This project is actively working for SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDGs 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), organized together with Shizentaiken Ozuchi Mura since 2013, founded by local people to keep the original landscape. There were 140 inhabitants with 20 houses in 1916, but now only one person lives there. Still 10 houses remained and the area was designated as Nation's Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings. We will try to improve the situation by young voluntary power. Since 2016, Ozuchi village and NICE have started weekend workcamps and over 400 vols. joined here per year and love this village! Local host hope to pass this village down the next generations! This year's project is a joint project with Fukuoka Prefecture. Japanese participants will include seven high school students from Fukuoka Prefecture and NICE staff.

This project is actively working for SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), organized together with Association for Promotion of Regional Development in Nishiyama area, Kumano city where is depopulated in Mie prefecture since 2017. There are about 220 residents whose 73% is over 65 years old in Nishiyama area where volunteers will mainly stay. One youth who had joined an international workcamp in the past, has started organizing weekend workcamps since 2011 in Nishiyama area. 5 years later, local people have been getting open-minded to youths from outside of the area. Since the local people are getting too old to maintain public places such as parks or ruins of a castle, they need hands from international volunteers! Last year, more local elderly people got involved in the camp because the volunteers actively helped the work a lot and practiced traditional Japanese dance together. This year, local high school students may be invited to join a part of the camp.
*Outcome of this workcamp: Please see the long term goal of this project as Local SDGs at https://www.slideshare.net/nice-workcamp/2019-wp5 (only Japanese for the moment, but you can at least enjoy the pictures!). The local people and vols. sometimes cry on the last days. In 2019, 7 vols. from 4 countries worked well.

This project is actively working for SDG2 (Zero Hunger) and SDGS15 (Life on Land). This project is co-organized with Sugiura Farm that engages in organic farming for pursuing food safety and an environmental-friendly society. The owner of this farm is Mr. Sugiura, who is the only a man taking care of 2 hectares of farmland abandoned by local people. The local people became too old to keep working on the farm. Mr. Sugiura cultivates, harvests crops, even makes fertilizer and processes the harvest into products. He is working not only for crops, but also for conserving the environment and the beautiful scenery of living fields in the countryside of Japan.

*Outcome of this workcamp: International vols. gradually have become familiar with local people and community thanks to local host's effort. They not only worked at the farm but also joined local festival as a staff and went to language school to study Japanese. They are required to make good relationship with local and create valuable changes in the community.

This project is actively working for SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDGs 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), organized together with the local group since 2019. This village has been welcoming ohenro (pilgrims) who visit 88 temples in Shikoku since long time ago. The pilgrims walk through this village before visiting Kakurin-ji temple; the 20th temple out of 88 temples of the Shikoku Ohenro Pilgrimage. However, there are problems which should be solved such as aging and depopulation of the community these days, and locals haven't been able to find solutions for those problems. On the other hand, since more and more people from overseas visit for the Shikoku Ohenro Pilgrimage locals are trying to find new ways for omotenashi (hospitality). Volunteers who have been working on the project have come up with ideas for the reuse of vacant and abandoned land. Local host Oi have finally decided that they can freely renovate and modify the vacant houses. Moreover, the site is in a good location, with mountains, a river and fields. It is up to the volunteers from now on to decide how to develop the project. The aim is for the volunteer members to clean up the abandoned houses and village landscape and transform it into a village that people will want to visit to take photos, as it used to be a village where people came and went since ancient times. This year's project is a joint project with Fukuoka Prefecture. Japanese participants will include seven high school students from Fukuoka Prefecture and NICE staff.

This project has been organized together with a local NGO for community development named KOBOSHA since 1996. Volunteers will join the summer festival called TORO NAGASHI that is a memorial service for ancestors by making lanterns named TORO and floating them down a river. Volunteers will make large TORO (2 x 2 meters) for the festival in this workcamp. Project aims to mobilize the local community with workcampers. Through this workcamp, the local community will be much more activated, redeveloping pride for their community!

This project is actively working for SDG 4 (Quality Education), organized together with local group for International workcamp in Hirata since 2001. During 2020-2022, it canceled to do workcamp due to Covid-19. Hirata town is depopulated area in Izumo city and they don’t have much chance to have an international interact, which is important for kids growth. Also, the number of people who maintain the environment is getting decreasing. Through this workcamp they hope that volunteer can activate local people and community.

*Outcome of this workcamp: Sharing a private bath each other in a small community which is one of the traditional custom in Japan. The number of local people who invite volunteers for sharing a bath is increasing and enjoy communicating with each other, exchanging own culture. Please see the long term goal of this project as Local SDGs at https://www.slideshare.net/nice-workcamp/17-82095353 (only Japanese for the moment, but you can at least enjoy the pictures!). In 2019, 10 vols. from 4 countries joined.

This project is actively working for SDG 4 (Quality Education) , organized together with MINO COOLJAPAN, since 2024 in Mino city, Gifu prefecture.


At this camp, volunteers will support for the children's camp, which is held on 8/24-8/25. About 20 children from 8 to 15 years old would be participated. Children in Mino City do not have many opportunities to interact with people from other countries. This camp will be a valuable opportunity for children to understand the diversity of the world, grow together, and cooperate.


By communicating with volunteers from different cultures and languages, we expect the children to improve their communication skills, including non-verbal, in order to communicate effectively while respecting the other's culture and background. By building a Bamboo House together will be also great opportunity to develop the ability to cooperate with each other across national and cultural boundaries for kids! We also hope that by experiencing local traditional culture together with children, children will gain confidence in local culture.

This project is actively working for SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDGs 10 (Reduced Inequalities), organized together with Kyodo Gakusha since 1998, a cooperative community where people with various backgrounds such as mentally disadvantaged, people who are tired of city life, who wants to learn farming, just want to live in the nature, etc. They have 5 communities in Tokyo, Nagano and Hokkaido and grow animals and vegetables in ecological, organic way with utilizing bacterium and charcoal. Shintoku farm has 60 ha of land and 60 inhabitants including kids. Their cheese got the 1st prize in the global contest! The workcamp has been stopped since 2020 and revived this time!
*Outcome of this workcamp: The workcamps have greatly shared the spirit of the community and also do some that is hardly done by their daily work such as construction of sheep farm, irrigation ditch, etc. In 2019, 7 vols. from 5 countries helped to harvest the vegetables, run the cafe, etc. and had a wonderful exchange in the school visit. Please see the long term goal of this project as Local SDGs at https://www.slideshare.net/nice-workcamp/n0-68540773 (only Japanese for the moment, but you can at least enjoy the pictures!)