How Nagomi Visit Works

Nagomi Visit allows you to get off the tourist trail and eat a home-cooked meal with locals all over Japan.

What happens on a Nagomi Visit?

Meet your host

Either at 12pm for lunch or 6pm for dinner at a designated station near your host

Walk home

Your host will guide you to their home from the station

Enjoy!

Chat and eat at your host’s home for at least 2-3 hours

FAQ


Basics

Who can participate?

Everyone and anyone

We welcome anyone with a good heart and open mind who wants to learn more about Japan and meet interesting people. Nagomi Visit with your baby, with teenagers, with your partner, or as introverts. Nagomi Visit’s motto is to bring about understanding so everyone is welcome. If you have specific concerns, do not be afraid to ask us. We do ask that guests under 21 must be accompanied by a supervising adult over 21 years of age or must have written permission from a legal guardian or supervisor.

Who are the hosts?

Local foodie and family volunteers

All our hosts are unique as you can see in our videos. You can find out by reading their profile details before choosing your Nagomi Visit host. Find hosts who have similar age babies, kids, or teenagers. See profiles of hosts who are couples, group of friends, or solo hosts with similar interests or have visited your country. Receive a hosting offer from a vegetarian host or someone who love dogs or cats. Be sure to communicate with our hosts directly using the messaging function on our website to get a sense of who they are.

How am I matched?

Both you and the host actively choose

You and the host choose who you want to meet. After you send your request, all hosts registered in the area read the profile information you send. They respond if they can host on the requested dates and times you included but more importantly, purely because they decided they want to meet you based on the details you wrote in your request.

Where do the hosts live?

Less than 1 hour by train from your preferred location, all over Japan.

From high rises in the city center to farmhouses surrounded by rice fields, our hosts are located all over Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa including Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagano, Matsumoto, Nagoya, Himeji, Tottori, Hiroshima, and more. Check our map or host request form for the most current locations. Hosts who live less than an hour by public transportation from your selected location will respond to your request. Distance from major train stations can be confirmed before booking and specific locations on where to meet the host will be revealed after payment.

How long is a Nagomi Visit?

Less than 1 hour to home + minimum 2-3 hours at home

All select stations are within an hour by train to the host’s home and at least 2-3 hours is spent at home. Choose dates where you can be flexible with time as a Nagomi Visit is very different from going on a fixed schedule tour or going out for a quick bite. There are many hosts who live in the city center or a few minutes walk from famous tourist attractions. However, for those wanting to take advantage of visiting our hosts who live in more rural areas, travel up to an hour and surround yourself with beautiful rice fields or mountains. Either way, it is always better to have enough time for good conversation and any unexpected pre- or post- Nagomi Visit plans with your host. Some are more than happy to take you to see or experience local hidden attractions, even if it is just a quick stop to a local supermarket.

Can the hosts speak English?

All hosts are prepared to speak English.

Many hosts have acquired much of their language skill from travel, study, or work. However, always keep in mind that despite how excited the host is to communicate with you, many do not normally speak English on a daily basis so your patience would be greatly appreciated. Each participant may speak at different levels, and some may speak other languages. Many of these details can be confirmed on the host’s profile before booking.

Casual everyday lunch or dinner menu

You are joining the host on an ordinary day so the atmosphere will be casual. The hosts join Nagomi Visit because they are eager to cook and share their knowledge of Japanese food and culture with you, but also remember they are not on vacation so they will do their best to make what they can. However, once you choose your host, you will be able to communicate with them directly allowing you to familiarize yourself with the meal’s details before the Nagomi Visit. You will also be able to write in any dietary restriction details in your request so potential hosts are informed ahead of time.

Can I cook?

Just ask and it will feel like cooking with a friend

Be sure to include in your request that you would like to cook with your host. When you are picking hosts you can choose someone who has "Cook together" as a characteristic on their profile. You can also ask your host directly if you can cook with them once you have their contact information after booking. Have a particular dish you are interested in or you just want to try something out? Don't be shy and ask. Just keep in mind that although the host will be more than happy to share their knowledge, the experience will be more like cooking with a friend rather than a cooking lesson from start to finish. However, we hope that this organic experience is what makes Nagomi Visit special so hope you enjoy cooking and eating!

Booking

What is the cost?

