Onegai USA

A matching site where Japanese speakers in the U.S. help each other — cat care, dog walking, babysitting, house-sitting and moving help, all in Japanese.

“Onegai” (おねがい) means “a favor” or “a request” in Japanese. Members post small requests, and other members who live nearby offer to help. Onegai USA is currently in beta in the New York and New Jersey area.

The site is in Japanese. Onegai USA is built for people who are comfortable communicating in Japanese — for example, families who want a babysitter who speaks Japanese with their children, or pet owners who want to give detailed care instructions in Japanese.

What you can ask for

Cat care visits while you travel or visit Japan — feeding, litter and photo updates
Dog walking and pet visits
Japanese-speaking babysitting at your home
Help with Japanese homework (hoshuko assignments, reading aloud, kanji practice)
House-sitting checks — watering plants, picking up mail
Housework and Japanese home cooking
Moving help and furniture assembly

Childcare and pet care are offered only as visits to the requester’s home. We do not accept requests to drive people (for example, airport rides).

How it works

Post a request with the dates, area, budget and details. Signing up and posting are free.
Choose a helper from the offers you receive. Check profiles and reviews, and chat before you decide. You only share your street address after booking.
Leave a review for each other when the job is done.

Safety

An “ID verified” badge for members whose photo ID has been checked by our team
Two-way reviews between requesters and helpers
Qualifications shown on profiles (childcare worker, nurse, teacher, CPR)
Support and reporting in Japanese

Fees

During the beta there are no fees. Requesters and helpers arrange payment between themselves.

Who can join

Anyone 18 or older who lives in the service area and can communicate in Japanese. Helpers confirm that they are allowed to work in the United States.

Service area (beta)

Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Jersey City, Hoboken, Fort Lee, Edgewater, Bergen County, Westchester, Long Island and Connecticut. More areas (Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Seattle and others) are planned.

About us

Onegai USA is operated by CLT NY Inc. (474 Warren Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302). Questions: contact form (Japanese or English).

Our sister site Asobi USA covers weekend events and Japanese culture events across the U.S. — read our introduction on Asobi USA.