Yakumo, Hokkaido, Japan | February 2024

Come join us in Yakumo, for a fun-filled and community-centered worldschool gathering February 6-12, 2024. 

The Worldschool Pop-Up Hub provides super casual, budget-friendly opportunities to gather, connect with other worldschoolers, learn about the local area, instill new friendships, share your insights, and immerse in a friendly, accepting mobile community. Our activities highlight local nature, history, food, and culture... but you'll also have plenty of time to relax, get to know each other, and even stray from the itinerary to add activities that cater to the group's interests.

Pop in for a few days or the full week. Join as many activities as you'd like. It's up to you!  

Our itinerary will include activities such as the following: 

*Yakumo's SAMUIBEYA Winter Festival

*Skiing & Snowboarding

*Pecolela Campground (for Igloo-Making and other Winter Activities)

*Mochi Making

*Snowshoeing

*Yakumocho Kiborikuma Museum

*Yakumo Shrine

*Community Dinners and Game Nights

*Japanese Crafts - Origami, Shuji, etc...

COST per Family (Limited to 10 Families)

US$100 Early Bird Rate, expires November 15, 2023

US$140 Regular Rates (a $25 discount is available for families in need, use code YAKUMO25 at checkout)

MEET YOUR HOST:

Kenichiro, Awilda, and Ricardo (11 y/o) will be your hosts in Yakumo, Hokkaido Japan. My spouse and I chose to retire early and began traveling fulltime with Ricardo in 2020 as house and pet sitters in Spain and around the US. In 2021 we lived in Latin America as part of the Traveling Circus. In 2023 we traveled through Southeast Asia and Japan, hosted a pop up in Osaka and attended one in Siem Reap.  

So why Yakumo of all the places? It is located between Sapporo and Hokodate and is accessible by train and bus. In February 2023, our family had the opportunity to volunteer and spend two weeks in this town. We met an individual who was trying to transform this town into a hub of creativity for young people in Japan as well as revitalize the economy of the region. Yakumo is not a typical tourist destination but while we were there, we experienced activities including skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, mochi making, winter festival with snowmobiles and banana boats, igloo making, etc. We volunteered with an organization providing jobs for persons with disabilities. I feel that this pop-up will introduce families to a typical small town in northern Japan. There are plenty of nature activities and opportunities to interact with the local community.

LODGING & NEIGHBORHOODS:

Our activities will take place in Yakumo town, centered around Guest House Sento. Yakumo town has limited accommodation, and the host family recommends staying with them at the small inn (Sento). There are some other hotels and guesthouses available within walking distance of Sento. Sento also has a restaurant attached and will serve as a central location and meeting point for many of the activities (ie game night, community dinner).

TRANSPORT CONSIDERATIONS:

There is a JR Yakumo train station inside the town. Public transportation is limited within and around the town and we will have to arrange transportation via van through our local contact to get to the sites outside the town, like skiing and snowshoeing. The furthest location is about 30-minutes by car and 1-hour by public transportation.

SKI / SNOWBOARD COSTS:

Pricing for skiing and snowboarding is less than half the cost of the more popular Japanese sites, like Niseko.  Expect to pay around US$23 for the rentals and US$10-20 for lift tickets.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Join the private Facebook group to ask questions, stay up to date on activities in the area, meet the host, and interact with other potential attendees:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/yakumopopup2024

Browse our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about how our pop-ups work:

https://www.worldschoolpopuphub.com/faqs

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