Private Zen & Wellness Escape in a Century-Old Japanese Farmhouse

NAMI is the kind of place that doesn't try to fill your time. The program is built around a few core elements, each chosen with care, and the rest of the day is yours to do with as you please. It's a private, one-group-at-a-time retreat, which means you get the entire farmhouse and the attention of your host, Namiko, who acts as chef, tea ceremony host, and general caretaker for the duration of your stay.

Mornings start with a yoga session led by Mayumi, a yoga instructor and bodywork practitioner. The sessions are held on the engawa veranda as the morning light comes in off the sea, and they're gentle enough for complete beginners — flexibility is not a requirement. One evening, Mayumi offers a combined bodywork session: Rakken-ho, a traditional Japanese foot therapy where the practitioner uses their feet to work deep tension out of the body, followed by Ku-Route, a needle-free energy healing that works through the hands. It's an unusual, deeply restorative experience.

Evenings are for zazen at Gyokuho-ji temple, which shares a wall with the farmhouse. A resident priest leads the session, guiding you through posture and breath before the silence begins. If you want to go deeper, the temple opens at 5am for its daily routine of zazen, sutra chanting, and communal cleaning — many guests say that hour is the most grounding of their stay. It's not available on Sundays.

The food is central to the experience. Namiko spent 12 years as a vegetable buyer before she ever cooked, then worked through kitchens in California, Niigata, and Kyoto. Her cooking is rooted in Japanese fermentation culture — miso, shio-koji, soy sauce, amazake — and everything is plant-based by default. On your first evening, she serves a kaiseki-style dinner of small seasonal dishes. On the second evening, you step into the kitchen yourself to make shio-koji and seasonal vegan sushi, which becomes that night's meal. A full tea ceremony is also part of the stay, connecting the Zen practice to the ritual of preparing and drinking matcha.

What's included

- Airport pickup & drop-off (from Nagasaki Airport or Isahaya Station) - 2 nights accommodation in the entire private farmhouse - 3 daily meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Vegetarian or vegan kaiseki dinner on arrival evening - Vegan sushi cooking workshop (including a jar of shio-koji to take home) - Daily yoga classes with Mayumi - Daily meditation (zazen) at the temple - 30-minute bodywork session (Rakken-ho foot therapy & Ku-Route healing) - Welcome matcha and a full tea ceremony - Water, tea, and coffee throughout the day - Private use of entire property (one group per day) - Free parking - Free wifi - Farewell onigiri box - Post-retreat integration support (online session)

What's not included

- Flights costs - Travel insurance - Visa fee - Additional treatments - Additional activities not included in the itinerary