Santiago Guesthouse Naha

Working in a guesthouse, you will have the opportunity to practice not only your Japanese but also some other languages since we receive guests from many different parts of the world!

On your days off, you can go snorkeling or scuba diving as well as visiting museums or other traditional and historical sites. Other than that, Naha can be quite a laid-back small city. If you are looking for some relaxing time with no stress, this could be a nice place to visit.

We are a team of international staff and we encourage people from all walks of life to join us through their journey across Japan. As a helper, you will be working as housekeeping 3-4 hours a day / 5 days a week in exchange for a bed in one of our dormitories. You are mostly expected to help with the cleaning, but you will find that a guesthouse can be a nice place to chat with other guests and make new friends (: In order to join us, you will need to be able to work in Japan. For example, having a Working Holiday Visa will do! Also, our helpers usually stay for about a month. At the moment, we are also looking for help in Reception, so if you speak Japanese let us know! In this case, we would be looking for people willing to stay 4 to 6 months with us.

Top Host
This host receives a lot of worldpackers and has a high average rating.

All experiences

Come and Help at our Friendly International Guesthouse in Okinawa

Cleaning Housekeeping

Naha, Japan

Reviews

5.0
(70 reviews)70

Staff & Host

5.0

Hours & Tasks

5.0

Hostel

5.0

Learning & Fun

5.0

Spain

5

Santiago Guest House Naha was a wonderful experience because of the volunteers I met there and the reception staff. Also I made friends with the guests, so if you’re searching for a social guesthouse this is for you! The schedule was respected and we finished all the task in 2 hours maximum, but it depends on the volunteers working. The only thing I would remark is the communication with the manager should improve, but for the rest i was a blast! Thank you for having me :)

about 1 month ago

Santiago Guesthouse replied

Daniela,
Thank you for your review. This is Show.
I’m sorry that we weren’t able to communicate more directly — I know that may have caused some inconvenience.
I’m glad to hear that your time in Okinawa became a good memory for you.
Please come visit Okinawa again if you ever have the chance.

France

4

I spent one month at this guesthouse and enjoyed a warm, friendly atmosphere. The team of helpers worked together and supported each other well. Work hours are typically 11am-1pm (sometimes varying), leaving plenty of free time each day. The location is excellent, right in the city centre with the bus terminal nearby, making excursions easy. The staff were pleasant and available. The only downside was a lack of clear communication with the manager: requests for repairs or supplies often needed to be repeated several times. Overall, a positive experience ✨

about 2 months ago

Santiago Guesthouse replied

Thank you for your review. This is Show.
I’m sorry that we weren’t able to communicate more directly — I know that may have caused some inconvenience.
I did receive your messages about the missing supplies, but at that time our supplier had been hit by a ransomware attack, so we weren’t able to place any orders.
I believe we informed all staff verbally about the situation.

I’m glad to hear that your time in Okinawa became a good memory for you.

Netherlands

3

My stay in Naha was great! The work was simple and i got trained by other volunteers. As we were with many during my stay, it was always fast and nice. The sleeping capsules we got were with other guests in rooms, but were very sturdy so i felt very cozy and private. The common room is very nice! There is enough space to cook well and room for multiple small groups of people to do their thing.
One point that was a bit difficult is that the owner didnt always communicate clearly. I often didnt know when he was in and he was difficult to reach. The rest of staff/ volunteers: amazing and helpful!

about 2 months ago

Santiago Guesthouse replied

Thank you for your warm message.

I usually gave instructions to the morning staff directly through LINE, but I wasn’t always able to respond smoothly in the Instagram group chat. Because of that, there were things I didn’t handle well, and I’m sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you and the other helpers.

If you ever have the chance, please come visit Okinawa again.
I hope your experiences in Japan will remain good memories for you.

Show　

Australia

5

I had great time at Santiago Guesthouse in Okinawa. The work was straightforward and easily managed with the number of volunteers there at the time. We often finished early and had most of the day to explore. It was a good place to be able to explore a lot of Okinawa, there’s plenty of opportunity to venture out to the nearby islands on days off.

2 months ago

Santiago Guesthouse replied

Hi Garry.
Thank you so much for your message.
I'm sorry for the late reply, and thank you again for all your help as a helper.

If you ever come back to Okinawa, please feel free to stop by — we’d love to see you again.
Ihope your time in Japan becomes a wonderful memory for you.

Germany

5

We loved our stay at Santiago Guesthouse in Naha! The working hours were usually shorter than advertised, which gave us even more time to explore the island. The work is generally easy and quick to complete. The guesthouse is in a great location, making it easy to explore Naha and the rest of the island, including neighboring islands. The time with the other volunteers was relaxed and enjoyable. We were happy to spend five weeks here.

3 months ago

Santiago Guesthouse replied

Hi Franzi.
Thank you so much for your message.
I'm sorry for the late reply, and thank you again for all your help as a helper.

If you ever come back to Okinawa, please feel free to stop by — we’d love to see you again.
Ihope your time in Japan becomes a wonderful memory for you.

Perfect for you if you're looking for

City & Town