Activity Report — WATARIDORI PROJECTS
Activity Report
The story so far of our
baseball program in Germany.
Since 2024, WATARIDORI PROJECTS has run a baseball summer camp in Cologne, Germany, every August. Three camps have been held so far. Players train with a local club and stay with the families of teammates their own age, over ten days and eight nights.
We are not accepting applications right now. Until the next enrollment opens, this page shares how past camps went and answers the questions families ask most. We will announce the next enrollment as soon as it is decided. Our program information is currently provided in Japanese.
Latest — 2026
U15 Germany Baseball Summer Camp 2026
- Dates
- Aug 23 – Sep 1, 2026 (8 nights, 10 days)
- Location
- Cologne, Germany
- Host club
- Cologne Cardinals
- Escort
- Our CEO, Katayama, accompanied the group and interpreted throughout
Players joined the five-day summer camp of the Cologne Cardinals, a club in the top division of the German Baseball Bundesliga. They trained and played games on the same field as local players their own age, and stayed with the families of players from the club.
The day after the camp, the group took a day trip to the old city of Aachen. The day before flying home, the children took on a "Lunch Mission" to buy lunch for everyone by themselves. The final day in Germany was a "Host Family Day" spent with their host families. The youngest participant was nine, and the group ranged up to junior high school students. It stayed small throughout.
More from the camp is on our Instagram highlights (@wataridori_projects).
Voices — 2026
What parents told us
These are words from the parents of four families whose children took part in the 2026 summer camp. Each family has agreed to their publication. They are translated from the Japanese originals on our Japanese page.
"I'm going again next year" has become his everyday phrase
My son came home saying, "That was so much fun, I'm going again next year," as if it were a given. He said the host mother was very kind.
I barely heard from him during the trip. I think that shows how much fun he was having every day. I followed along through photos, and the city was beautiful, so I could watch over him with peace of mind.
The best part was that he went for baseball. Even without the language, you can connect just by playing. I saw from my son that sports really are universal. Even though he speaks almost no English, he enjoyed baseball with the local children, and I think that is because of this program.
Parent of a junior high school student
He came home saying not "Overseas is amazing," but "I talked with this person"
There are other overseas baseball tours, but I felt this program was completely different. As soon as he got home, he told us happily, "I got to play the baseball I really wanted to play."
What surprised me was his English. He never had a chance to use it in Japan, but in an environment where he had no choice, he talked to local players and staff on his own. After coming home, he said himself, "Maybe I should study English."
What made me happiest was how specific his stories were. Not "Foreign countries were amazing," but "I met this person, and this happened." He tells me about each person he met. I think it was truly international exchange.
Now he looks into universities in Germany on his own. Baseball opened up his world this summer.
Parent of a junior high school student
He left saying "If you can play baseball, you can connect without words," and came home having truly enjoyed it
It was his first time abroad alone, and he does not speak English. Before he left, we were far more anxious than he was, wondering what kind of home he would stay in and whether he could communicate.
But he had been saying all along, "If you can play baseball, you can connect without words." He told people what he needed with a translation app. His host father is from Colombia and his host mother is German, and the family speaks English at home. He seems to have relaxed and enjoyed even food he had never tried.
Partway through the camp he told them, "I'm coming again next year." Since coming home he keeps saying, "It was really fun," and "I want to go again." The only tiring part, he says, was the flight.
He worked through things that were hard to say in his own way, and I think he had many good experiences we never saw. I am simply grateful.
Parent of a junior high school student
A challenge at nine years old. Only the parents were worried
He went at nine, and I honestly worried it was too early. But once he was there, only we parents were worried. He seemed to be having a great time.
Everyone in his host families was very kind, and they apparently talked through phone translation. We heard that the child of his host family wrote in a diary, "A nine-year-old baseball boy from Japan came to stay. We goofed around before bed, and it was so much fun." It made our whole family very happy. Now we talk about going to visit the host family again.
My son says, "I'm glad I went." Seeing his big brother, even my six-year-old says, "I want to go too."
Even a young child can have an experience like this. I would recommend this program to families unsure about the age.
Parent of an elementary school student
Program Flow
Ten days, eight nights
A typical program, based on 2026. Details change from year to year.
- Leave Japan for Germany
Players fly to Germany. On the day they arrive, they go straight from the airport to the field and meet the local players.
- Summer camp (five days)
Players join the Cologne Cardinals' camp and train and play with local players from morning to late afternoon. They spend each night with their host family.
