Ichigo Ichie: One moment. One encounter.
Tokyo • Hakone • Kyoto • Koyasan • Osaka
October 26-November 3, 2027

Outer Banks Yoga is delighted to invite you on a transformative journey into the Japanese culture of wellness. Over eight nights, we’ll explore Japan’s living traditions, natural sanctuaries, and the gentle rituals that shape a more intentional way of being.

This retreat is open to all levels of yoga and mindfulness practitioners—from beginners to seasoned students. All activities are optional; this is your journey.

The Journey At A Glance

• Days 1–2: Tokyo’s Hidden Sanctuaries & Mindful Spaces
  A vibrant yet gentle landing into Japan — where quiet sanctuaries meet the creative pulse of the city.

• Days 2-3: Mist-Covered Mountains & Thermal Waters of Hakone
  A shift into nature: forest bathing, mountain views, and the restorative warmth of onsen culture.
  

• Days 4–6: Refinement, Rituals, & Zen Gardens of Kyoto
  The cultural heart of Japan — temples, gardens, ceremony, and the elegant beauty that defines Kyoto.

• Days 7–8: Sacred Stillness, Fire Rituals, & Temple Stays in Koyasan
  A pilgrimage into the mountains for cedar forests, and an immersive temple‑stay experience.

• Day 9: Koyasan→Osaka KIX: Dawn, Devotion & Departure

  A gentle farewell as we descend from Koyasan and make our way to Osaka’s KIX Airport for the journey home.

Accommodations

Accommodations feature a beautiful mix of modern western-style boutique hotels, a traditional Ryokan, & a sacred temple stay (shukubo) to fully immerse you in the culture.

Booking & Payment Plan

• A non-refundable deposit of $1000.00 is required to reserve your spot

• Early Bird Discount: Book before August 30, 2026 to save $200.00. (Early Registration ends at midnight).
  Midterm Payment: 50% of your remaining balance is due on February 1, 2027 

• Final Balance: Full payment due on June 28, 2027

If you are a single traveler, and would like to share a room, we will do our best to match you up with a room mate. However, after June 28, 2027, if unable to find a roommate (or your roommate cancels), your booking will be converted to the single occupancy rate.   

Flight Logistics & Airports

To align with our itinerary, you will need to book your multi-city flights as follows:

• Fly Into: Tokyo Haneda (HND) or Narita (NRT) — Arrive by Tuesday, October 26, 2027.

• Fly Out Of: Osaka Kansai International Airport (KIX) — Depart on Wednesday, November 3, 2027 after 4 PM.

Cancellation Policy

You may cancel your registration up to 180 days before the retreat start date and receive a refund of all payments minus the $1,000 non‑refundable deposit. Submit your cancellation in writing to robin@outerbanksyoga.com

• Cancellation deadline: April 29, 2027

• After April 29, 2027, no refunds are available for any reason, including illness, travel delays, or personal circumstances. No refunds are offered for no‑shows or early departures.

We highly recommend Cancel For Any Reason Travel insurance (CFAR).

Arrive in Tokyo, where a private driver will meet you at the airport and bring you to your hotel, in the heart of Asakusa, just steps from the lantern‑lit Kaminarimon Gate and the pathways leading to Sensō‑ji Temple. Settle in, relax, and we'll gather this evening for a welcome dinner to begin our journey together.

Meals: Welcome Dinner

Overnight: Tokyo

A morning at Meiji Shrine invites guests into Japan’s quiet spiritual heart—moving through towering forest paths, learning simple purification practices, and setting intentions for the days ahead.

After lunch, we travel from Tokyo into the quiet mountain landscapes of Hakone, a region known for its forests, hot springs, and shifting views of Mount Fuji. Hakone invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and let nature recalibrate your senses.

We settle into our traditional ryokan, where the rhythm softens into onsen soaking, seasonal cuisine, and the gentle quiet of the mountains.

Meals: Breakfast/Dinner

Overnight: Hakone

Today is all about softening into the natural rhythms that surround us.

We begin the day with a grounding morning yoga practice to attune body and breath. After breakfast, the morning unfolds with a guided forest‑bathing (Shinrin-yoku) experience, a slow and sensory immersion designed to calm the mind and restore balance.

After lunch, enjoy a scenic cruise across Lake Ashi and wander the art‑in‑nature pathways of the Hakone Open‑Air Museum. The evening unfolds with a relaxed dinner buffet and an optional onsen soak before or after dinner, inviting deep rest and renewal.

Meals: Breakfast/Dinner

Overnight: Hakone

Today invites a shift into refinement and quiet presence.

Travel by Shinkansen, watching the mountains and small villages pass in a soft blur as you journey from Hakone into Kyoto — a city where beauty is expressed through subtlety, craftsmanship, and centuries‑old tradition.

In the afternoon, step into a traditional temple for a private Zen meditation guided by a monk — an intimate experience of stillness, breath, and spacious awareness.

The evening is yours to explore Kyoto at leisure, wandering lantern‑lit streets, discovering small eateries, or simply resting into the gentle rhythm of the city.

Meals: Breakfast

Overnight: Kyoto

Kyoto’s timeless traditions come alive today as we wander through contemplative gardens and sacred heritage sites.

