What will you experience as a volunteer in this program?

As a volunteer, you will join, ofen alongside Japanese volunteers, a variety of activities, for which our volunteer coordinators create a weekly activity plan. These include, on 5.5 days per week:

Preservation of Chokokuji Temple

Habitat Restoration for the Japanese Crested Ibis

Beach Cleanup

Bamboo as a Sustainable Material

Environmental Education and Cultural Exchange with School Children

Community Work

Cultural and Traditional Workshops

Wild Herb Activity

Organic Farming

Supporting Pollinators

Leisure Activities

About the Reintroduction of the Japanese Crested Ibis

The Japanese Crested Ibis (Nipponia nippon) is a bird measuring 54-88 cm in length with a wingspan of 140 cm. It was relatively common in Korea, China, Japan, and parts of Russia until the rise of industrial agriculture in the mid-20th century. However, habitat loss, particularly due to the use of chemical pesticides in rice fields that destroyed its food sources and harmed local wildlife, pushed the species to the brink of extinction. By 1981, the species was officially declared extinct in the wild, and the last five Japanese ibises were captured to start a reintroduction program on Sado Island. In 2008, the first captive-bred ibises were released back into the wild. The first wild-born chicks were observed in 2012. Today, there are around 700 ibises on Sado Island and the neighboring Honshu mainland.

About Chokokuji Temple

The temple is said to have been founded in the year 807 by the Buddhist monk Kukai. It houses a variety of cultural treasures, including three Eleven-Headed Kannon statues, which are considered nationally significant cultural assets and were created by Kukai himself. These statues are only presented to the public once every 33 years, with the next display scheduled for the year 2034. Additionally, the temple features statues of Kongo Rikishi (two wrathful guardians of Buddha) dating back to the Heian period (10th–12th century), as well as the Gochido Hall, which is classified as a cultural property of the prefecture. In 2018, the current monk, Tomita, added a large stone "Rabbit Kannon" statue, which is dramatically illuminated at night. In Buddhist teachings, Kannon is a Bodhisattva—a being that has attained enlightenment but chooses to remain in the cycle of birth and death to help all living beings achieve salvation.

On the temple grounds, there are three very large cedar trees that are believed to possess spiritual powers. Their age is estimated to be over 1,000 years, as is that of a Japanese umbrella pine tree, which is over 500 years old. These ancient trees have been designated as natural monuments by the prefecture.