Are you interested in hosting a Japanese guest during the 28^th Japan America Grassroots Summit? We have 150 people coming to Washington State next year. We are seeking host families in the 14 local session localities. Learn more about local sessions here.

The Grassroots Summit is open to everyone so guests should range from older retired people, to young married couples, to families with small children. Get to know Japanese people from all walks of life. Learn about their culture and share your own.

See the Host Family Orientation powerpoint here.

See the Host Family Handbook here.

Host Family Requirements

• Provide 3 nights of lodging (September 20-23) for the Japanese guests. Host families should be able to provide basic amenities, including clean bedding, access to laundry, towels, soap/shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste, and a hairdryer.
  
  
• Provide guests with meals together with the family. Please see the basic chart for a breakdown of meals provided:
  

• Provide transportation for the guests during their stay (September 20-23, 2018). This includes transportation:
  
• • From the designated pick-up location within each local session on September 20.
  • To/From the designated drop-off/pick-up locations for the local tours on September 20 and 21. This location will be decided by the local session key persons.
  • To the Hyatt Regency Lake Washington in Renton, WA for the Grassroots Summit Closing Ceremony on September 23, 2018.
    Host families that are part of a local session more than 30 miles from the Hyatt Regency Lake Washington will be able to drop-off guests at a designated bus pick-up point in or near their local session. Host families in local sessions under 30 miles from the Hyatt Regency Lake Washington may be asked to drop-off guests at the hotel.
• Plan and provide activities for guests on the designated host family day, Saturday, September 22, 2018. This can be something simple, such as taking the guest to a child’s soccer game, eating lunch at your favorite restaurant, or visiting a nearby park. We hope that you will share your everyday life and favorite places with your guest. If these activities include a cost that you would like your guest to pay, please be sure to inform them of the cost ahead of time and ask them if they are willing to pay it.
  On this day, guests are prepared to pay their share of meals eaten outside the home, however, if lunch is eaten at home, please provide lunch to the guests as well.
  
  
• If host family members are available, they are welcome to attend or assist with local tours. However, host family attendees may be expected to cover their own costs.
  
  
• Host family members will all receive complimentary tickets to the Grassroots Summit Closing Ceremony on September 23, 2018 and an overnight parking voucher for the Hyatt Regency Lake Washington. To learn more about the Closing Ceremony, click here. If more than one family member would like to attend, they are welcome to register at http://jassw.org at a later date.
  
  Dinner will be provided to all Closing Ceremony attendees. Lunch should be made available to Japanese guests on that day. Guests are prepared to pay their share of meals eaten outside the home, such as if the host family goes to the Hyatt early and decides to eat lunch around the hotel or in Seattle on the way. Otherwise, guests should be fed before being dropped off at the hotel or designated bus pick-up location.
  
  
• Take photographs with your guest on local tours, at home, or at the closing ceremony, and share them with JASSW here.
  
  
• Share and exchange information about each other’s culture. Experiencing everyday life in someone’s home in a foreign country is the purpose of this program. Keep schedules as routine as possible, while including guests in family activities, such as walks, grocery shopping, sporting or school events, etc.

Sign Up

To apply to be a host family, please register here under your closest Local Session location. You may also download a physical application here and send the flyer directly to the Japan-America Society of the State of Washington at the address below:

3010 77th Ave SE, Suite 102
Mercer Island, WA  98040

For more information on host family requirements and hosting tips, please see our Host Family and Local Sessions Handbook or contact the Japan-America Society of the State of Washington at grassroots2018@jassw.org or (206) 374-0180 for more information.