Hairyneville
Angry Postal Worker
- 28 Nov 2002
- 55
- 6
It's been years since I last used J-ref, but I hope someone here will be able to help me out.
I'm heading back to Japan from 28 March 2013 until 24 June 2013. I'm flying to and from Sendai Airport, and I'd like to start and finish my trip with volunteering in Fukushima-ken.
My friends live in Motomiya-shi near Koriyama-shi. They're all always busy with work, which is the only reason I haven't enlisted their help for this. I'd like to volunteer somewhere near Motomiya if at all possible, so I can spend weekends (which may in reality be only Sundays) with them, but anywhere in the prefecture would be great.
I've already joined WWOOF Japan and HelpX. The Fukushima hosts on both sites are either unable to accomodate me in April for a variety of reasons (mostly to do with the snow that may still be around in April) or just aren't a good fit with me (for example, one of the WWOOF hosts runs a restaurant, and I don't have the confidence to order for myself in restaurants, let alone work in one!).
I've also joined the Foreign Volunteers Japan group on Facebook, and they've pointed me in the direction of a few organisations (Japan Cat Network, RJAV, Save Minamisoma Project). Sadly, most of these contacts have also drawn a blank for a variety of reasons.
Does anyone know of any other volunteering opportunities in Fukushima-ken? I'd especially like to know about volunteer exchanges (work for bed and board). I volunteered for a month in August 2011 with All Hands Volunteers in Ofunato-shi, Iwate-ken, so I'm confident of being able to do most kinds of volunteering (except at restaurants, that is...). I worked as a postman for over nine years, which was followed by stints at a library and as a school caretaker, so I'm easily capable of a variety of jobs. I'm also not scared of hard work, though volunteering which involves just talking to people would also be great (it's the one thing I didn't do much of in Ofunato). I can speak, read and write Japanese to a fairly decent level, so volunteering with a non-English speaking group wouldn't be any kind of problem.
I'd be really grateful for any pointers! If I can't find something soon, I may have to contact the prefectural and municipal offices in Fukushima-ken. The Japan Embassy in London completely ignored me a few years ago, so I get the impression that the Japanese authorities hate me!
Many thanks in advance.
James
I'm heading back to Japan from 28 March 2013 until 24 June 2013. I'm flying to and from Sendai Airport, and I'd like to start and finish my trip with volunteering in Fukushima-ken.
My friends live in Motomiya-shi near Koriyama-shi. They're all always busy with work, which is the only reason I haven't enlisted their help for this. I'd like to volunteer somewhere near Motomiya if at all possible, so I can spend weekends (which may in reality be only Sundays) with them, but anywhere in the prefecture would be great.
I've already joined WWOOF Japan and HelpX. The Fukushima hosts on both sites are either unable to accomodate me in April for a variety of reasons (mostly to do with the snow that may still be around in April) or just aren't a good fit with me (for example, one of the WWOOF hosts runs a restaurant, and I don't have the confidence to order for myself in restaurants, let alone work in one!).
I've also joined the Foreign Volunteers Japan group on Facebook, and they've pointed me in the direction of a few organisations (Japan Cat Network, RJAV, Save Minamisoma Project). Sadly, most of these contacts have also drawn a blank for a variety of reasons.
Does anyone know of any other volunteering opportunities in Fukushima-ken? I'd especially like to know about volunteer exchanges (work for bed and board). I volunteered for a month in August 2011 with All Hands Volunteers in Ofunato-shi, Iwate-ken, so I'm confident of being able to do most kinds of volunteering (except at restaurants, that is...). I worked as a postman for over nine years, which was followed by stints at a library and as a school caretaker, so I'm easily capable of a variety of jobs. I'm also not scared of hard work, though volunteering which involves just talking to people would also be great (it's the one thing I didn't do much of in Ofunato). I can speak, read and write Japanese to a fairly decent level, so volunteering with a non-English speaking group wouldn't be any kind of problem.
I'd be really grateful for any pointers! If I can't find something soon, I may have to contact the prefectural and municipal offices in Fukushima-ken. The Japan Embassy in London completely ignored me a few years ago, so I get the impression that the Japanese authorities hate me!
Many thanks in advance.
James
