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At the end of the week, they made a light goodbye dinner, and everyone in the community room gathered to eat together. I didn't really do much, but both the volunteer coordinator and the people at the accommodation said their goodbyes with such enthusiasm that, even though I felt a little sad, I also felt good about it.
[Rural Japan/Overseas Volunteering] A Simple Daily Wild Life, Volunteering with Stray Animals in Tokushima, Japan
Lee Min-hyuk, Korea GapYear Participant (24, University Student) / 8-week Gap Year
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# The First Day with Heavy Rain, Unexpectedly Strong and Numerous Stray Animals
When I first arrived, it rained heavily. Because of that, I arrived about 15 minutes later than expected, and since I didn't have a SIM card, I couldn't contact anyone and was a bit anxious. Fortunately, I was picked up without any issues, and on the way, we stopped at a convenience store where I bought some bread. Until then, I thought there would be more places to buy groceries, like a supermarket.
The accommodation was simpler than expected, and although it was nighttime and I couldn't see well, it was truly rural. At least at that time, there was no hot water, and I didn't know how the heater in my room worked, so it was cold until I fell asleep and woke up the next morning.
The next day, I went to work for the first time, and the rain kept coming down until that day. The pickup vehicle arrived a bit later than scheduled, and after arriving at the work site, I learned from a Korean person who was staying at the same accommodation as the staff. From the very first day, the rain made work extremely tough. Not only did my shoes get ruined, but there were also more dogs than I had imagined, and they were surprisingly strong.
# Walking 20 dogs a day, and the sweet holidays three times a week
I think I walked about 20 dogs a day. I didn't count exactly, but there seemed to be about 80–90 dogs in total. It took me some time to get used to the constant barking of all the dogs.
After finishing work and returning to the accommodation around 6 PM, I would cook dinner, do laundry, and pass some time before it was bedtime. It wasn't exactly a busy place, so there was nowhere to go, and going somewhere after work wasn't really an option.
My days off were three times a week, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Just like when I was in school, working four days in a row and then having three consecutive days off was mentally comfortable. During the first weekend, I mostly spent my time exploring the area.
On Fridays and Saturdays, I walked to the convenience store by myself, but I am terrible with directions, and many places weren’t properly marked on the map, so I spent a lot of time just trying to find the way. I didn’t expect it to take so long the first time, and even getting to the convenience store was a long walk. There were no decent supermarkets, which was quite frustrating.
On Sunday, I went to a place called "Salon" in the nearby Kamiyama with the person from the room next to mine. While you might think of it as a traditional Korean salon, here it seemed to just refer to a place where simple snacks are served along with regular coffee or tea.
While watching a video showing the landscape of Kamiyama Village and some art pieces, I had small bread and mochi with the coffee they served. I'm not sure if this is common, but they didn't charge for it.
# The Cherry Blossom Viewing Scene You Could Only See in Cartoons
By the second week, I decided I would finally go to the station. I went out on Friday and Saturday and even booked a hotel near the station. It was a big decision because the round-trip bus fare was about 15,000 won. On top of that, the hotel cost around 60,000 won, so it ended up taking a big chunk of my budget.
Additionally, something I didn't notice while staying at the accommodation was that meals are quite expensive, and even riding the cable car costs more than a meal, which became a bit of a burden. However, I wouldn't really recommend the cable car.
At that time, the best thing about going downtown was the cherry blossoms blooming all around Tokushima Central Park. It was so beautiful, and the cherry blossom viewing scene, something I had only seen in manga, was unfolding right before my eyes. I think it was very meaningful to be able to visit the city just in time for the cherry blossom season.
On the last holiday of the week, Sunday, I went to a small exhibition in the Kami-yama area. I can't remember the name of the illustrator, but even though it was a small-scale event, the illustrations, especially the picture book illustrations, were quite impressive. What was interesting was that I ran into someone I had met the previous week at the salon during this exhibition.
With more volunteers, I had to move my accommodation closer to the station, which was a bit of a hassle, but from this point on, my activities shifted to the area around the station. And as more buildings appeared around me, my spending increased. It took a little time before I was back on track.
The most significant change was that the only volunteer I could speak Korean with left, and I started living with a new volunteer. The new volunteer was French, and since we couldn't communicate freely, we didn't get very close. At that time, I definitely felt that I was most comfortable when I was alone or with just one other person, but still, since I was abroad, I wanted to talk with some foreigners, so I mustered up the courage and entered the community room.
I thought it through a lot before joining, but luckily, the people were all nice, so I was able to have some brief conversations. That day, I made a promise to teach Korean to a person from Russia. Thanks to that, from the next week, I had less time to relax after work, which made me a little tired.
Additionally, teaching Korean to a foreigner for the first time brought many challenges, and I had a lot of doubts about how to teach it. Despite that, I think being able to teach Korean to a foreigner was a special experience.
Also, by asking these people, I was able to find out how to register for a Japanese language school and where to go. So, from the fifth week, I was able to start attending a Japanese language school located at the plaza in front of the station.
