April 17 - 24, 2026
Discover the hidden gems of Japan—beyond the usual tourist trail. This retreat invites you to slow down and connect with the beauty of Japan’s countryside: peaceful villages, lush tea fields, and temples tucked into nature.
Guided by locals, you’ll experience local life and tradition from the inside.
Izumo/Shimane & Mt. Fuji Shizuoka
We’ll visit Izumo, home to Izumo Shrine — the spiritual heart of connection, where, according to legend, deities from all over Japan gather to weave the threads of human destiny. And Shizuoka, where a breathtaking view of Mount Fuji rises above tea fields and timeless landscapes.
What makes this journey truly unique is the depth of local connection:
- Learn Japanese cooking and Mindfulness practice: flower arrangement, the way of Tea from the local host
- Spend time in a countryside Buddhist temple and witness everyday temple life
- Experience zazen and yoga at the home temple of Zen master Shunryu Suzuki (founder of San Francisco Zen Center and Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind)
- Practice yoga and meditation in nature-rich setting
- Explore UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Iwami Ginzan and Mount Fuji
- Unforgettable, breathtaking view of Mount Fuji
- Harvest and taste tea at a tea farm in Shizuoka
- Each day, we gather as a Sangha to reflect on our experiences and connect with one another.”
We’ll step into the slower, deeper rhythm of Japan’s countryside — rich in beauty, simplicity, and heart.
What is included and NOT included?
This Retreat is not affiliated with Breathe Together Yoga.
What is included:
- Accommodation for 7 nights
- Meals (starting from Day 1 Dinner until Last Day breakfast, except 3 lunches)
- Road journeys via air-conditioned mini-bus and other transportations (mentioned in the itinerary)
- 2 domestic flights via Japan Airlines: from Haneda (HND) to Izumo (IZO), and IZO to Mt.Fuji Shizuoka (FSZ).
- English speaking guide
- English speaking buddhist monk
- UNESCO World Heritage site visits at Iwami Ginzan and Mount Fuji
- Tea Farm Tour, harvesting tea and tea tasting
- Zazen and yoga at Zen Buddhist home temple of Zen Master ShunRyu Suzuki.
- Mindful practice: Flower, Tea, Calligraphy, craft at temple.
- Japanese cooking class
- Excursions, visiting Japanese rock garden, Izumo Shrine, Toshogu, Mt. Fuji Shrine, and Mt. Fuji World Heritage Center.
- A Japanese Journal notebook and pen
What is NOT included:
- Airfare from your home to Tokyo (either NRT or HND)
- Transportation to the hotel on arrival day (hotel located inside HND)
- Transportation to the airport on departure day (hotel located near HND)
- Additional optional excursions
- 3 lunches
- Expenses of a personal nature like beverages, laundry, in-room services.
- meals/snacks and activities beyond what is mentioned in the itinerary.
- Souvenirs
Teachers/ Retreat Lead
Reverend Etsuko Mikame
Originally from Shimane Prefecture, Japan, Etsuko was born and raised in a Jōdo Shinshū temple—one of the largest Buddhist traditions in Japan. She is an ordained minister of the Jōdo Shinshū Hongwanji-ha tradition and holds a Yoga Alliance RYT 200 certification.
Currently serving as a kaikyōshi (overseas minister) at the San Jose Betsuin located in San Jose Japan Town, she offers mindfulness yoga classes at the temple together with Izumi.
She is devoted to offering space within the temple where people of all backgrounds—regardless of belief, tradition, or ethnicity—can come together to share moments of peace and presence through yoga.
She looks forward to welcoming participants into the temple and sharing mindful practices and journeys together.
Izumi Sato
Izumi is an E-RYT 500 yoga teacher from Shizuoka, Japan — where green tea is a daily ritual and Mount Fuji quietly watches over the land.
With a deep interest in how people live, believe, and practice across cultures, she has spent years observing the subtle rituals and values that shape daily life — beginning with her undergraduate studies in cultural anthropology and continuing through years of travel and life abroad.
Living in places like India and the U.S. gave her a fresh perspective on her own culture, allowing her to see Japan’s depth and uniqueness with renewed clarity. Now, through yoga, mindfulness, and cultural retreats, she shares those insights with others — inviting people to slow down, connect mindfully, and experience the quiet richness of Japanese tradition.
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