Kokoro

Nurturing The Creative Heart Spirit

A Poetic Living Retreat.

Hayama, Japan. April 20th-23rd

make your deposit.

In the height of Spring, when the land has recently erupted in full bloom, we meet here. We meet on the low balcony overlooking the garden. We meet around the table, resting on tatami, drinking Japanese tea. Here, we are held in the arms of the community, the scent of flowers and the land herself. We meet sharing home cooked food made before us in a traditional kitchen, by local natural foods chefs. We meet in tea ceremony, in poetry, in celebration of your creative voice, the surrounding natural world.

A short distance from the bustling and historic seaside town Kamakura, you will find Hayama Village. A quiet pocket by the ocean where an eighty year old home sits with a garden. Walking through the doors is like stepping back in time. This is the space we will make our shared home for three nights. A short walk to the beach, the mountains and one of the best cafes in all of Japan. A place to soften, learn and immerse in the art of a rich culture, celebrating the seasons with reverence and beauty, centuries deep.

This is a very intimate, special experience with only a handful of spaces available. What we have curated is possible only through the collaboration of women creatives, chefs, florists and ceremonialists who live in the local area. Together, we create a circle of sisterhood, living as if we have travelled back in time to a Japan of times past, remembering the quiet, imperfect and ephemeral, outside of the waves of over-tourism, bright lights and crowds. Please keep in mind this is a very old, traditional house with a shared sleeping room, not a luxury accomodation.

Our time unfolds like the soft storytelling of a Japanese novel. By the time we part ways, it will all make sense…

Our program includes rest and movement practices, twice daily meals, a private immersion with a matcha ceremonialist who comes from a long linage of artists and spiritualists, as well as creative circles & workshops taught by Emmie & Keito.

Late afternoons are spent however you like: journaling, working on your creative practice, exploring the local area, taking a nap or soaking in a herbal bath. After the evening meal, sip herbal tea, read and lounge on the tatami floors or stargaze from the balcony.

This retreat is a blend of immersive workshops, yin & movement practice, time to receive inspiration, write, reignite the connection to your own inner spark and be held by the community of local women, to be transformed by attention and care.

Pricing and Reservation

Early bird Price (until Jan 15th or sold out): 240 000 JPY (approx. 1,535 USD)

An 80 000 JPY non-refundable deposit is required to secure your spot. Final amount must be paid 2 months before the start date. Please read the terms & conditions before joining.

Incusions

Included in your retreat package is three nights accomodation, transport from Zushi station, twice daily meals, all practices and workshops, tea, coffee and snacks, travel insurance for the days of the retreat and some very sweet surprises. do not need to bring anything, other than yourself.

You do not have to identify as a writer or creative to join this retreat. You are welcome to attend this retreat and not write a single word, if that is how it unfolds. Maybe you read. Maybe you bathe in the stories of others. Maybe you meet your new bestie. Maybe you sleep and sleep and sleep. There is no pressure to produce any amount of work during this time, at all.

secure your spot

Emmie Rae

I often feel as if I write my life into existence. For fifteen years before moving to Japan, I would visit once a year to fill up on inspiration, and leave with notebooks full of stories and poems, and a mind full of dreams I never believed would come true. It is my greatest honour, to invite you into the world and the culture that has breathed life into so much of what I love, and what I do.

Keito Hirakawa

Everything here moves with the seasons, and nothing is permanent—only cyclical. As the Japanese saying ichigo ichie reminds us, no encounter is ever the same. Each meeting with people, conversations, flowers, wind, or food invites us to notice and cherish the moment as it is. It is my joy and honor to host this retreat here with Emmie, alongside dear local friends in Hayama who welcome us into the everyday rhythms of life, and to share this moment, this place, and this gathering with you.

Shion Kume

Using tea utensils and values passed down from my ancestors, I create a space where the old and the new blend naturally. Through each tea ceremony, both myself and the participants deepen our focus, engage all five senses, and become fully immersed in the moment.

 FAQs

  • Our retreat house can be easily reached from Kamakura (about 1.5 hrs from central Tokyo). We will be in touch with exact access instructions prior to the retreat - do not worry, you will be well taken care of in reaching the retreat house!

  • Please review our cancellation policy in depth before making your deposit.

  • If you have any dietary restrictions, please do reach out via the contact form before making your deposit, so we can be sure it’s possible to accomodate your needs.

  • While it’s important to take care travelling wherever you are in the world, Japan is very safe for solo female travellers, and is well equipped for solo travel in general. We highly encourage to join this retreat solo! Most participants to our retreats do.

  • We will meet around 3pm on the 20th and depart at 11am on the 23rd.

  • There is nothing special you need to bring! We will provide all yoga equipment.