A morning yoga practice sets an intention for the day, before stepping into some of Kyoto’s most contemplative landscapes and UNESCO‑recognized treasures — the whispering paths of the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, hidden temples, Zen gardens, and the quiet stretch of the Philosopher’s Path. Each place invites a slower way of seeing, a softening into the beauty and history that shape Kyoto’s spirit.

In the afternoon, we explore two traditional arts that cultivate presence. A guided incense ritual introduces the practice of listening to fragrance as a form of mindfulness. We then move into a calligraphy workshop with a Zen monk, where brush, breath, and intention come together in a single unrepeatable stroke. Here, calligraphy becomes a living expression of Ichigo Ichie — the understanding that each moment, each gesture, each meeting happens only once and cannot be replicated.

The evening is yours to explore Kyoto at your leisure. or enjoy a quiet evening to relax and recharge.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Kyoto

Prepare to be immersed in Kyoto’s rich tapestry of elegance, ceremony, and embodied beauty.

We begin the morning with a grounding yoga practice to prepare for a day of presence before stepping into one of Kyoto’s most refined arts: kimono dressing. Guided by skilled artisans, the process becomes a ritual of refinement — layers, textures, and gestures that invite you to inhabit your body with intention. Once dressed, we take a mindful walk to the gardens of Kōdai‑ji, moving through moss, stone, bamboo, and soft light.

This experience becomes a living meditation on beauty, simplicity, and the art of moving slowly. The afternoon brings a traditional tea ceremony, where each movement is deliberate and each moment honored. Rooted in the philosophy of Ichigo Ichie — “one time, one meeting” — the ceremony becomes an invitation to experience the unrepeatable nature of this day, this gathering, this breath.

Afterward, we return to the atelier to change, followed by a gentle transition into lunch and a spacious afternoon to wander, rest, or explore at your own pace.

In the early evening, we step into the heart of Gion for a private Maiko/Geiko dance and conversation at an authentic ochaya — a rare, intimate encounter with Kyoto’s living artistry. Far from a commercial tourist attraction or the historical misconceptions of the West, this is an exclusive, highly respected glimpse into a sacred art form that requires a lifetime of devotion to master. Following this memorable encounter, we gather for a group dinner nearby in Gion, savoring the atmosphere of lanterns, wooden teahouses, and the quiet elegance that defines this district.

Meals: Breakfast/Dinner
Overnight: Kyoto

This journey into the mountains marks the retreat’s deepest inward turn.

This morning, we leave the refinement of Kyoto and travel into the sacred mountains of Koyasan, the heart of Shingon Buddhism. The journey becomes part of the experience — a gentle pilgrimage unfolding through a beautifully coordinated sequence of trains, each one carrying us farther from the city and deeper into quiet, forested landscapes. Japan’s transportation system is remarkably smooth and intuitive, allowing us to simply settle in, watch the scenery shift, and enjoy the spaciousness of the ride. Our main luggage will be forwarded ahead and we travel to Koyasan with a small overnight bag.

As we ascend, the final leg brings us by cable car up the mountainside — a slow, breathtaking rise through cedar forests. At the top, we proceed into Koyasan, a monastic village shaped by temples, lanterns, incense, and centuries of devotion.

We settle into our shukubo (temple lodging), a peaceful, traditional space where monks live and practice. The evening invites rest, a vegetarian shojin ryori dinner, and the gentle stillness of a place designed for reflection.

Meals: Breakfast/Dinner
Overnight: Temple Stay, Koyasan

A day shaped by devotion, ritual, and the quiet power of Koyasan’s sacred mountain.

We begin before sunrise with the temple’s morning practices — the low, resonant chanting of monks, the glow of lanterns, and the quiet rhythm of a community devoted to prayer. We’ll also experience the temple’s traditional fire ceremony — a powerful 1,200 year old Shingon Buddhist ceremony of purification and intention. Flames rise, mantras echo through the hall, and the atmosphere becomes thick with devotion, offering a rare glimpse into a practice that has been tended on this mountain for centuries.

After the ceremony, we transition into a grounding yoga practice, allowing breath and movement to integrate the experience of the morning.

After breakfast, we step into the ancient cedar forest for a mindful guided walk through Okunoin, one of Japan’s most sacred pilgrimage sites. Stone lanterns, moss‑covered statues, and towering trees create a landscape that feels both timeless and deeply alive.

The rest of the day unfolds gently, with time for reflection, journaling, or quiet rest within the temple grounds. As evening settles, we gather for a traditional shojin ryori dinner — a beautifully prepared Buddhist vegetarian meal that reflects the mountain’s spirit of simplicity, purity, and devotion.

After dinner, the temple grows quiet, offering a rare sense of spaciousness and connection as night descends over Koyasan.

Meals: Breakfast/Dinner
Overnight: Temple Stay, Koyasan

A last inhale of sacred space before the day carries us onward.

We greet the morning with the temple's final chants and a simple breakfast before beginning our descent from the mountain where we’ll meet our private coach for a seamless transfer to Kansai International Airport in Osaka. Upon arrival at KIX, you’ll pick up your forwarded luggage, check in for your flight, and begin your journey home or onward to your next destination.

As we say our goodbyes, we honor the sacredness of this closing moment, knowing that what we experienced together cannot be repeated in the same way again. This day becomes its own quiet teaching: a reminder to carry the presence, beauty, and magic we shared together as we journey back home or to our next destination.

Meals: B