Mie Prefecture's largest mikan-growing region, Mihama Town and Kihoku Town, welcomes back the "Mikan Harvest Workation" (nicknamed Mikawa) starting September 12, 2026 (Saturday). Now in its fourth year since debuting in 2023, the program is planned and operated by PCW Japan (Japan Wellbeing Promotion Council; Representative Director: Yuka Shimada). The first session runs through November 8 (Sunday), and the second session runs from November 21 (Saturday) through December 20 (Sunday).
In its third year, 2025, the program ran for 67 days and drew a total of 258 participant visits, who together spent 1,164 hours working in the mikan orchards. On a 100-point scale, participant satisfaction averaged 95.6 points, and 91.7% of host farmers said they would like to welcome participants again next year.
Participants spend half a day or a full day working alongside host farmers on tasks such as harvesting, sorting, and packing mikan. The program welcomes those combining the stay with remote work as well as those joining on their days off. Work hours can be chosen from "morning only," "afternoon only," or "full day," with half-day participation available. Each day accepts around 10 to 20 participants, and there is no participation fee.
PCW Japan supports the program's planning and operation as part of its "Primary Industry Workation®" initiative. In southern Mie Prefecture, where population decline and a shortage of successors continue, the program uses hands-on involvement in primary industry to create a flow of people between the area and beyond, aiming to improve the wellbeing of both the growing region and the people who work there.
Now Accepting Applications — apply via the official LINE account up to three days before your desired participation date: https://lin.ee/gY97Uye
Event Overview
Mikan Harvest Workation (Mikawa)
Dates
First session: September 12 (Saturday) to November 8 (Sunday), 2026 (Reiwa 8)
Second session: November 21 (Saturday) to December 20 (Sunday), 2026 (Reiwa 8)
Work
First session: Mainly mikan harvesting, plus sorting and packing
Second session: Harvesting, sorting, and packing, plus tasks such as bagging fruit, applying protective netting ("sante"), clearing mulch sheeting, and preparing processed products for sale *Harvesting work is not always guaranteed
Work Hours — choose from the following three options
- Morning only (8:00 AM to 12:00 PM)
- Afternoon only (1:00 PM to 5:00 PM)
- Full day (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM)
*Full-day participants receive lunch from the host farmer
Work Location
Fields and workspaces of host farmers in Mihama Town and Kihoku Town, Mie Prefecture
*The program office arranges the matching with host farmers
Number of Participants
Approximately 10 to 20 per day
Participation Fee
Free (transportation and accommodation to the area are at participants' own expense)
Participation Requirements
- Open to junior high school age and older (elementary school age and younger by consultation)
- First-time participants must attend an online briefing session in advance
Briefing session application form: https://forms.gle/Gec6Bg9UVZZXZQZPA
Mikan Harvest Workation Application
Via the official Mikan Harvest Workation LINE account: https://lin.ee/gY97Uye
*Please apply by three days before your desired participation date
Organizer
Mie Prefecture
Participation Fee
Free (transportation, accommodation, and meals are at participants' own expense)
Planning and Operation
PCW Japan (Japan Wellbeing Promotion Council)
About the Mikan Harvest Workation
The Mie Nanki area is home to the prefecture's largest mikan-growing region. Time spent immersed in harvesting and other orchard work, surrounded by the rich nature of local farms — that is the Mikan Harvest Workation (nicknamed Mikawa).
Working with your hands, breaking a sweat, and facing the fruit in front of you. Immersing yourself fully in the work quiets the mind and gradually loosens the tension of everyday life. It's a chance to empty out what has built up in a busy daily routine and reconnect — with yourself, with nature, and with other people.
The work in the orchards varies by season and host farm, involving tasks unique to each time of year, such as harvesting, sorting, packing, and applying protective netting. During breaks, participants sometimes get to taste mikan freshly picked from the tree. Working within nature's rhythm, participants can reset and reconnect — a rewarding experience found nowhere else.
Details (Primary Industry Workation® official site): https://workation1st.jp/area_detail/InmNpyNy#about
Mikawa's History
Mikawa grew out of the "Ume Harvest Workation" (nicknamed Umewa), which began in Minabe Town, Wakayama Prefecture, in 2022. In March 2023, a seminar introducing the Umewa program was held in southern Mie Prefecture, and mikan farmers from Mihama Town who attended said they wanted to try it themselves — a wish that led to the program's first run that same autumn.
