Bee farm and learn how to harvest honey in Awa city, Tokushima, Japan

  • Favourited 1255 times
  • Last activity: 26 Mar 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: No minimum

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    *it is already full of volunteers in 2024, so I don't accept anymore people in that term. Please, don't message me to ask accepting in that term. And, please, don't ask me to accept you in 2025. It's still early to talk about 2025.

    But, if you're really really interested in beekeeping, you can try to message me. I will try to get the idea to have the something deal with you. I want you to understand that it makes my brain tired. If you understand that properly, you can message me. I will try to reply your passion.

    And, you should check the transportation cost to come Tokushima prefecture (for example, Tokushima station.) before you message me.


    .....Okay, finally, I can start greeting.
    Hello! My name is Aki and I’m a beekeeper in Awa city, Tokushima.
    I take care of my european honey bees that are placed around the Yoshinogawa river, which give the bees access to harvest pollen from many different flowers and trees.
    I tend to my bees nearly every day, hand-craft the hives and prepare jars for harvesting the honey. Come spring and fall, I harvest the honey.

    I have many hives and they continue to increase. Therefore, I cannot take care of them alone, and need help looking after them.

    Beekeeping is fun and interesting as you think.
    But it involves tough work like heavy lifting.
    If you recognize this place is just recreation spot or kids education spot, you feel this place is tiring (and I regret to invite you definitely ).
    My beekeeping style is organized by heavy lifting work basically.
    I have invited several weird volunteers who doesn't have social common sense unfortunately. I don't afford to let weird volunteers stay my place anymore. I really need helpful volunteers who have the thoughtfulness, consideration, preparedness, motivation to help me, and motivation to practice learning what beekeeping is like .

    In my place, host(me ) and volunteers are close.
    I invite two volunteers generally.
    It means three people in my place including me.
    Maximum is three volunteers.
    However, there may be the situation that volunteer is only you.
    You can ask me easy how many volunteers are going to stay my place while you stay here.(I understand it’s important information for some people.)
    We share the same house and kitchen, any amenities together.
    And, we have the lunch together.
    If you don’t like this kind of circumstance, I don’t recommend you to stay here.

    This place require the teamwork of two or three people. It means that to make the harmony to other members are first priority, but not showing your weird ego, unique philosophy, unique opinion, egocentric lifestyle. I saw volunteers make the bad atmosphere each other several times.
    Be nice to each other, and be thoughtful to each other, but Don't make the bad atmosphere in my place. It makes my delicious lunch meal turn to be bad taste!

    Gender and sexual orientation are irrelevant so long as you’re interested in my work.

    When you mail me, please try to make proper sentence so that I can understand what kind of person you're like. If I feel your consideration or thoughtfulness or truth intellectual curiousness about the bees from your text, I will effort to reply you back in one day with the respect to you. And i will show you the video what my place is like.
    I appreciate to everybody who use their own precious time to me!
    (I didn't ask you to mail me long long long text)

    If you mail me ridiculous easy sentence like...
    "Hey, bro. How are you?
    Beekeeping is sounds fun.
    Hope to see you.
    Best."
    I will just block you without replying silently.

    Be careful when you make the text anyway.
    I must avoid to invite the weird volunteers.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Language practice
    Gardening
    Animal Care
    Farmstay help
    Help around the house
  • UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN goals
    No poverty
    Zero hunger
    Good health and well-being
    Quality education
    Gender equality
    Clean water and sanitation
    Affordable and clean energy
    Decent work and economic growth
    Industries, innovation and infrastructure
    Reduce inequality
    Sustainable cities and communities
    Responsible consumption and production
    Climate action
    Life below water
    Life on land
    Peace, justice and strong institutions
    Partnerships for the goals
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    You can learn how to take care of honey bees and gain insight to a Japanese lifestyle.

    For a short time you will learn how to manage and live a beekeeper’s life, and you will see what tasks there are to be done in a beekeeper’s home.

    I will provide 3 meals a day for you and prepare your bed. In the mornings and evenings, please prepare your own breakfast and supper with the ingredients provided. You are welcome to cook the other meals if you’re interested, but it’s not necessary. I will try to accommodate your dietary needs but please keep in mind that I am working with a limited budget.


