THE IKIGAI LEADERSHIP RETREAT
Rediscover Your Direction. Redefine Your Leadership.
In a role that often demands fast decisions, constant change, and emotional drain, as a leader you rarely have the time—or the space—to step back and reconnect with what truly drives you to lead.
The Ikigai Leadership Retreat creates that space.
A Transformational Retreat for High-Performing Leaders
Join us in Japan, the cultural home of ikigai, and step into an environment designed to give leaders the space needed to think clearly, recalibrate, and lead with intention. Guided by Japan’s foremost ikigai researchers and leadership experts, you’ll explore the deeper, research-based meaning of ikigai—well beyond popularised Western interpretations.
Throughout the program, expert facilitation is paired with carefully selected cultural experiences that reveal Japan’s approach to presence, connection, and purposeful action in some of its most beautiful and best-kept secret locations.
Each encounter is curated to support both personal clarity and professional leadership growth, giving you practical tools for purposeful and effective leadership.
May 15th-23rd 2026
Reflect, Connect, Discover and Commit
REFLECT
Step away from distractions to reflect on your role as a leader and change maker.
CONNECT
Connect with like-minded people and Japanese culture to gain more perspective.
DISCOVER
Through introspection, discussion and cultural experiences discover new meaning and purpose.
COMMIT
With new knowledge and insights commit to both personal and professional change.
WE EXPLORE
On the Ikigai Leadership Retreat we will explore and experience four specific Japanese cultural concepts.
YUTORI
Create the space to reflect on what and who matters to you, your various ikigai sources, and what you want out of life.
ROLEFULNESS
Explore your professional and personal roles, and gain clarity on them so you can become the leader you want to be.
IBASHO
Turn your workplace or work environment into an ibasho—a place where you and your team can excel and be your true selves.
KOKOROZASHI
Set your purpose—your kokorozashi—the personal mission you want to commit yourself to and give your life to.
WHO IS THE IKIGAI RETREAT FOR?
LEADERS
Leaders and business owners wanting to create more harmony and connection in their workplace.
CHANGE MAKERS
Change makers and entrepreneurs looking for inspiration and perspective.
COACHES
Coaches wanting to more deeply understand how they can help others
Transform Your Personal & Professional Life With Ikigai in Japan
Grounded in decades of Japanese research on purpose, wellbeing, social connection, and adaptive leadership, this retreat brings together senior leaders who want to lead with clarity, depth, and long-term impact.
Over seven days in Japan, you’ll step away from daily pressures and into a structured environment designed for strategic reflection, cultural learning, and meaningful conversations that strengthen leadership capability.
With structured pre-program preparation and post-retreat integration, you’ll deepen your learning, apply key concepts to real leadership challenges, and strengthen your coaching, communication, and decision-making capabilities. This extended format ensures you gain maximum value from your investment and return to your organisation with clarity, confidence, and a renewed sense of direction.
The Ikigai Leadership Retreat Experiences
Are you ready to elevate your leadership and communication skills while deepening your understanding of ikigai and Japanese culture?
Experience a world of ikigai in Gifu, Japan, with cultural workshops, a zazen meditation experience, washi paper making, forest bathing, pottery making, tea ceremony, amazing food and heartfelt hospitality.
Workshops
Factory Tours
Pottery Making
Zen Meditation
Tea Ceremony
Washi Paper Making
Shakyo: Sutra Tracing
Forest Bathing
Knife Forging
RETREAT HIGHLIGHTS
Ikigai Workshop
A full-day workshop with Japan's ikigai experts
Spend the day rubbing shoulders with and learning from Japan's leading authorities on the ikigai concept. This will be an in-depth study on the many perspectives of ikigai and other related cultural concepts.
