INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE
Hiroko, my wife, and I came back to Japan to look after her elderly mother and that meant we couldn't easily travel anymore, which was something we had always enjoyed. So, we decided to bring the world to our door instead. We've been inviting people to GP Mura for some 6 years now and have enjoyed people from all over, and learned a great deal along the way. As we were developing the property and expanding the number of houses, we welcomed a lot of young volunteers via Workaway, which was a way of paying my own experience forward. When I was young, the opportunities were pretty limited in Europe, especially for an American as I couldn't work legally anywhere. That didn't really stop me, but it did lead me to Israel. Although I'm not religious, or Jewish, I was able to work there in a welding shop on a kibbutz. At the time it was a cool place for young Europeans to be and I enjoyed hanging out with everyone in the dining hall and the cafe, as well as going horse riding, hiking and swimming. In fact, I've modeled GP Mura after that community with an understanding that running a business on premises is necessary for its sustainability, as well as for making all kinds of fun things possible. Here on GP Mura I strive to hit the balance between staying economically viable by having paying guests and making it a fun and meaningful experience for all comers. I think the international exchange in and of itself makes for an enlightening experience and I'm always learning something new! I hope you do, too.
LEARNING JAPANESE
Learning a language is a big part of learning a culture--you can't have one without the other. It's also fun! So, we work to make it possible for everyone to learn at least some Japanese while they are here. For people who stay longer or are on an educational stay, we incorporate it into their program. Hiroko, my wife, was an interpreter for many years and also taught it at the master's level. Now she's enjoying teaching Japanese at Hokkaido University, other schools in the area, and online.
I spent many years as a Japanese-English translator, so I'm not entirely a slacker. For me, everything starts with talking to people, finding out what makes them
tick, so talking in Japanese is just the vehicle for doing that. And an easy way to have a chat and a laugh. So, let's get some Japanese on!
OTHER LANGUAGES
Since we have people visiting from all around the world, there is the possibility to exchange lots of languages; the past couple years
we've had a lot of French and German visitors, but also Swedish, Canadian, Israeli, Hong Kong, Columbian, Argentinian, Austrian, Chinese, Australian, Kiwi...the list goes on and
on!
CULTURE with a capital C
With the development of Hokkaido and Sapporo, Otaru has a proud history of craftspeople. From glass blowers and carpenters, to potters and painters, anyone can get lost in the rich expertise and history our community has to offer. You can enjoy learning from these craftspeople and maybe try your hand at calligraphy, candle making, and even glass blowing!
KNOWLEDGE
Learning FROM EACH OTHER
Everyone who comes to GP Mura brings different interests, knowledge and expertise with them - so we like to foster the opportunity to
learn more about various things. We can teach you about gardening, permaculture, DIY projects, Japanese cooking and so on. And if you can bring your own skills and sensibilities into the
community and share them, we love that! Again, it helps us see the world without ever leaving home!
BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR
What good are skills and knowledge if we can't share it with our neighbors? At GP Mura, we make a proactive effort to help our community and utilize our resources to share in the wealth of expertise and support we can offer. Here, a long stay guest from Canada is helping patch up the roof of a local temple.
