Background: This project has been organized together with a local NGO for community development named KOBOSHA since 1996. Volunteers will join the summer festival called TORO NAGASHI that is a memorial service for ancestors by making lanterns named TORO and floating them down a river. Volunteers will make large TORO (2 x 2 meters) for the festival in this workcamp. Project aims to mobilize the local community with workcampers. Through this workcamp, the local community will be much more activated, redeveloping pride for their community!
Work: Volunteers will mainly help and join the festival by making four big lanterns TORO (2 x 2 meters) and hundreds of small lanterns together with local students. Volunteers can design your own large TORO in a group and will float it down a river in the festival.
It will be physically demanding work.
Accomodation and food
Volunteers will stay local community building. It will be very simple life style and a Japanese style. Room is shared with every volunteer. Meals are cooked by volunteers by turns. Sleeping bag is necessary.
Location:
Small town in the southern part of Fukushima. the population is about 8,300.
The town is famous for beautiful flower named Dahlia in Aug. to Oct.
Direction to meeting point: Tokushima station
Requirements:
Interest in Japanese culture and respect for local culture. Adaptability to simple living condition and positive attitude to work with locals!
Participant fee: 9,000 JPY (55 EUR by the rate on 2023 Nov. 18th) of "NICE Volunteers" fee need to be paid in advance either by Card or PayPal. This is used for the project preparation/ coordination such as the transportation of the camp leaders while the meals and the accommodation are provided by the local host by free.
Language: English (Japanese is also welcomed!)
Additional comments: Activate the isolated community with suffer from depopulation through the festival and good practices in your country