Total price per adult: 5,500 yen

  • 13 years and over: 5,500 yen
  • 5 to 12 years: 4,000 yen
  • 0 to 4 years: free

We only accept credit card payment. No hand-delivered cash transactions. Thirty percent of the money goes directly to cover the cost of ingredients for the host and seventy percent is to keep our nonprofit organization running. Everything about our organization and how we run is about building friendships, not business transactions so the price is intentionally fixed not to influence the dynamic between guest and host. We intend to keep the program affordable, sustainable, and always about sharing.

When should I book?

At least 3 days in advance

Send the request at least 72 hours before your requested date. Many of our hosts work on weekdays but we have hosts who are available during the week too so the more available dates you provide the better response. At the time of booking, you will be able to select the one or more host and date you will like to Nagomi Visit.

How do I book?

  1. Send Request to Find Host

    Start by filling out our host request form. This form is the most important step so take your time. Where do you want to Nagomi Visit? When? Who’s coming? Describing in detail who you are to our hosts. Any hobbies? The more personalized details, the better the response. The latest you can send a request is 72 hours before your requested date and time.

  2. Receive Host Offers

    You will receive email notifications if they are interested in meeting you and available on the dates you suggested. First, read the host profile and see who they are, what they do, where they live. Then get to know your hosts better by responding to their messages.

  3. Book within 72 Hours

    If you are interested in meeting the host, make sure to book and complete payment within 72 hours. Each offer expires exactly after 72 hours with no extensions. Can’t accept an offer? Not a problem. Decline the offer by sending them a quick message showing your appreciation.

  4. Continue Communication with Hosts

    Communication is key to an enjoyable Nagomi Visit so continue to chat with the hosts until the day of your Nagomi Visit.


Policy

Why choose Nagomi Visit

We build friendships not business transactions.

As of June 2018, more than 1000 volunteer hosts and 7000 guests from 67 countries have chosen to be a part of the Nagomi experience. This is because Nagomi Visit is a non-profit organization and not an online marketplace. We truly want you to meet that friend or family you haven't met. We keep hospitality genuine by screening all our hosts and keeping the pricing fixed so we know the money you pay goes to cover only very specific costs such as ingredients for the host to make your meal and operational costs for the Nagomi Visit team such as paying the server fees to run the site you are looking at right now. We have intentionally made it so that the price does not differ depending on the host because we know the host and guest dynamic changes to a commercial one once money changes hands. We have seen many hosts and guests become like family after their Nagomi Visit and we want to make sure the next person will be you.

How to be a good guest

Come ready to share not to be served.

You are visiting a friend you haven't met. Just keep in mind that all the hosts are participating in Nagomi Visit because they all genuinely want to meet great people like you. Good conversation and an open mind will go a long way but these tips may help during your Nagomi Visit.

What are the Dos and Dont's?

Respect your host's time and home.

Each and every participant should be made aware of what a Nagomi Visit involves. The hosts are welcoming you to their home because they trust that you will respect their time and home. Keep in mind that these are all volunteers so if issues do come up such as property damage, most of the time they will need to pay out of their own pocket. So show up on time, be respectful of your surroundings, but all in all be kind.

Dietary restrictions and food safety

The program and host take great precaution when it comes to food safety but be aware that the host nor the program will take any responsibility for instances of food poisoning or any other illness.

We encourage all our participants to come to the Nagomi Visit ready to try all the food. However, we do understand this may be difficult at times so here is a rundown on how we handle dietary restrictions.

  1. Note that all cooking is done in a home kitchen. We do have hosts who are professional cooks and nutritionists who may be able to accommodate. However, if your dietary restrictions are life-threatening or strict there is a chance we may not be able to find a host as we cannot guarantee against cross-contamination or cross-contact of certain ingredients.
  2. Leniency will be important as we cannot guarantee that the host will be able to completely fulfill your requests regardless of how careful they are. Are you okay with detectable levels of pork extract, dried fish soup stock, gluten in soy sauce, halal meat prepared in non-halal kitchens etc.?
  3. Always offer as much information as possible. Be very specific as to what ingredients you can and cannot eat and why as opposed to just vegetarian, vegan, meat, seafood, so as not to run into misunderstandings and disappointment.

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Questions? Contact the Nagomi Visit team at info@nagomivisit.com.