Living with a host family

[burkhartdesu]

I went to Japan for over a month summer 07'. For the first half I backpacked with some classmates, and the second half I stayed with a host family in Fukui prefecture.

I wanted to hear about people exchange living experiences...

I would just like to say that living with a Japanese family is the prime way to fully understand the culture... Luckily my host family were extremely wealthy with a 2 story, 5 bedroom house with 2 bathrooms. Nevertheless, I didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised when my family ended up being a joke-cracking group of the most unique and special people I've ever met. TANIYAMA KAZOKU!

I knew things would be fine when my host grandma, who was pushing 85, sneezed; which was followed by a roar of laughter from everyone... just because it was a hilarious cute grandma sneeze

Not the mention the giant 1980's hair dryer they let me use... which we inevidably named 'okii no kaze'- freakin' hilarity insued!

They also gave me a lesson in making Soba, where my host sister said, in English, I could be a 'person of soba' because of my awesome skills. This all somehow led to me getting the nickname "Sobajin"

PIC:
TOP LEFT: My host sister and father
BOTTOM LEFT: Me and Host dad... I look a little PO'd, but I just didn't prepare my "chiizu" smile
RIGHT: Host grandpa telling me a story in a dialect I can't understand.
Share your stories!

</end ramble>

[Akira3000]

Hahaha this looks great. Thanks for sharing . Looks like it was fun.

[Banzai]

That's cool. When I first went to Japan I stayed at a host family. They took me everywhere. We went to the Sakura Festival in Okazaki and also the Mechanical Doll Festival. The daughter and I got really attached and now we call each other brother and sister. I remember when they would take me out and go to sushi bars and udon restaurants. We took a trip up to Nagoya and went to their cool shopping districts. The house that they owned was really modern and nice. On some days the sister would let me bring her and her friends to a park near by. We would play soccer, tag and go on the swings. I really enjoyed my time with them and I try to visit as much as I can now. Here is a picture of them.

Left to right: Kennichi, Sanae, Chihiro and me.

To my amazement, Chihiro could speak better English than anyone else I met in Japan. She was smart and actually beat me at chess. I just explained the rules to her simply and she ended up beating me. I really was trying too (*´Д｀). I even let her try my Sudoku puzzle I had with me. She finished it by her self. Well, I just can't wait to see them again.

[tokyo88]

me too i hop to have the opportunity to live with host family and discover their culture both of you are lucky

[angelbott]

That's cool, sweetly, and lovely for have host family and have great times with host family XD I like try for host fanily but I don't know how doing for join want host family in Japan. XD;

[Nyororin]

Just the locations in this thread pushed me to post.

My first trip to Japan over 10 years ago, I stayed with a host family in Okazaki. (Hegoshi, by hinabashi, a little walk from Yahagibashi station... For those who know the area.) They`re still like family, and I talk with the mother quite often. She even came to our wedding.
I used to walk all over the place in town, and knew the area around Higashi Okazaki like the back of my hand. Second trip, I stayed with friends up by JR Okazaki... So Okazaki is sort of like my hometown in Japan.

Fukui... My husband`s family is from Fukui. We`re up there every month or so. Everyone in Fukui has a house with 5+ bedrooms. Seriously. It`s like a requirement the minute you leave Fukuishi. My husband`s family house has.... 8? More if they were to clean out the 2 used for storage.
Anyway, both Okazaki and Fukui are sort of special to me.

To both of you - exactly where did you stay?

[burkhartdesu]

Aw, cool to know your husbands family is from Fukui- and yeah, they're all so rich- I almost assumed no Japanese people had houses like that.

Not only did my host family have a Japanese style house with 5 bedrooms, but the grandparents had a house RIGHT NEXT DOOR that was Western-style, and had atleast 3 bedrooms. O.o

But anyway, I stayed in a small town called Takefu-- and I attended Takefu Higashi Koukou... a really awesome down to earth place!

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by burkhartdesu

Aw, cool to know your husbands family is from Fukui- and yeah, they're all so rich- I almost assumed no Japanese people had houses like that.

Not only did my host family have a Japanese style house with 5 bedrooms, but the grandparents had a house RIGHT NEXT DOOR that was Western-style, and had atleast 3 bedrooms. O.o

But anyway, I stayed in a small town called Takefu-- and I attended Takefu Higashi Koukou... a really awesome down to earth place!

Takefu!

Know exactly where that is. My husband`s family is in Echizen-cho, right along the coast. Whenever we visit, grandma makes us drive her over to シピィ...

Land is cheap and building regulations are loose in Fukui, so it`s really really common to have multiple houses on one plot. Faster and cheaper than tearing down one and building a larger one.
Fukui is known for having the happiest residents... And the most money. Mainly because there is nowhere to spend it. Even in Fukui-shi, Pia shut down so there isn`t really much left. Everyone sort of gives everyone else food, so you don`t have to spend much there... Plus because all the houses are so big and cheap, it`s really rare to not live with extended family so that`s even more money to save.

[burkhartdesu]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

Takefu!
Fukui is known for having the happiest residents... And the most money. Mainly because there is nowhere to spend it. Even in Fukui-shi, Pia shut down so there isn`t really much left. Everyone sort of gives everyone else food, so you don`t have to spend much there... Plus because all the houses are so big and cheap, it`s really rare to not live with extended family so that`s even more money to save.

Wow small world... ahaha, small island country! Well that's awesome.

Yeah, there was not much to do at all... I mean, not alot to do that required shelling out a lot of money. They lived comfortably with all the luxuries, but yet they needed nothing!

We spent a great deal of time visiting neighbors and family members-- a very close nit community! Everyone seemed to know each other somehow.

My family and 3 other neighborhood families (who all geniunely got along) went and watched fireflies for hours! Takefu is beautiful! We climbed a local mountain (don't remember the name) and did Zen meditation with a real Buddhist priest! <--- Best memories of Japan

[fanimeboy]

how do you get host families? sounds very interesting and fun