Rolefulness Workshop
A half-day workshop with Prof. Daiki Kato
With Prof. Kato, we’ll explore the social and internal dimensions of your leadership roles, clarifying how you show up, where your impact is strongest, and which roles you want to evolve. Through guided reflection, exercises and practical dialogue, you’ll gain a clearer sense of direction, enhance your communication and relational awareness, and leave the workshop with a more intentional, authentic approach to leading others.
Zen Meditation & Sutra Experience
Japan's Best Kept Secret
Founded in 1313 this secret temple contains two buildings that are listed as National Treasures. The temple grounds and gardens have been designated as a place of National Scenic Beauty. Here, we will take in the history and beauty of these spiritual grounds as we walk through the Zen garden following morning meditation and shakyō (Zen sutra tracing).
Cha no yu
The Way of Tea
Discover how to balance the principles of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility in a bowl of tea, with a private tea ceremony with a chajin (Tea Master) in a traditional chashitsu tea room on the grounds of Kokeizan Eihoji Temple.
Pottery Workshop
Make a one of a kind piece of pottery
Equipped with facilities for wheel throwing and painting, Kokei-Gama will ensure that you'll enjoy making pottery, whether it's creating a piece with the potter's wheel, hand-building, or painting. Your unique piece of pottery will be fired and shipped to your home country.
Washi Paper Making Workshop
Traditional Japanese paper making
Set within the natural beauty of Warabee Land in Mino, Gifu Prefecture—Japan’s UNESCO-recognized washi capital—this hands-on workshop invites you to slow down and connect deeply with the process. You’ll create your own sheets of washi to take home—a one-of-a-kind memory infused with mindfulness and meaning.
Masu Box Workshop
Your hand-crafted sake drinking vessel.
Transform a simple wooden rice-measuring box into a beautifully hand-crafted drinking vessel. Rooted in centuries of Japanese craft heritage, this workshop invites you to work with real hinoki cypress wood as you cut, carve, assemble, and hand-finish your own masu box. It’s a hands-on opportunity to create something timeless — a functional keepsake shaped entirely by your own hands.
Knife-making Workshop
Breath, reflect and journal
Enjoy strolling through the temple grounds and serene bamboo forests where soft light filters through towering stalks of green and each step invites calm and presence. More than just a scenic walk, time in a bamboo forest becomes a practice in mindful appreciation—an opportunity to notice subtle shifts of light and sound, to breathe with the rhythm of nature, and to feel the quiet joy that comes from simplicity and stillness.
MAY 2026 JAPAN RETREAT ITINERARY
May 2026
DAY 1 - SUN - NAGOYA WORKSHOP
DAY 2 - MON - ZEN
DAY 3 - TUE - POTTERY
DAY 4 - WED - WASHI
DAY 5 - THURSDAY- PURPOSE
DAY 6 - FRIDAY - IKIGAI
DAY 7 - SATURDAY - FAREWELL
* Please note the itinerary above is tentative and subject to change
What's Included in the Leadership Retreat?
The Ikigai Leadership Retreat is a multi-month online and in-person study program.
What's included:
What's not included
What's included
Recommendations
ACCOMMODATION
On our first two nights we will stay in splendor and tranquility high above Tokyo Station at a 4-star Hotel.
In Aichi is where the magic will happen. You'll spend 5 nights the Hotel Indigo Inuyama Uraken Garden. This hotel exudes a fantastic vibe, blending modern sophistication with traditional Japanese elements. The interior design is stunning, with thoughtfully curated decor that reflects the local culture and history of Inuyama. Every corner of the hotel feels like a piece of art, creating a unique and inviting atmosphere.
We will even take care of your luggage and have it forwarded between hotels so you can enjoy the Shinkansen ride with peace of mind.
- YOUR HOST -
NICHOLAS KEMP
Your journey will be guided by ikigai authority and author Nick Kemp, along with program coordinator and local expert Shinji Kimura. Together, they will provide you with unparalleled insights and experiences that will help you transform lives through your enhanced coaching and communication skills.
