Looking for a non-touristy thing to do in Japan? Signing up for a Nagomi Visit is a great way to experience the real Japan. Learn about Japanese food and culture by visiting homes from Hokkaido to Okinawa.
Nagomi Visit is a non-profit organization and not an online marketplace. Our goal is for you to meet that friend or family you haven't met.
750+ volunteer hosts are located all over Japan from cities to rural areas. See map below for specific locations.
Eat or cook at your host's home for about 2 or 3 hours. However, the hope is that there will be a next time where you meet again.
Many hosts have acquired much of their language skill from travel, study, or work. Each host may speak at different levels and speak other languages.
Since 2011 more than 4,000 families, couples, solo travelers of all ages from around the world have gone on Nagomi Visits.
We know the host and guest dynamic changes to a commercial one once money changes hands so the price is fixed to 3,500 yen just to cover operation costs.
Everything was perfectly prepared by my host, Yuko-san. I felt so welcomed at her home! Besides the delicious meal, I had the pleasure to be taught about Japanese history by Toshiaki-san, and play with Koushin-kun. It's been, for sure, one of the highlights of my trip to Japan.
Livia - from Brazil
When we were leaving the metro our Nagomi host was already waiting and waving to us. After 3 weeks in Japan it was very nice to speak with locals, to have the questions answered about the daily life in Japan which arose during our travelling here. I can truly recommend every one in Japan to do a Nagomi visit! Not only you make new friends in Japan, you also taste new things and learn a lot about the culture. More than books, guides or your own experience will learn you.
Floor - from Netherlands
What a highlight to my trip, it's one that I will never forget. The hosts were lovely, friendly, welcoming & funny. I would have loved to stay longer but just like everything, it must come to an end, as we departed we exchanged details & now I have lovely friends in Japan...Looking forward to seeing them again & of course! doing another Nagomi visit when I make my way back to Japan.
Dale - from Australia
From grandparents to kids, the whole family can enjoy
Traveling solo does not have to be lonely
Get off the beaten path with the help from friendly Nagomi Visit hosts
Go on a day trip and visit a farmhouse in the rural parts of Japan
Try new regional foods you won't find at a restaurant
Help prepare dinner in your host's kitchen
Stop by a nearby supermarket with your host
750+ volunteer hosts are located all over Japan from cities to rural areas. Join Nagomi Visit and meet your host at various areas.
Asahikawa, Kitami, Kushiro, New Chitose Airport, and Sapporo
Aizu Wakamatsu, Fukushima, Sendai, Shin-Aomori, Soma, Yamagata, and Yonezawa
Hamakanaya, Ikebukuro, Kaihin Makuhari, Kamakura, Kawagoe, Kumagaya, Mito, Narita Airport, Nasu-Shiobara, Odawara, Omiya, Sagamihara, Shibukawa, Shinjuku, Takasaki, Tokyo, Tsukuba, Ueno, Utsunomiya, and Yokohama
Central Japan International Airport, Gotemba, Gujo-Hachiman, Hamamatsu, Iida, Iiyama, Izukogen, Jyoetsu Myoko, Kanazawa, Kobuchizawa, Kofu, Lake Yamanakako, Matsumoto, Mikawa Anjo, Mishima, Nagano, Nagaoka, Nagiso, Nagoya, Niigata, Shizuoka, Tokamachi, and Toyama
Himeji, Iga Ueno, Ise-shi, Kansai International Airport, Kobe, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Shin-Osaka, Wakayama, and Yoshinoguchi
Bitchu-Takahashi, Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Kurashiki, Matsue, Okayama, Onomichi, Tokuyama, and Tottori
Imabari, Kochi, Matsuyama, Nakamura, Naruto, Oboke, Takamatsu, and Tokushima
Aso, Hakata, Huis Ten Bosch, Kagoshima Airport, Kagoshimachuo, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Saga, and Tokunoshima Airport
Naha Airport and New Ishigaki Airport
Meeting people for the first time may seem a bit awkward but the Nagomi Visit Team will give you the information you need to make the process not just easy but worthwhile so you can truly connect with your host.
Megumi worked in many areas of tourism before founding Nagomi Visit in 2011. She is a former scuba diving instructor, tour operations manager, and marketing sales manager for online Japan resource japan-guide.com. She has also worked as a cooking instructor at a well known nationwide cooking school.
Alisa’s passion for cultural understanding comes from her unique background as a Japanese-American from Texas. She launched an internationally recognized website on Japanese culture in high school called Real Japan, worked in the web industry promoting Japanese products and tourism, and traveled to more than 70 countries.
Nagomi Visit