping at the nature school, visiting after-school children’s clubs, interacting with local people and visitors, participating in events organised by the hosts.
Please tell us about a particularly memorable episode.
DOSEIJIN is a new word created by the hosts meaning “people who live in the soil”. It means to return to nature-based people by experiencing soil tinkering and farm work. So I tried not only harvesting vegetables, but also pulling weeds and making compost. I still look back over and over again at the photos of my tractor piled up with the weeds I pulled out (laughs). I was fortunate enough to get certified as a DOSEIJIN!
What new insights or discoveries did you gain through the homestay?
I felt that human beings also live within the cycles of nature. After working on the farm with my family, we would eat the harvested crops while talking about how delicious it was, saying, “We got 00 crops this year too. And fish bones and waste parts of vegetables are also used as livestock feed and compost to grow new crops.
…… As someone who usually buys food from the supermarket, cooks it, eats it and that’s it, I was deeply moved.
Who would you recommend to stay in a homestay in Salmon River Village?
(i) People who want to experience life in nature (understand the cycle of fertilising the soil, harvesting and eating).
(ii) People who want to reset their lives and feelings (to adjust the rhythm of their lives by working to the natural time set by the sun).
(iii) People who like children (because the host family is also committed to education and welfare).
To be honest, anyone who wants to experience country life can easily fit in!
Message to those considering FAMILYINN
I think it takes courage to go, and there is always anxiety. But you will meet, realise and experience more than that, so I hope you will take the first step!
The registered hosts are used to long-term stays and visitors, so you will get used to them more easily than you expect.
Message from me
I felt that families can be made.
It’s not just a trip or just an extended stay, but an experience because of FAMILYINN. Even if you are in a strange place and don’t know anyone, living and spending time together creates a mutual understanding that is different from relationships in the city.
I think it is a valuable encounter not only for you, but also for your hosts.
Through FAMILYINN I have not only changed my old values but also improved my mental and physical condition! I will be back again.
About Familyinn
We believe that you only meet people on a journey once in a lifetime.
There are times when you can touch a place, a person, but can’t connect deeply with them.
If it’s just a place with information on the internet, it’s not enough.
If we could spend a little more time together.
I feel we could help you to become more, deeply aware and discover a new you.
FAMILYINN is a community whereby you live in the community.
We hope that by living in the community, you will become more integrated, more connected and more aware.
And we offer you moments of encounter with yourself.
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Contact
[Company name]: Familyinn Ltd.
[Email address]: info@familyinn.jp