By joining Ikigai Tribe's Retreat and Japanese Cultural Study Trip, you’ll enjoy a fully curated experience and gain insider access to renowned Japanese thought leaders and academics, while partaking in unique cultural activities that will inspire and deepen your understanding of ikigai and Japanese culture.
We'll dive into Japanese philosophical and cultural concepts to broaden your coaching skills and improve your communication.
Embark on the learning journey of a lifetime!
Your experience includes
Meet and learn from Japan's leading academics and ikigai thought leaders. In Tokyo, we will spend a full day with Japan's ikigai experts, discussing and debating ikigai and how it plays out in Japanese culture. During the retreat you'll have the opportunity to talk directly with Japanese from all walks of life, including academics, Zen priests, artists, and craftspeople, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the spectrum that is Ikigai.
Expected guests include:
- Prof. Ken Mogi - neuroscientist and author of The Little Book of Ikigai
- Prof. Daiki Kato - clinical psychologist and "Rolefulness" thought leader
- Sachiaki Takamiya - author of The Ikigai Diet and Ikigai Bio-hacking
We will have special access to some of Japan's best kept secrets including craftsman's workshops to observe ikigai in action and learn the principles of kodawari and the aesthetic of wabisabi.
On the retreat you will:
- Practice zen mediation and sutra tracing at a 700 year old temple
- Embrace the craftsman spirit and create a one-of-a-kind piece of pottery and traditional washi paper.
- Learn to make delicious and healthy Japanese food
- Experience the way of tea
Nick Kemp, organizer of the Ikigai Retreat, will facilitate discussions throughout the program to deepen your learning experiences and understanding of Japanese culture. Drawing from his ten years of living in Japan and his journey as a solopreneur, Nick will share valuable insights on how he built his unique coaching and education business by embracing the Japanese mindset.
Together with Nick, you will explore Ikigai and other Japanese philosophical and psychological concepts, discussing how these ideas can help you become a better coach and communicator.
Shinji Kimura, the Ikigai Retreat coordinator and interpreter, will provide additional commentary on Japanese culture, ikigai, and local customs, enriching your experience with his deep knowledge and perspectives.
WASHOKU
Enjoy authentic, seasonal Japanese food in Tokyo, Aichi and Gifu. All meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as drinks are provided during the retreat. This includes daily afternoon tea and several special welcome and celebration dinners!
You'll enjoy:
- Kaiseki - a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner
- Irori -traditional homestyle food cooked in a sunken hearth fired with charcoal.
- Wagashi - traditional Japanese sweets
Only 6 spots available!
USD$11,995
Early Bird Pricing:
*USD$9995
* Sign up before the end of January 2026 and save USD$2000
* Payment plan option available.
Apply to book a call with Nick. He'll answer all your questions.
* Your position is only confirmed after your application has been approved and your payment has been received.
CONCEPTS WE'LL EXPLORE
IKIGAI
Delve into the heart of Ikigai, through guided workshops, co-reflection and authentic communication. Understand how this profound philosophy with its many perspectives and subtleties integrates various aspects of life to bring balance and meaning.
MA
Discover the Japanese concept of MA, the space between moments that creates harmony and balance. Explore how MA influences Japanese art, architecture, and daily life. Learn to incorporate this principle into your coaching and communication practices, enhancing your ability to create meaningful pauses and connections that foster deeper understanding and presence.
ZEN
Experience the tranquility and mindfulness that Zen practice brings. Engage in meditation and sutra copying sessions at a traditional Zen temple, learning the importance of presence and inner peace. Discover how the principles of Zen can be applied in coaching to foster clarity and focus for your clients
SHOKUNIN DAMASHI
Explore the spirit of shokunin, the Japanese ethos of dedication to one's craft. Observe master artisans at work and learn about their relentless pursuit of excellence in their work. Discover how embodying this spirit can enhance your coaching practice, encouraging a commitment to mastery, continuous improvement, and a deep sense of responsibility in both your personal and professional endeavors.