Are you passionate about Japanese tea, travel, and cultural exchange? Our Japanese Tea Internship offers a unique, hands-on opportunity to live and work in the beautiful coastal tea community of Higashisonogi, Nagasaki. You will gain direct experience in tea tourism, international sales, digital content creation, and sustainable tea field experiments.
Below is a quick overview of the internship programme:
Programme at a Glance
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| 📍 Location | Higashisonogi, Nagasaki, Japan |
| ⏱️ Duration | 30 to 89 days (1 to 3 months) |
| 👥 Capacity | 1 intern per session (highly selective, individual focus) |
| 💰 Programme Fee | Free (no housing or participation fees) |
Welcome to Higashisonogi!
At Ikedoki Tea, we are passionate about sharing the beauty, culture, and flavour of Japanese tea with the world. Based in the beautiful coastal tea town of Higashisonogi in Nagasaki prefecture—renowned for its award-winning Sonogi Tea (steamed tamaryokucha)—we host visitors from all over the globe for tea tours, tastings, and workshops.
As our workload and tour bookings grow, we are seeking a passionate, independent intern to join us. If you love tea, want to experience life in a close-knit rural Japanese farming community, and are excited to develop skills in hospitality, tourism, sales, and digital content creation, this internship is for you!
What We Offer & What We Expect
What We Offer
- Rent-Free Accommodation: Stay in the Ikedoki Office House (the same beautiful space where Marjolein lives and where we host our tea tours). You will have a private, cozy bedroom with shared facilities (kitchen, bathroom, living area).
- Home Comforts: Futon, clean sheets, and towels are fully provided at no cost.
- Tea Education: Deepen your knowledge of Japanese tea cultivation, processing, and tasting. Learn the art of brewing the perfect cup and lead tea preparation for our international guests.
- Hands-on Farming Experience: Get your hands dirty in the Ikedoki experimental tea field.
- Tour Perks: We cover your lunch on days when you assist or host our tea tours.
- Cultural Immersion: Live in a peaceful Japanese countryside town, interact with local farmers, and build lifelong connections.
What We Look For (Our Ideal Candidate)
- English Fluency (Required): The vast majority of our guests speak English, and our internal computer and project work is in English.
- Independence & Initiative: You will be living and working alongside Marjolein in a small-team environment. Being self-motivated and happy to work independently is essential.
- An Open Mind & Patience: Countryside life is peaceful but has its own pace. Language barriers are part of the adventure—you should be patient, flexible, and culturally aware.
- Basic Tech & Creative Skills: Experience or interest in blogging, photography, video editing, social media management, or analysing data.
- Japanese Proficiency (Plus, but not required): Conversational Japanese is highly welcomed and will enrich your local interactions, but is not a hard requirement.
- Driving Licence (Plus, but not required): An International Driving Licence is a great asset for getting around the local area.
Core Internship Activities
Your daily schedule will shift depending on the seasons and tour bookings. A typical week includes a mix of:
- Tourism, Hospitality & Sales (Core)
- Assisting with and presenting during international tea tours.
- Assisting with sales online through our webshop and welcoming visitors to the office house.
- Creative Content & Media
- Planning and creating social media posts (Instagram, Facebook).
- Writing blog articles about your tea experiences, local life, or tea recipes.
- Photography and filming short-form videos.
- Hands-on Field Work & Tea Experiments
- Helping maintain the Ikedoki tea field (non-commercial) through weeding and light maintenance.
- Experiencing traditional tea picking (on rare occasions, no guarantee, even during harvest seasons).
- Having the opportunity to experiment with small-scale handmade tea production at home (to understand the processing chemistry).
- General Operations
- Assisting with household chores (both inside the house and weeding around the office) to keep the shared spaces clean and welcoming.
- General office computer work, for instance keeping stock and organising files.
Seasonal Specifics: What to Expect
Spring (March 10 – June 30)
- Vibe: The busiest time of the year! Tourism spikes and tea tours run frequently.
- Activities: High focus on tour hospitality and guest interaction. In late April and May, the spring harvest begins—expect tea picking in the field and active brewing demonstrations.
Summer (July 1 – August 31)
- Vibe: Hot, humid, and relaxed. Tourism slows down, allowing time for creative projects.
- Activities: Weeding and field maintenance (in the cooler morning or evening hours), experimenting with cold-brew tea recipes, working on blog posts, and preparing materials for the autumn season.
Autumn & Winter (October 12 – January 20)
- Vibe: In autumn, tourism picks up again, then towards December transitioning to quiet, project-focused winter months.
- Activities: Co-hosting autumn tours and focusing on digital creation, content planning, and internal projects.
(Please note: We do not host interns during late January to early March, or during September, as we are travelling).
Cost of Living & Logistics
- Housing/Programme Fee: 0 JPY.
- Food Costs: You will cover your own grocery costs (approx. 7,000 to 10,000 JPY per week depending on your diet). There are grocery stores, local shops, and convenience stores within walking distance.
- Lunch Support: Ikedoki covers lunch on days you assist with tours.
- Travel Insurance: It is a mandatory requirement to have valid travel insurance covering the entire duration of your stay in Japan.
- Visa: Most nationalities can enter Japan on a 90-day “Temporary Visitor” visa (tourist visa). Please check the requirements with your local Japanese Consulate.
How to Apply
Ready to join us in Higashisonogi? The application process is simple:
- Prepare Your Homework: Have a look at our [Application Requirements / Form] where we will ask you to write a mock blog/social media post or prepare a short slide introducing yourself and your motivation.
- Fill out the Form: Complete our online application form.
- Online Video Interview: Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an online video interview to chat about the role, expectations, and cultural fit.
(Note: The link below will open a Google Form to complete your application).