Homestay – live with a Japanese Host Family

Are you interested in the Japanese language, Japanese food, and Japanese culture? Then you must try home stay with a Japanese family!

Japanese people rarely invite others to their homes. Living with a Japanese host family is a great chance to get an insight into the real Japan. Whether you are a tourist staying for a couple of days or a long term student, you can stay with a Japanese family during your time in Japan. You can stay from one night to one year, and you can combine family accommodation with other accommodation if you want.

Three reasons to stay with a host family in Japan

1. You get a unique insight into the Japanese culture
2. You get to eat home made Japanese food - you can even add cooking lessons
3. You get a chance to practice your Japanese - you can book additional language classes if you like

What is the disadvantage of host family accommodation

You must commute to the city center since families seldom live in the city center. You also need to be more considerate than if you live alone. Read more advice on family accommodation in our FAQ.

Where are the families located?

We've partnered with Japan's leading host family provider who has more than 3000 host families throughout Japan, from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south. The families rarely live in the city center so like most people in Japan you need to be prepared to commute. In the big cities the families often live in apartments but further from the urban centers, families often live in standalone houses.

What is included?

You get a private bedroom where bed linen and towels are included. You usually share the bathroom and other areas with the rest of the family. Breakfast and dinner are included so you can taste good homemade Japanese food. There is an option to choose only breakfast, but it's not something that we recommend.

The family will meet you at the nearest train station when you arrive. If you want, you can book a transfer from the airport for 35000 Yen (about 850 PEN). A representative from the accommodation provider will then take you from the airport to your accommodation using public transportation which often is the fastest way to travel in Japan. You can also add cooking lessons for 8000 Yen (about 195 PEN) per lesson. All prices exclude VAT, currently 10%.

There are many types of host families. Young and old, with children and without children. Some are good at English while others only speak Japanese, so you really get the chance to practice your language skills. On the application you can request a family that speaks some English.

The most common is that the host is 30-40 years old. Families who receive foreigners often have family members who have lived abroad or are planning to do so. The families are carefully selected through interviews and home visits. It is not uncommon that they have received international students and visitors for many years.

Prices and discounts

The price consists of a booking fee and a price per person per night. The booking fee is 30000 Yen (about 730 PEN) for one person. If you book for more than one person another 9000 Yen (about 220 PEN) per person will be added. 10% Japanese VAT will be added to the final price.

The accommodation cost is paid directly to the Japanese housing company, but by using our form below, you will receive help in English and a discount on long-term housing. You can see the price per night and person in the table below:

Price example 1 - Short-term stay: Charlie and Liza are visiting Japan and they want to do a home stay for 5 nights. The price consists of a booking fee of 30000+9000=39000 Yen plus 2 * 5 nights at 5700 Yen, i.e. 57000 Yen. In total 96000 Yen excluding VAT and 105600 Yen (about 2565 PEN) including VAT for five nights accommodation including breakfast and dinner. There are not many hotels that can compete with that price for halfboard, and none would give you the same experience.

Price example 2 - long-term stay: Pete will study in Japan. He wants to live in host family for 90 nights from April to June. His price is 30000 Yen for the booking fee plus 90 * 4600 Yen. In total 444000 Yen before VAT and 488400 Yen (about 11870 PEN) with VAT for 90 days of family accommodation with half board. Since Pete has filled in our form below, he has received a discount of 5700-4600 = 1100 Yen per night. Considering that he does not need to pay VAT on this amount the actual saving is 1210 Yen/night so he saves 108900 Yen (about 2645 PEN) with our discount!

Host family housing is paid in advance. However, you usually start by booking and paying for a maximum of 12 weeks. Then you can extend your stay on site if both you and your family are interested in an extension.

Booking form

Once you know your exact travel dates you can initiate the booking process by filling in the form below. Homestay Japan will then get back to you with instructions and a more detailed form with questions that will help to find you a suitable host family. You do not commit to anything by filling in the form below.

Please note that you can't book these accommodations more than 6 months before you want to move in.

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