Japan · 4 days
Each trip takes a different part of Japan and builds the days around it. In Hakone, 90 minutes from Tokyo, spring brings new green along the cedar avenue of the old road. There's a cruise across Lake Ashi, hot springs at the end of each day, and Mt. Fuji across the water on a clear morning. The Setouchi trips focus on …
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Japan · 4 days · From USD 1130 (indicative)
Each trip takes a different part of Japan and builds the days around it. In Hakone, 90 minutes from Tokyo, spring brings new green along the cedar avenue of the old road. There's a cruise across Lake Ashi, hot springs at the end of each day, and Mt. Fuji across the water on a clear morning.
The Setouchi trips focus on the Inland Sea. On the Shimanami route you cycle the bridges linking island to island, then stay at a temple in a town of sake breweries. There you can join the morning service, sit zazen and try incense craft. A second Setouchi trip pairs Zen with island art.
In Northern Japan, the Appi trip centres on forest bathing. One guest describes walking under old, mossy trees with a guide, then spending time with horses in wide pastures. Two other northern trips cover Zen with martial arts, and a winter snowshoe retreat in Zao.
Central Japan has a temple lodging trip in Nagano and a snow country trip in Niigata that combines local traditions with Zen. Food is a real part of the programme as well. One guest review describes a miso-making class with a teacher named Miyuki, followed by a 5-course vegan lunch.
What separates this from a typical single-venue retreat is that nothing happens in one fixed resort. You move through a region and meet the people who live and work there, and you can choose a pre-planned trip or have one built from scratch. The operator also runs group retreats for hosts and companies.
The people leading the sessions have real local ties. Sozan Hozumi is a Rinzai Zen priest in Fukuyama, Hiroshima. Fumiko Nakamachi is based in Hachimantai City, Iwate, and Arashi Murakami is on Omishima Island, Ehime. Spring, from April to June 2027, is the suggested season for both the Hakone and Shimanami trips.
- Lodging, including a temple stay on the Shimanami route - Zen practice, on the trips that feature it - Morning service, zazen and incense craft on the Shimanami route - Lake Ashi cruise on the Hakone trip - Hot spring bathing on the Hakone trip - Local guides and specialists, depending on the trip
- International flights to Japan (not listed as included, confirm with the operator) - Travel insurance (not listed as included, confirm with the operator) - Extra days or added stays in Tokyo or Kyoto, unless arranged and priced with the operator - Personal expenses