# Japan Local Program

> A gap year stay in rural Japan. Spend one or two months in a small town between the mountains and the sea in Tohoku, Japan's north (Rikuzentakata, Iwate). Live with local people, eat together and take part in the life of the town, with a bilingual coordinator beside you. No Japanese needed. At most six people a term. Run by NINGEI Inc., based in Rikuzentakata.

## Key facts

- Where: Rikuzentakata, a small town on the Pacific coast of Iwate Prefecture in Tohoku (north-east Japan), between the mountains and the sea. Since the 2011 tsunami, young people from Japan's cities have moved here and started new projects alongside people who stayed.
- Length: 1 month or 2 months.
- Terms: Spring 2027 dates are fixed: Group A 12 Apr to 11 May 2027, Group B 17 May to 15 Jun 2027, two months 12 Apr to 15 Jun 2027. Apply by 11 Feb (Group A) or 18 Mar (Group B). Autumn 2027 (late September to late November) and Spring 2028 (mid-April to mid-June): applying now registers interest; exact dates will be set later.
- Group size: at most six people per term.
- Age: 18 or older at the start.
- Language: no Japanese needed. The coordinator is bilingual.
- Coordinator: Shota Okada, founder of NINGEI, coordinates the program. He first came to the town as a student volunteer after the 2011 tsunami and helped start the non-profit SET.
- What you do: take part in daily life and local projects to learn. For example going out with local fishers, SUP on the bay, a day in the forest with foresters, working the fields with farmers and cooking with local produce, festivals and neighbourhood events, and projects with young people who moved to the town. There is no fixed timetable. A weekly reflection with the coordinator connects the experience to your own path.
- Not work: activities are unpaid learning and cultural exchange. There is no wage, no job placement, and participants do not replace anyone's job.
- Certificate: every participant receives a certificate of participation; a reference letter is available on request.
- Participants so far have come from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Kenya, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA.

## Fees

- 1 month: ¥400,000 (about €2,300 / US$2,700). 2 months: ¥680,000 (about €3,950 / US$4,600). Both include 10% Japanese consumption tax. Invoiced in Japanese yen; euro and dollar amounts are a guide only.
- Payment: in Japanese yen, 40% within 14 days of the invoice to confirm the place, the remaining 60% no later than 30 days before the start. Pay with Wise or a similar service; international bank transfers (SWIFT) cannot be received.
- Friend discount: two people applying together for the same term each pay 10% less (¥360,000 for 1 month, ¥612,000 for 2 months).
- Included: a coordinator who supports your plans each week, introductions to local people and projects, pre-departure online orientation, weekly reflection and one-to-one mentoring, groceries for shared cooking, welcome and farewell gatherings, certificate of participation, daily-life support and a 24-hour emergency contact.
- Not included (paid directly, not to NINGEI): your room (a shared room in a local house is usually about ¥30,000 / €175 a month, rented directly from the host), flights and travel to Rikuzentakata, local transport, insurance, visa costs and personal spending.
- A month comes to about ¥460,000 to ¥480,000 (≈ €2,700 to €2,800) in total, plus flights.
- NINGEI does not sell travel or accommodation. Participants book their own travel; NINGEI can introduce a licensed agency.

## Applying

- An application is not a booking. After applying, NINGEI emails the written terms and an invoice. The place is confirmed when the full fee is paid within 14 days of the invoice.
- Cancellation: full refund within 14 days of confirmation (unless confirmed less than 31 days before the start). After that, ¥50,000 is a non-refundable confirmation fee and the rest is refunded on a sliding scale (100% from 31 days before the start, 70% at 15 to 30 days, 50% at 8 to 14 days, none at 7 days or less). Full details are in the Participation Terms.
- Visa and insurance are the participant's responsibility. Check with the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country which status allows your stay and the activities.

## Links

- [Program page and application form](https://local-japan.ningei.co.jp/): full details, fees, FAQ and the application form
- [Participation Terms](https://local-japan.ningei.co.jp/terms/): fees, payment, cancellation and refunds
- [日本語のご案内](https://local-japan.ningei.co.jp/ja/): Japanese summary for press and partners
- [Instagram @rural.japan.gapyear](https://www.instagram.com/rural.japan.gapyear/): daily life in rural Tohoku

## Optional

- [NINGEI Inc.](https://ningei.co.jp/): the company that runs the program
- [NINGEI llms.txt](https://ningei.co.jp/llms.txt): company summary

## Contact

- Email: jlp@ningei.co.jp