Above all, the facility and the accommodation are located away from the city, so they’re filled with truly beautiful scenery. Activities like walking the dogs and connecting with nature were enjoyable in themselves. It was so nice to savor the relaxed, leisurely pace that’s definitely different from the city. ^^
[Japanese countryside/Overseas volunteer] Simple everyday wild life: abandoned animal volunteer work in Tokushima, Japan Park Kyung-ah, gap-year participant (22, taking a gap year after resigning) / 4-week gap year |
# After resigning, escape the bustling city and spend time with animals!
<The park right next to the accommodation — I can’t believe I could see such beautiful scenery every day!>
Hello. I’m Park Kyung-ah, who started a gap year for self-development after resigning.
I was looking for a place where I could get away from the hectic city environment and have time to sort out my thoughts, and I learned about this project through a recommendation from my gap-year consultant.Perhaps because I worked in a job dealing with people before resigning, I felt this project — where most of the time is spent with animals rather than people — aligned more with my goals, so I appliedI ended up applying. I also originally liked dogs ^^
I wasn’t too worried about staying abroad for a long time since Japan is known for its good safety. I did have concerns about earthquakes, but fortunately there were no incidents! The materials sent by the gap-year program were a big help in preparing before departure. After reviewing the information, I packed my things step by step,Since it was my first time visiting Japan, I carefully looked up and read basic information like weather, transportation, and geography. :)
# A great time to directly experience a different culture
Before resigning, my monotonous life of home-work, work-home felt very stifling. I had always thought I needed the positive energy a new environment would give me,and I think I wanted to fully reclaim the time I had been wasting just to earn money..The desire for new experiences and time for myself was probably the biggest driving force and goal behind starting the gap year ^^
As for the project activities,around 11 AM the person in charge from the facility visited the accommodation and picked me up, and upon arrival at the organization we immediately handled tasks like walking the dogs, feeding them, and doing the dishesThat’s what we did. There’s about a 30-minute break in the middle when you can have lunch or a snack. Most of the work is finished before 6 PM.
When I returned to the accommodation, it was then complete free time, so I took care of meals and house chores, and afterward I spent time reading books or watching TV.
Through this gap-year project,I was glad to be able to experience another country’s culture.Every time I noticed differences from our country, like how to ride the bus or how to separate garbage, it felt so fascinating. It was a different feeling than getting information from books ^^
Also, they would greet first-time visitors like me with a nod, and when I asked for directions, because I seemed unsure,the convenience store clerk even kindly guided me all the way to the fork in the road,witnessing acts that showed kindness and considerationI realized a lot. It was all such a wonderful experience!
<The dog that stepped on my foot and then walked away as if nothing had happened was really cute.>
In the second week of my gap year, another Korean volunteer arrived and we did volunteer activities together. We helped each other with the work and enjoyed sightseeing around Tokushima city together.
There were also several Japanese volunteers at the facility, and one of them gave me warm encouragement when I made a mistake. The kindness of speaking slowly and using simple words so I could understand is something I’ll never forget.
Above all, the facility and accommodation are located away from the city and are filled with truly beautiful scenery. Being able to walk the dogs and connect with nature was enjoyable in itself.The area near the lodging has roads that are great for cycling, so on nice weekends I would take a casual ride around. It was wonderful to fully enjoy a relaxed, unhurried atmosphere that’s definitely different from the city ^^
Opportunities are always there, but once you miss one it doesn’t come back.
<On a walk with the dogs>
Comparing before and after participating in the gap year, externally my skin got a lot tanned^^ I also ended up with many small scratches here and there. Things I would have worried about a lot before, I’ve now learned not to react emotionally to — thinking, “well, it’s not a big deal.”
The same applied to volunteering: the more I kept thinking about mistakes, the more exhausted I became. The more I clung to regrets, the less I could focus on what I was doing, so I practiced some mind control by telling myself, “well, that can happen!” :) As my emotional drain decreased, I definitely felt more at ease.
If you’re hesitating about whether to join this project, I want to tell you to apply no matter what!! Opportunities are always there, but once you miss them they don’t come back.
In fact, there have been times when I had a gap year I liked in front of me but I overthought it with various standards and missed the chance. You don’t need to be consumed by rational thinking every time, so at the moment of choosing a gap year I recommend following your heart and going with your feelings ^^
Also, although they say there’s a mart and I imagined a small supermarket, by bicycle or on foot you can only reach convenience stores. To get to a large supermarket you must take a bus or use a car, so unless you go into town it’s hard to find ingredients like vegetables, fruit, or fish. If other participants have a driver’s license, I really hope they get an international driver’s license to overcome this problem.
