Japan Festival Retreat
Drum. Ritual. Community.

Join a Real Japanese Festival

Not as a visitor — but as part of the community.

A retreat for those ready for the next chapter.

Limited to 10 participants

August 19–24, 2026 at Nagano Prefecture, Japan

Step into the living heart of Japan.

This small-group Japan retreat invites you to experience the energy of taiko drumming, the silence of Zen meditation, and the living traditions of rural matsuri culture.

Walk through forests and visit mountain shrines. Soak in natural hot springs.

Six days of living culture. A living cultural experience.

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Investment & Application

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Application

This retreat is intentionally kept small and personal, with a maximum of 10 participants. Participants come from different backgrounds and ages.Both women and men are warmly welcome.

Early Bird – €2,200 (Available until March 31, 2026)

Standard – €2,500

Includes:

5 nights accommodation (shared room)
Meals served at a traditional ryokan
Daily yoga & meditation sessions
Taiko practice and festival culture experience
Participation in local festival traditions
Guided cultural immersion experiences
Onsen access

Application Form

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

What begins as practice becomes participation.

Not as a visitor — but as part of the living tradition.

The festival happens only once a year.
Through local connections, we are able to join respectfully as participants.

Your Guides

Practitioners of rhythm, stillness, and living culture

Founder of The Zenjo & Stockholm Taiko • 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.

Planned Flow of the Retreat

Day 1 – Arrival & Orientation

Arrival in Nagano and transfer to the retreat location.
We gather for an opening circle, share intentions, and settle into the rhythm of the retreat.

Day 2 – Purification & Awakening the Inner Fire

We begin with a purification ritual at a local shrine.
Through taiko drumming, we awaken the body’s rhythm and ignite the inner fire within.

Day 3 – Deepening the Practice

We continue to deepen our connection with rhythm and movement.
The morning may include taiko practice together with elements of kagura dance.
Later in the day, we may take a boat journey along the Tenryu River.