- The day after camp: Aachen
The group visits the point where Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands meet, Aachen Cathedral from the time of Charlemagne, and hot springs that go back to Roman times. It is a day of things you can only experience there.
- City walk and the "Lunch Mission"
The day before flying home, the group walks around the city. The children took on a "Lunch Mission": buying lunch for everyone by themselves on a limited budget. They split up the roles, and everyone got to eat.
- Final day: Host Family Day
On the last day in Germany, each player spends the day with their host family. It is also a time to say goodbye to the families who looked after them.
- Return to Japan
Players fly home. Our CEO, Katayama, accompanies them from departure to return.
Why Cologne
The host club and the homestay
A Bundesliga top-division club
The Cologne Cardinals were founded in 1983 and play in the top division of the Bundesliga. They have more than 100 youth players, and our CEO, Katayama, played and managed there, so the trust runs deep.
Staying with fellow baseball families
Players stay with the families of teammates their own age, one or two players per family. Even without fluent language, baseball makes it easy to connect.
The same field as future pros
Two players from the club signed with two MLB teams in 2026. Participants take the field in the same environment that produces such players.
Escort and interpreter throughout
Our CEO, Katayama, who knows German baseball from the inside, accompanies the group from departure to return and interprets. Even on a first trip abroad, staff are always nearby.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is it okay for a child to join alone?
Staff accompany the group for the entire trip, from departure to return. Our CEO, Katayama, who spent years in German baseball, escorts the group.
Can players join without speaking English?
An interpreter accompanies the group and supports communication. On the field, baseball is the common language.
What if someone gets injured or sick?
Every participant is covered by overseas travel insurance before departure. If hospital care is needed, staff go with the player.
Can girls join?
Yes. When girls take part, female staff accompany the group and a separate room is arranged.
What ages take part?
The program is for ages 10 to 15. In 2026, players from age nine up to junior high school joined.
Is a visa required?
No. For a short stay, only a passport is required. Please prepare one in advance if you do not have it.
How much does it cost?
The 2026 fee was 297,000 yen including tax. It covered coaching, meals in Germany, escort and interpreting, and team wear. Flights and lodging are arranged by a licensed travel agency under Japan's Travel Agency Act, so they are booked and paid separately. We will announce the next fee when enrollment opens.
When will the next enrollment open?
We will announce it on Instagram (@wataridori_projects) and LINE as soon as it is decided. If you would like an idea of dates and costs, please feel free to ask.
2025
Activities in 2025
Baseball
U15 Germany Baseball Summer Camp 2025
- Dates
- Aug 17 – 25, 2025 (8 nights, 10 days)
- Location
- Cologne, Germany
- Group
- 3 junior high school players and 2 student staff
This was the second year of the program. The group played more baseball than the year before and spent a lot of time with local children. The three players were teammates at home, and most were abroad for the first time.
- From the airport to Cologne, then straight to camp
The group took a train from Frankfurt to Cologne, had a quick bite in front of Cologne Cathedral, and went straight to the Cologne Cardinals' ballpark. They joined the summer camp midway through the day and played baseball with local children from the very first day.
- Individual work in the morning, game-style play in the afternoon
For five days, mornings were fielding, base running and batting, and afternoons were game-style practice. Players received direct coaching from players who had played in the Bundesliga and from a pitcher who had pitched in it. On the last day, Germany's starting national-team catcher led catcher training and a home run derby. After the camp, everyone, host families included, had a pizza party, and the players thanked them with gifts brought from Japan.
- Exploring Cologne
The group ate currywurst, walked past 2,000-year-old ruins and churches, along the Rhine and through the old town, and went inside Cologne Cathedral. They also picked out souvenirs for family and teammates back home.
- Host Family Day
Each player spent the day with their host family, visiting places such as the Chocolate Museum and the Olympic Museum. The next morning the families saw them off at Cologne Central Station with hugs.
Two student staff members from a judo therapist (sports medicine) vocational school also joined us. They led warm-ups, helped players who were hurt, supported practice, and gave body care to local players.
Soccer
Germany Soccer Short-Term Study Abroad 2025
- Duration
- 7 nights, 9 days
- Location
- Cologne, Germany
- Group
- 1 junior high school player
The only participant was a second-year junior high school girl. We weighed whether to run the program for one player, but she had raised her hand to go and her parents supported her, so we decided to go ahead.
- One-on-one personal lessons
She took one-on-one lessons from a Japanese coach living in Germany who holds the German Football Association's A-license. He pointed out her weak spots specifically, and she worked on overcoming them.