I also spent all my time with the dogs, so if anyone wants to care for cute cats, you should know that depending on the facility’s situation you might, like me, be devoted solely to caring for abandoned dogs. :)
My personal gap year tips
<My favorite buddy! I got so attached I even gave him the nickname ‘Jupjupi’!>
(How to get there)
After arriving at Kansai Airport, use the automatic ticket machine to buy a limousine bus ticket to Tokushima. One-way 4,100 yen. Unlike Incheon Airport, the bus ticket machines are outside. I hope others don’t get confused.
(Language)
The person in charge at the organization is fluent in English, but the staff communicate only in Japanese, so if you rely on English alone you may be greatly surprised (like I was ^^). Of course they’ll use a translator when something isn’t understood, but you can’t translate every moment and during busy activities you won’t have time to use a translator, so...I recommend memorizing basic words and phrases for minimal communication.
(Accommodation)
The facility itself is excellent, but the rooms, bathroom, and kitchen are all separate, so you have to go outside to get from your room to the bathroom or kitchen, which is inconvenient. Also, the rooms don’t have underfloor heating like an ondol, so you need to use a heater or a kotatsu — I tried both, but they didn’t completely take the chill away.Because the cold air inside the room is almost the same as the outside air, unless it’s midsummer it’s best to bring plenty of warm clothes.
(Meals)
Convenience stores sell rice and side dishes, so preparing meals isn’t difficult, but the downside is you can’t get fresh vegetables or fruit unless you go into town. You could go into town every weekend and buy a lot to bring back, but since it’s expensive to go into town I don’t think that’s a good solution ㅜ_ㅜ (One-way to Tokushima Station is 720 yen).
If other participants have a driver’s license, I hope they will definitely get an international driver’s license to overcome this problem.
(What to bring)
An item I found inconvenient to be without: "rubber boots".Even on rainy days you have to walk the dogs, and I didn’t have rubber boots in my size so I once wore sneakers. Besides getting your shoes dirty, you could slip on slippery paths, so bringing rubber boots will be a big help for safety. (Raincoats are provided by the organization.)
An item that was convenient to have: "coin pouch".Japan has more types of coins than our country, and coins are used very frequently, so having a coin pouch to take out the needed coins at any time made payments very convenient.
March, when I mainly stayed, had very chilly evenings so it’s good to bring lots of warm clothes. Also, since walking with the dogs soils your clothes quickly, I recommend clothes that are easy to wash or in darker colors ^^
(Travel)
Tokushima city has the Bizan Ropeway, the Tokushima Castle ruins, Naruto, and the Awa Odori Kaikan.Other than those, there isn''t much else to see. If you check the Tokushima tourism site, it lists several places worth visiting outside the city, so on weekends you can go see whatever spots appeal to your personal tastes!
The nearest hot spring to the accommodation is Kamiyama OnsenIt is about 5.5 km from Sanagotchicho where the accommodation is located, and you can easily get there by bus, on foot, or by bicycle. From my own stay, the meals were delicious and the rooms were clean, so I had a very satisfying time ^^
My gap year
Experience★★★★☆
You can see lovely dogs and beautiful nature every day. In addition to walks, a variety of tasks are given daily—feeding, washing dishes, shoveling, picking up trash, raking the hillside, etc.—so if you apply yourself you''ll feel a great sense of reward.
Learning★★★★☆
There were dogs whose legs had been amputated or who were blind because of cruel people, yet they still wagged their tails and welcomed people when approached. Watching how these dogs continue to show affection even to those who once hurt them taught me a lot, often without me realizing it.
I also felt healed by the warm comfort the animals gave me ^^
Environment★★★★☆
The area around the accommodation and the facility is a typical rural landscape. When I stayed, the plum blossoms were fading and the cherry blossoms were blooming, so I could enjoy fresh green trees and beautifully bloomed cherry trees. The cherry blossom petals falling in the wind were truly beautiful ^^
Although it lacks the conveniences of a city, the surroundings are so beautiful that simply sitting quietly and listening to the stream flowing right in front of the accommodation was a very enjoyable experience.
Safety★★★☆☆
The facility is on a sloped uphill, so when walking medium-to-large dogs there is a risk of being pulled and falling. I myself almost slipped on a wet path or was pulled and nearly fell, which made me realize that if you''re not careful at every moment you could get seriously injured.
Leisure★★★★★
You get three days off per week, so there was plenty of free time. In my case, I stayed in town and visited tourist spots or nearby hot springs, allowing me to experience various places and Japanese culture.
