Share a Home-Cooked Meal with a Local Family in Japan
Want to experience Japan beyond sightseeing spots and restaurants?
Learn about Japanese food and culture by visiting homes from Hokkaido to Okinawa.
Whether you are traveling looking for a non-touristy thing to do in Japan, an expat planning a quick family weekend trip, or an international student wanting to practice their Japanese, signing up for a Borderless Visit is a great way to experience the real Japan.
Meet interesting people in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Himeji, Nara, Nagoya, Matsumoto, Nagano, Hiroshima, Hakata, and more.
With Borderless Visit, travelers visit a local familyfs home in Japan, share a simple home-cooked meal, and spend a few hours together.
Rather than observing from the outside, they are welcomed into the household as a friend, as an individual, and experience everyday life in Japan.
What happens on a Borderless Visit?
1. Meet your host
Either at 12 pm for lunch or 6 pm for dinner at a designated station near your host
2. Walk together to their house
Your host will guide you to their home from the station.
3. Enjoy!
Chat and eat at your hostfs home for at least 2-3 hours.
What makes Borderless Visit unique?
Borderless Visit is not designed for travelers to consume local culture.
Instead, it creates a space where travelers and local families enjoy time together ? cooking, eating, and talking as people, on equal footing.
You're invited to share life as it happens, connecting at the same table as friends, not as customer and service provider.
This approach embodies what's known as convivial tourism - travel shaped by shared moments and genuine connection, not consumption.
We build friendships not business transactions
Borderless Visit is not an online marketplace. We do not commodify our hosts and experiences. Our goal is for you to meet that friend or family you haven't met.
More than 10,000 people have joined
Since 2011, over 10,000 guests including families, couples, and solo travelers of all ages from around the world have shared more than 5,000 meals with local hosts across Japan.
Meet interesting locals all over Japan
Wherever your journey takes you, hosts are ready to welcome you from all across Japan.
Casual yet meaningful interaction
Chat and eat at your host's home for about 2 or 3 hours. However, the hope is that there will be a next time where you meet again.
All hosts are prepared to speak English
Many hosts have acquired much of their language skill from travel, study, or work. Each host may speak at different levels and speak other languages.
Participation fee intentionally fixed
The price is fixed at 6,000 yen per adult (13+), 4,000 yen for children (5-12), and free for infants (0-4). Half goes directly to the host for ingredient costs, while the rest supports the program's operations.
What people are saying about Borderless Visit
When I booked the Borderless Visit, everyone was very excited. No one was nervous or scared. Our children were comfortable with the hostfs home and children in a matter of minutes. They could not communicate verbally, but they had fun folding origami together and engaging in physical humor. As a parent, I was amazed at how well the children got along and played together. The activity was very different than any other activity we did on our trip, but was perhaps the most special.
- Gery from the US with family of six with four kids
I read about Borderless Visit in an Instagram-Post and was immediately hooked, but when I told Felix about it, he was a bit skeptical. We are both not too outgoing, so visiting people you've never met, and whose language you don't speak, "just like that" probably felt a bit weird. Naru and Kaori met us as the train-station, well prepared with a map and additional info-material. They are a lovely couple and I wrote some emails with Naru beforehand, so I felt no need to be nervous. Just go for it and don't be afraid!
- Cheryll from Germany with partner
Who are the hosts?
Hosts are ordinary people living their everyday lives across Japan. You may visit:
- Families with children
- Couples
- Individuals living alone
Each host has their own lifestyle and personality, and that diversity makes every visit unique.
The many ways to enjoy a Borderless Visit
Participate with family and friends or go solo
Trying new foods is just the beginning
Get started now and receive a list of potential hosts
1. Send Request to Find Host
Start by filling out our host request form. This form is the most important step so take your time. Where do you want to Borderless Visit? When? Whofs coming? Describing in detail who you are to our hosts. Any hobbies? The more personalized details, the better the response. The latest you can send a request is 72 hours before your requested date and time.
2. Receive Host Offers
You will receive email notifications if they are interested in meeting you and available on the dates you suggested. First, read the host profile and see who they are, what they do, where they live. Then get to know your hosts better by responding to their messages.
3. Book within 72 Hours
If you are interested in meeting the host, make sure to book and complete payment within 72 hours. Each offer expires exactly after 72 hours with no extensions. Canft accept an offer? Not a problem. Decline the offer by sending them a quick message showing your appreciation.
4. Continue Communication with Hosts
Communication is key to an enjoyable Borderless Visit so continue to chat with the hosts until the day of your Borderless Visit.