# A Weekend Full of Festivals and Parties with Volunteers, No Time to Get Bored
The fifth-weekend coincided with the festival period, so on my way back from the language school, I could watch performances or see the Awa Odori dance in person. But honestly, I didn’t find it that interesting to just stand and watch the whole dance. After about 15 minutes, I got bored and hot, so I went to see another performance. The other performance felt more like a small town festival, and it was worth watching.
On the sixth week, a French volunteer staying in the same accommodation said it was their last week and suggested that all the volunteers working together go to an izakaya. So, on Friday evening, we all headed out into the night. It was my first time going to an izakaya or bar in Japan, and I was surprised that there was a separate charge for "tsukidashi" and that the bar entry fee was calculated per person.
The next day, Saturday, two new volunteers joined us, and we went to a workshop to try pottery-making. It seemed like great luck because a TV crew was there, and we ended up being filmed holding the pottery we made together. These were experiences I couldn’t have had on my own, and I was so grateful for them.
The seventh week was also a bit special for me. Originally, I had planned to visit Takamatsu and Matsuyama, but my budget was a little tight. Moreover, an anime festival called Machi★Asobi was happening that weekend, so I decided to explore the festival instead. The festival area was wider than I expected, and there were so many events happening that I couldn’t see everything, but there was plenty to enjoy, and I walked around a lot.
Even the usually quiet alleys and streets were bustling with people and shops were alive during this time. The cosplay zone was especially fun, with cosplayers visible wherever you looked. Besides, I wanted to try taking a photo with cosplayers at least once while in Japan. I hesitated for three days, unsure if I should or shouldn’t, but on Sunday, I finally managed to take some photos with a few cosplayers, and I was satisfied.
Of course, besides that, I also heard some unknown people singing and saw interviews being conducted. While collecting stamps, I received an anime illustration book as a reward and bought some gifts for my friends as I wandered around. Looking back, I didn’t do much over the three days, but I kept moving without staying still. I’m glad there were various events and people I could meet during my stay.
Even on the last week, they lightly organized a goodbye party where we cooked dinner and ate together with the people in the community room. Although I didn’t particularly do much there, both the volunteer coordinator and the people at the accommodation enthusiastically said goodbye to me, which made me feel both sad and happy.
And since it would’ve felt disappointing to go straight back home, I booked accommodations in Osaka and Kyoto in advance, toured around for three days, and then returned to Korea.
# My Gap Year Tips
(How to Get There)
Take a bus from Kansai Airport. On the day of travel, it rained, and the bus arrived about 15 minutes later than scheduled.
(Language)
It’s helpful to be proficient in either English or Japanese. If possible, bring a SIM card to use a translator or dictionary app.
(Accommodation)
You’re allowed to use all the facilities, but make sure to check the expiration dates on food or seasonings. Everything else is usually fine, but don’t expect much from the heating or cooling systems.
(Meals)
If your accommodation is in a remote area like Sanagouchi, you’ll need to rely on convenience store food or cook using ingredients purchased near the station. It’s better to bring an international driver’s license to rent a car for easier mobility. If your accommodation is near the station, you can dine out or cook in a kitchen-equipped facility. When shopping for ingredients, check their origin before purchasing.
(Things to Prepare)
I ended up getting small cuts more often than I expected while working, but I only brought band-aids and no ointment, which was a bit inconvenient. Waterproof band-aids would have been a better choice. Since it was the changing season (March to April), I packed clothes ranging from thick jackets to short sleeves, but bringing short sleeves wasn’t really necessary. Instead, because of the big temperature differences between day and night, packing outerwear was a good decision. Also, installing the Maps.me app on my phone was incredibly helpful.
If you plan to travel around a lot, I recommend bringing plenty of money. The 3-day Shikoku Rail Pass costs about 9,000 yen, so if you want to visit places outside Tokushima, like Takamatsu or Matsuyama, you’ll need to carefully plan and commit. Bringing a laptop might also be a good idea. Other than that, just bring whatever else you think you’ll need.
My Gap Year Was
Experience ★★★★☆
I did a lot of different things. I went to a nearby town and visited tea shops, enjoyed cherry blossoms, and even tried pottery-making at a workshop. Looking back, I really traveled a lot on weekends. One regret is that most of these activities were things other people suggested or organized, rather than something I initiated myself.
Learning ★★☆☆☆
Honestly, I’m not sure. I lived there for two months, but even though I joined a Japanese language school, I was placed in a beginner’s class because of the schedule, and many classes were canceled due to Japanese holidays. Other than that, I don’t feel like I really learned much.
Environment ★★★☆☆
I think it was just enough to live comfortably. Except for having to wash my hair with cold water every morning during winter because there was no hot water, all the essentials were there.
Safety ★★★☆☆
Since it was in a rural area, there weren’t many safety concerns caused by people. However, walking dogs always carried the risk of being bitten, and since the volunteer site was near a mountain, there was the possibility of encountering wild animals. In fact, I did see a monkey in the wild.
Leisure ★★★★☆
After moving closer to the station, I got to see a lot of festivals and visit many parks and restaurants, so I think my leisure time was quite enjoyable. What I found disappointing was the lack of game centers or internet cafes, which I had wanted to visit at least once.
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