JAPAN

Japan is more than the setting of your retreat.
It is the way your retreat unfolds.
Here, mindfulness is not something separate from daily life.
It is woven into rituals, seasonal practices, architecture, and meals.
At The Sanctuary Japan, we invite you into these traditions not as a visitor, but as a participant, allowing the culture itself to become part of your healing journey.

In the space between sounds.
In the shadow of a stone lantern.
In the steam rising from a teacup.
Here, beauty isn’t loud.
It’s layered.
Subtle.
And it asks nothing of you, except to notice.

Sometimes healing just needs space to return.
Japan offers that space — quietly, every day.

Cultural immersion

Each program at The Sanctuary Japan is designed to immerse you in practices that embody simplicity, presence, and connection. These cultural modalities are ways of living that have been passed down for centuries, and today they support your healing in quiet, natural ways.

Some of the experiences you may be guided into include:

  • Shodō – Japanese calligraphy as a form of meditation

  • Zazen – seated meditation

  • Shiatsu and Seitai – Japanese bodywork and energy-balancing massage

  • Aikido – Martial art of harmony and flow

  • Onsen – hot spring bathing rituals for purification

  • Shinrin-yoku – forest bathing and sensory walking

  • Origami – folded paper paper craft as symbolic intention

  • Sado – tea ceremony as mindfulness in action

  • Ikigai – exploring meaning and purpose

  • Traditional Music – Koto, Shakuhachi, Taiko, Shamisen

  • Ensō and Sumi-e  – painting practices of presence and impermanence

  • Shun – seasonal cuisine, attuning to nature’s rhythm

These traditions do not replace evidence-based therapies — they complement them, weaving Japanese wisdom into the rhythm of your daily retreat.

Tourists at statue of The Great Buddha of Kamakura, Japan. Monumental outdoor bronze statue of Amida Buddha is one of the most famous icons in Japan.

Kamakura

The Sanctuary Japan programs take place in the small seaside city of Kamakura, just an hour south of Tokyo.

Once a political and spiritual capital, now a popular tourist destination in Japan, Kamakura is home to Zen Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, bamboo groves, and ocean horizons. The town is alive with contrasts. Peaceful gardens and forest trails alongside vibrant streets of cafés, shops, and artisan markets. Here, the rhythm of daily life is naturally slower, offering an ideal environment for reflection, healing, and renewal.

During your stay, you may walk cedar-lined paths to ancient temples, sit in the quiet presence of the Great Buddha, or simply wander through coastal air that carries both salt and stillness.

The climate in Kamakura is subtropical, and has hot humid summers with temperatures climbing as high as 35°C and chilly (but not too cold) winters where the temperature rarely drops below 0°C. There are really only two main seasons – summer (May–October), and winter (November–April). As is common with Pacific Ocean areas Kamakura sees quite a lot of rainfall.

Seasonal Events Calendar

In Japan, time is marked not only by the calendar but by seasonal rituals — simple, symbolic practices that bring awareness to change. At The Sanctuary Japan, we invite you to share in these moments, aligning gently with nature’s rhythm.

Spring (March–May) – Awakening, renewal, gentle energy

  • Hanami – cherry blossom viewing with tea, sketching, or haiku

  • Haru-no-Higan – Spring Equinox, a practice of balance and intention

  • Seasonal sweets – sakura mochi and wagashi

Summer (June–August) – Light, celebration, memory

  • Tanabata – Star Festival, wishes tied to bamboo

  • Obon – remembrance and lantern rituals

  • Hotaru-gari – evening firefly walks

Autumn (September–November) – Transition, release, reflection

  • Tsukimi – moon viewing with poetry and tea

  • Momijigari – autumn leaf walks and art mandalas

  • Chrysanthemum Festival – seasonal flower offerings

Winter (December–February) – Stillness, purification, introspection

  • Tōji – Winter Solstice yuzu baths

  • Shōgatsu – New Year’s intentions with warm soba

  • Silent snow walks and onsen rituals

Recreational and Immersive Experiences

Beyond The Sanctuary Japan, Kamakura and its surrounding region is rich with culture and opportunities for exploration, creativity, and joyful discovery. These experiences are not scheduled tours but optional ways to deepen your journey.

Cultural & Spiritual Encounters

  • Visit Zen temples such as Kenchō-ji or Engaku-ji

  • Join a private tea ceremony in a traditional teahouse

  • Explore the Great Buddha (Daibutsu)

  • Experience water rituals at Zeniarai Benten Shrine

Food & Culinary Journeys

  • Visit a local fish market for sashimi breakfast

  • Learn soba or udon noodle-making

  • Taste sake or miso at artisan producers

Craft & Creative Immersion

  • Try bamboo weaving or indigo dyeing

  • Learn kintsugi (golden repair pottery)

  • Practice sumi-e ink painting or woodblock printing

Nature & Ocean

  • Walk forest trails between shrines

  • Enjoy a silent beach meditation

  • Take a day trip to Hakone for mountain onsen and open-air art

  • Discover Enoshima Island – sea caves, tide pools, coastal shrines

  • Enjoy surfing, SUP boarding or kayaking along the Kamakura coastline

  • Watch the sunset at Inamuragasaki Point with views of Mt. Fuji

Interior of a traditional Japanese room with shoji screens and a view of a garden with a colorful tree outside
Large bronze Buddha statue outdoors surrounded by a crowd of people, with cherry blossoms and green trees in the background.
Four colorful origami cranes with floral patterns on a glittery silver background.
Mount Fuji snowy peak towering over a coastal town, with calm blue water in the foreground and a clear sky in the background.
Close-up of traditional Japanese bamboo water fountain with three metal ladles, set against a blurred autumn background with red, yellow, and orange leaves.
A woman hiking in a forested mountain area, carrying a backpack and wearing a cap, with a mountain in the background and trees in the foreground.
A woman relaxing in an outdoor hot spring surrounded by lush green trees and wooden fencing.
Traditional Japanese meal with various small dishes and tea set on a dark wooden table.
Person playing a drum with drumsticks during a drumming circle or class.
Two martial artists, a woman and a man, kneeling on the floor in a dimly lit dojo, wearing traditional uniforms, with a bo staff lying in front of them.
Close-up of a person in traditional Japanese clothing using a calligraphy brush to write on paper.
Two Japanese macaques, or snow monkeys, bathing in hot spring water surrounded by snowy rocks and winter landscape.
A man in black clothing practicing martial arts outdoors in a forest, swinging a wooden stick with sunlight filtering through trees.
A traditional Japanese street scene at sunset with old wooden buildings, a stone-paved road, and a cherry blossom tree in bloom.
Two women in traditional Japanese kimonos sitting on a wooden bench by a canal, surrounded by trees and traditional buildings, during sunset.
A traditional Japanese pavilion surrounded by colorful autumn trees next to a pond with reflections.
Martial arts practitioners kneeling on the dojo mat, practicing in a dojo with one person in the background executing a move.
A forest scene with a stream, moss-covered rocks, and fireflies glowing among trees and greenery.