    I'll effort to let you enjoy staying here, please help me back as good as you can. This is ideal relationship between host and volunteer guests, I think.
    Please, relax. I’m not strict guy.
    Many volunteers say "it's no stress here"

  • Help

    Help

    Some people misunderstand that beekeeping is easy peasy like that bees manage their life themselves so that beekeeper don't usually do anything. If you think so, it's completely different. Beekeeping requires lot of effort and experience, knowledge, determine. That's very deep to learn and practice, even I feel it worth to use my entire own life.
    If you're interested in trying to do beekeeping yourself someday, I have a confident that my place is so good to stay here.
    Are you ready to learn and practice a lot !?;-)

    I will teach you how to open my hives and confirm whether there is queen bee or not, and if any of the bees are sick. We will travel between my bee hives around Tokushima to check on the hives. In May and June, September, October, we will harvest honey together and put it into jars.

    I will also show you how to craft the hives and comb frames, and prepare the areas in and around the hives.

    I'll provide you the beekeeping equipment, like rubber boots, jumpsuit, the net for protection your face, hat, glove and anything.
    So you don't need to prepare anything for Beekeeping, but you are gonna be stung by bees at least twice or three times.
    You know that's beekeeping ;-)
    (If you have thin long sleeve pants and thin long sleeve Tshirts, it's better to protect your skin from bees penetrate stings)

    I recommend you to take the insurance for taking the medical care just in case. Because it's outdoor work.
    I've invited more than 100 volunteers, and I took volunteer to hospital is only one time. Bee sting is painful for five minutes, and you're gonna understand it's not big deal.
    Your parts of body is gonna be swollen up, and it would recover in a week. Don't be afraid that.
    Some volunteers say "I like this my swollen up hand", and I have same feeling as them. Yes, you're gonna like it ;-)

    I ain't an organic farmer, but just specialist of bee. I would ask you to use herbicide or something chemical stuff. Please, follow and understand that. I'm not using these things for fun, it's necessary to manage my place.

    I don't want to write the documents for you to getting some kind of tourist visa, so please don't ask me that.

  • Languages

    Languages spoken
    English: Fluent
    Japanese: Fluent

    This host offers a language exchange
    This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
    You can contact them directly for more information.

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    I have two traditional tatami rooms and japanese style beds (futon).
    We have one shared bathroom with a hot shower and a waterless toilet.

    The house gets very hot in summer and only one room has air conditioning. There are fans but please be prepared for the heat.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    There are good places for hiking and running nearby in the hills and within 2 hours you can get to Mt.Tsurugi and the Iya valley. I have some bicycles for your disposal.

    River Anabuki is close by and great for swimming, it’s 30 min away by car.

    My house is in between temples 9 and 10 of the 88 temple pilgrimage.

    My house is near to Kamojima station so you can go on a trip somewhere by train.

    Tokushima prefecture is in Shikoku island. If you want to come to my house, go to Tokushima station first (from Osaka it’s 3 hours by bus), then go to Kamojima station by train.

    I can easily pick you up and drop you off from Kamojima station.

    .... honestly, Shikoku island including Tokushima doesn't have many famous tourists spot.

    ...But, it's not just famous tourists spot.

    I know many HIDDEN STUNNING NATURE SPOT where tourists don't know.
    This is what you want to see in Japan travel, isn't it ?
    If you are nice to me, and you're interested in visiting nice spots, let's go together!

    I said that "my place is not recreation spot".
    But,
    if you're nice volunteer, I will try to provide you more valuable experience and memories than just recreation. I already feel the dept and appreciation to you, because you're gonna try to text me and help me.

    Thanks to read my long long long profile.
    日本人も遠慮なくメッセージしてね!

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    One

  • ...

    Hours expected

    5 hours per day, max 5 days a week

Host ref number: 953743428324

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Help me to communicate with local people in Shiga, Japan.
Work together at my small inn in a village with a landscape of the heart of Japan in the remote mountains of Hida