- Connecting through play, without words
At the host club she could only follow the others on the first day. But as she played one-on-one and three-on-three, she began to fit in, and on the second day the team's coach asked, "Why don't you cancel your flight home and join us?"
- On the bench as part of the team
Later in the stay she was given the team's jersey and T-shirt and sat on the bench for a match. She was sent off with, "Come back any time."
- Homestay and the city of Cologne
While staying with a host family, she explored Cologne Cathedral, old churches and the Rhine. On the way home she also stopped in Mainz.
Hosting in Japan
Fukuoka summer camp for a Chinese youth baseball team 2025
- In Japan
- July 11 – 21, 2025
- Activities
- 9 days
- Group
- 20 people
A youth baseball team from China held a training camp in Fukuoka. Over nine days of activities, they played ten games against local youth teams and were coached by professional Japanese instructors.
As the representative on the Japan side, we coordinated and attended the camp. We had been preparing for more than six months, ever since we first met the Chinese representative that January. At the farewell party on the last day, players, coaches and parents all thanked us.
2024
Activities in 2024
Baseball — The first program
U15 European Short-Term Baseball Study Abroad 2024
- Dates
- Aug 21 – 29, 2024 (7 nights, 9 days)
- Base
- Cologne, Germany
- For
- Under 15
This was our first study-abroad program. Players had a homestay, joined a local club's activities, spent a day at school, watched a top-league game, and walked through towns in Germany and Belgium.
At first we planned to form a team and tour European countries playing games. Instead, we based the program in Cologne and joined the Cologne Cardinals' activities. That let the children connect much more deeply with local children, and they promised to meet again without any prompting from adults.
- A practice day in Japan
Almost everyone was meeting for the first time. By the end of the first game of catch, they were as comfortable as old teammates.
- A warm welcome in Cologne, late at night
After about 23 hours of travel the group reached Cologne. It was very late, but the host families came to the station and had even made a welcome board.
- Sightseeing in Cologne and a Cardinals practice
In the morning they walked through the old town, over the Hohenzollern Bridge and to Cologne Cathedral. In the afternoon they joined a Cologne Cardinals practice.
- Across the border by train to Belgium
An express train took them to Liège, Belgium, in an hour. They ate authentic waffles and climbed 374 steps for a view over the city. In the evening they joined a Cardinals U18 practice.
- A day when plans changed
A railway accident forced us to give up the trip to the Netherlands. Instead, the group cheered on the Cardinals' second team and watched a German top-league playoff game in nearby Bonn.
- A day with the host families
We turned the open day into a day with the host families. They visited an interactive sports museum, played soccer in a big garden, and were treated to a sushi party that night.
- Düsseldorf and a ballpark to themselves
The group visited Düsseldorf, said to have more Japanese residents than any other city in Europe. Back in Cologne in the evening, they had a natural-grass ballpark to themselves for batting practice.
- A day at school and a last practice
Players spent a day at the school their host siblings attend. The lessons were in German, but they made new friends through physical activities. That night they gave their host families towels with messages of thanks.
- Hugs at the station
The players said goodbye to their host siblings in the morning, then promised to meet again with hugs at the station to the "German mom and dad."
Past Programs
Our activities so far
- U15 Germany Baseball Summer Camp 2026
Aug 23 – Sep 1 (8 nights, 10 days), Cologne, Germany. A five-day summer camp, homestays, and a final Host Family Day.
- Local coordination for YouTuber "Giant Killing" baseball challenge in Germany
Cologne, Germany. We handled local coordination, including arrangements with the club, interpreting, and filming logistics.
- U15 Germany Baseball Summer Camp 2025
Aug 17 – 25 (8 nights, 10 days), Cologne, Germany. Three junior high school players and two student staff took part in the summer camp and homestays.
- Fukuoka training camp for a Chinese youth baseball team
11 days, 20 people. As the person in charge on the Japan side, we oversaw and coordinated the entire camp.
- Germany Soccer Short-Term Study Abroad 2025
7 nights, 9 days. Training with a local club, homestays, and Bundesliga match visits.
- U15 European Short-Term Baseball Study Abroad 2024
Our first program. Aug 21–29 (7 nights, 9 days), based in Cologne, with games and exchange events with local clubs and a top-league game.
Case
Germany Soccer Short-Term Study Abroad 2025
In the home of soccer, players trained with a local club, stayed with host families, and watched Bundesliga matches.
