Japan Yoga Retreat
March 31-April 8, 2028
With Juliet Casso
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What to expect:
This retreat has been intentionally curated to be an exclusive and connected experience to truly have the opportunity to deeply immerse in the Japanese culture, cuisine, and architecture. We will spend 3 nights in the heart of Tokyo, where we will participate in a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony, visit the Senso-Ji Temple, and explore the Imperial Gardens. From there, we will hop on a flight to the island of Ishigaki in Okinawa where we will snorkel, bike ride, relax and take in the tranquility of Island life.
The details:
Plan to arrive into Tokyo International Airport Friday, March 31st by 3pm. We will meet in the airport and travel as a group to our downtown Hotel (Hotel info TBD).
In Tokyo, we will leisurely wander around and marvel at the impressive architecture and city. It will be peak cherry blossom season in Tokyo, so we will take in the incredible views while we stroll through the Imperial gardens and various temples. We will also enjoy a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony where we will have the opportunity to wear traditional kimonos and try different types of tea.
On Monday, April 3rd, we will again travel as a group back to the airport where we will hop on a flight to Ishigaki Island. Once we land, we will again taxi together to our private retreat center.
Once we arrive at our retreat center on Ishigaki Island, we will begin our yoga portion of our retreat together. Expect daily all levels yoga classes, guided meditation practices and breathwork. During our down time, we can snorkel, take boat rides, bike around or spend time relaxing, reading, meditating or just simply being.
What's Included:
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Hotel TBD
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A traditional Minka House located steps away from the ocean on the beautiful island of Ishigaki. Each room has a private bathroom. The house has a living room, yoga space, outdoor area, and full kitchen.
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While In Ishigaki, both breakfast and dinner are included, in Tokyo, breakfast is included.
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Your cost covers the taxi ride from NRT international airport to our hotel in downtown Tokyo and back to airport for our flight to Ishigaki
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Your retreat INCLUDES the flight from Tokyo to Ishigaki and back to Tokyo
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We will partake in a private Japanese Tea ceremony in Tokyo
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Once we arrive to our retreat center, we will participate in daily morning vinyasa flows and evening slow flows/yin and restorative practices
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Enjoy the sounds of Tibetan bowls, Koshi chimes, traditional medicine flute and various other instruments for an experience to cleanse your mind, ease your body and relax you into a deep night of rest
What is NOT included
Roundtrip airfare from home airport to NRT International Airport
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Daily Lunch
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Dinner while in Tokyo
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Any optional extra activities/excursions
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Ground transport after last day in Ishigaki Island.
Accommodations:
At Le lotus Bleu in Okinawa, there are no single accommodation options. All bookings are based on double occupancy. Each room is equipped with traditional Tatami floor mats. You can place these together for one large bed, or separately for 2 beds. All rooms are traditionally furnished with floor tables and floor seating and come with a private bathroom. Le Lotus Bleu is a traditional 19th century merchant house with typical architecture from Hida area (central Japan) that was moved in Ishigaki about 50 years ago.
At the hotel in Tokyo, expect a more American style bed set up with either one full/queen bed or two twin beds and a private bathroom.
Pricing Options
All prices are per person
Double Occupancy: $2,885
Deposit Information:
At the time of booking, you are required to pay a $500 non refundable deposit. Please refer to the terms and policies page for additional details. You may also feel free to reach out with any questions.
Itinerary
Day 1
Friday, March 31st
Please plan to arrive into the Narita International Airport (NRT), by 3pm. We will all travel via taxi to our hotel in downtown Tokyo. The journey from airport to hotel will be approximately 1 hour depending on traffic. After check in, take time for yourself to decompress from the long day of travel. We can choose to find dinner together as a group or individually depending on each person’s preference.
Days 2 and 3
Saturday, April 1st and Sunday, April 2nd
On these two days, we will explore and immerse ourselves in the rich culture that Tokyo has to offer, We will explore the Imperial Gardens, visit the Sanso-ji Temple, partake in a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony and enjoy everything this wonderfully vibrant city has to offer, Remember, we will be there during peak cherry blossom season, so bring your camera and prepare for some incredible photo ops!
Day 4
Monday, April 3rd
On day 4, we will make our way as a group to the airport and hop on a flight to Okinawa to a beautiful and quaint little island called Ishigaki. This flight is included in your price and will take approximately 3 hours. Once we land, we will head to our traditional style Minka House, unpack, relax and then regroup for our opening yoga class and intention circle.
Days 5-8
Tuesday, April 4-Saturday, April 8
Over the week, we will practice yoga, meditate, learn breathwork techniques, snorkel, bike ride, eat delicious food and explore the peaceful lifestyle of Okinawa. Our retreat will close on Saturday, April 8th after breakfast.
Frequently Asked Questions
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In Tokyo, expect temperatures to range from the mid to low 60’s in the day and mid to low 50’s in the evening.
In Okinawa, expect the daytime temperature to sit around 68-75 degrees and the evenings to drop down to the low 60’s.
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Because we will be visiting two very different regions of Japan, plan on packing lots of layers, a lightweight rain jacket, comfortable shoes for site-seeing, sandals for the beach, bathing suit, a rashguard/wetsuit, yoga clothes, sunscreen, and a good camera!
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There will be several ATM’s in Tokyo if you need to pull out cash. I find that the easiest method. There will also be money exchanges at the airport if needed. Bring enough cash for daily lunches, drinks, extra activities and any shopping you want to do
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Because this retreat includes a flight from Tokyo to Okinawa, and a separate hotel stay in Tokyo there is no refund given if you need to cancel. Thank you for your understanding
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Because hidden gluten is exceptionally common in standard Japanese cooking-chiefly through soy sauce, dashistocks, and wheat-based frying batters- opting for Tier 1 fully certified kitchens is the safest approach while visiting Tokyo.
In Okinawa, our meals will be catered and we can let the chefs know what foods need to be eliminated as necessary.
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I highly recommend a travel friendly yoga mat for this retreat. Something life a more traditional “yoga rug”. Many brands and companies sell these and once you get one, it will probably become your go to mat! They’re awesome!
Your Retreat Host
Juliet Casso
Founder of Jem Yoga RetreatsJuliet (Jules) Casso is a mama of 7 wild kiddos and a lover of all things nature, travel and wellness. With over a decade of teaching, Juliet brings her enormous passion of yoga to every class she has the honor of teaching.
Trained in various styles of yoga including: Hatha, Restorative, Yin, Baptiste Power, Prenatal, Acro and Bikram, you can expect to be energized, uplifted and deeply connected to your inner world after taking one of her yoga classes. Juliet loves to combine her knowledge of applied anatomy, the playful joy of partner yoga and the profound stillness and peace from yogic and Christian philosophy to weave together a tapestry of fluid movement, deep inner wisdom and physical strength. Juliet truly believes that yoga is for everyone and when we practice from a place of connection and deep listening, our bodies will communicate to us exactly how it wishes to be moved.
To compliment Juliet’s yoga background, she is also a master reiki practitioner, sound healer, massage therapist and certified homeopathic medicine practitioner.