The Matsuri Retreat
- Living Spirit of Japan
Don’t watch Japan. Become part of it.

Step into the living heart of Japan. Carry a mikoshi, drum with the locals, soak in hot springs, and share silent mornings in meditation.
Not a tour, not a workshop — but six days of living, praying, and celebrating together.
A retreat where you don’t watch the culture — you become part of it.

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FAQ

Ignite Your Inner Fire

Feel the drum in your bones.
Through simple Taiko rhythms and breath, we wake up the body, release tension, and reconnect with our natural energy.

Return to Stillness

Morning zazen, silent meals, and mindful walking.
Not to escape the world — but to listen more deeply to it.

Forest, Water, and Prayer

Visit shrines, stand before waterfalls, soak in hot springs.
Simple rituals that cleanse the body and return us to the rhythm of the earth.

From Visitor to Participant

Practice becomes life. Cook together. Eat in silence. Carry the mikoshi. Drum side by side with the community.

This is not participation. This is belonging.

Your Guides

Practitioners of rhythm, stillness, and living culture

Founder of The Zenjo • Cultural Producer • Space Holder

Maki Kobayashi

Born in Japan and based in Stockholm,
Maki bridges traditional Japanese practices with modern life.

With a background in business, leadership, and Taiko culture,
she creates retreats and gatherings where people can reconnect through rhythm, stillness, and shared living.

Her role is not to teach — but to hold space for life to move again.

Taiko Master • Festival Practitioner • Keeper of Living Tradition

Ryo Shiobara

For over 40 years, Ryo has lived and carried the traditions of Japanese folk drumming and Matsuri culture.

Award-winning Taiko artist and mentor to more than twenty groups across Japan and abroad, he doesn’t perform culture for visitors — he invites you inside it.

With Ryo, you don’t watch the festival.
You become part of its rhythm.