In its first year, 2023, five farms took part, and 131 participant visits were recorded over 44 days. In its second year, 2024, the number of host farms grew to 10 and the program ran for 60 days, drawing 147 participant visits. In its third year, 2025, the host area expanded to neighboring Kihoku Town, bringing the number of host farms to 16 (10 in Mihama Town, 6 in Kihoku Town). Across the first and second sessions, spanning 67 days, the program drew 258 participant visits (158 unique participants), with participants spending a combined 1,164 hours on farm work. About 40% of participants came from outside Mie Prefecture, including from Aichi, Tokyo, Wakayama, and Osaka, as well as some from overseas. In its fourth year, 2026, the program runs across two sessions from September to December as the first installment of the "Mie Primary Industry Workation®."
Participant Voices
From the 2025 Participant Survey (60 respondents, 34.5% response rate; satisfaction averaged 95.6 out of 100 points; 93.3% rated the experience "very good," and 83.3% said they "want to participate again next year")
- "Moving my body outdoors and losing myself in the work felt like mindfulness. I think a lot of people out there need an experience like this."
- "I got to experience farm work, and talking with the farmers was even more enjoyable than I expected. We didn't just talk about farming — we covered business, culture, local information, and all kinds of other topics."
- "It had been a long time since I could focus only on what was in front of me without thinking about anything else, and it turned into a really good experience."
- "Now, when I see vegetables and fruit for sale at the supermarket, I feel a sense of gratitude toward the farmers who put in the time and effort to grow and ship them."
Asked to describe the Mikan Harvest Workation in one word, participants offered responses such as "gratitude," "connection," "encounters," "immersion," "a mindfulness experience," "a refresh for the heart," and "a detox for the brain."
In a survey of host farmers (12 respondents), satisfaction also averaged 92.1 out of 100 points. 91.7% said they would like to host participants again next year, with comments such as "the work went more smoothly," "I had more chances to connect with people from different industries," and "reuniting with repeat participants is such a joy."
About Mihama and Kihoku
Mihama Town and Kihoku Town lie in the warm southern part of Mie Prefecture. Blessed with a mild climate shaped by the Kuroshio Current, sea breezes off Kumano-nada, and long hours of sunshine, the area is known as the prefecture's largest mikan-growing region.
Its standout feature is "chogokuwase" (ultra-early) mikan, harvestable from mid-September, which combines the fresh acidity of the early season with a sugar content of 10 degrees or more. From there, the ripening varieties shift through gokuwase (extra-early), wase (early) mikan, high-sugar unshu, iyokan, hayaka, ponkan, shiranui, and setoka, so mikan can be harvested year-round. This is why Mihama Town is known as "the town where mikan can be picked all year."
The area's appeal also comes through in its scenery — palm trees reaching skyward under a bright sun with the ocean just ahead, a view that could make you think, "this looks just like Hawaii." The region is also home to mountain passes along the World Heritage-listed Kumano Kodo and Shichirimihama beach, selected as one of Japan's 100 best shorelines.
Kihoku Town borders Mihama Town to the south and faces Wakayama Prefecture across the Kumano River. It joined the Mikawa program as a host area starting in 2025.
About Primary Industry Workation®
Primary Industry Workation® is an initiative organized by PCW Japan. Primary-industry settings offer not only immersive experiences that strongly affect wellbeing, but also a sense of contribution, achievement, and self-efficacy — insights into the body and senses that come only from stepping outside everyday life. When working people place themselves in agriculture, forestry, or fishing settings and immerse themselves in tasks like harvesting, whether combined with remote work or apart from their regular jobs, it raises the wellbeing of both participants and the producers who host them, helping to revitalize regions facing a shortage of successors.
Its origin traces back to the "Ume Harvest Workation" (nicknamed Umewa), which began in Minabe Town, Wakayama Prefecture, in June 2022. Across five seasons since its debut, it has drawn a total of 1,756 participant visits, and will mark its fifth anniversary in 2027. Since 2023, the initiative has expanded to include the Mikan Harvest Workation in Mihama Town and Kihoku Town, Mie Prefecture; the Amanatsu Harvest Workation in Owase City, Mie Prefecture; the Kikori (Woodcutter) Workation in Noto Town, Ishikawa Prefecture; and "TUNAGU," a program that uses regions as a platform to develop self-directed talent.
Primary Industry Workation® Official Site: https://workation1st.jp/
Representative Message
Japan Wellbeing Promotion Council, Representative Director
YeeY Co., Ltd., Co-Founder and CEO
Yuka Shimada
"Mikawa was born from the seriousness of this region. When an outsider's own seriousness is combined with that, things start to happen in a community."
"The five host farms from our first year have grown to 16, and the host area now spans both Mihama Town and Kihoku Town. Every year, I've watched participants become absorbed in the work and leave the mikan fields with beaming smiles once it's over. Time spent working with your hands, breaking a sweat, and feeling the seasons change in orchards full of nature is also a chance to notice hints about the way of living and working that suits you."
"I'm looking forward to meeting many people during this fourth year of Mikawa."
