Retreat Dates: TBA, sometimes in October or November in 2025

Retreat Duration: 10 ~ 12 Days

The Sashiko Japan Retreat 2024 are successfully completed. Please wait for an update about Sashiko Retreat 2025.

The main focus on this retreat is "Experience" which is consisted with "Stitching" and "Meeting People". If your goal is to enjoy general sightseeing in Japan, this retreat may not be the best fit for you. If you would like to experience the Japan with Sashiko & meeting Japanese Sashiko Artisans & Japanese who are actually enjoying Sashiko to enrich your understanding & skill of Sashiko, then it is the best & only reatreat I offer.

All of the events & workshops are very exclusive as I am the one who organize them.

Estimate of $6,760.00 (USD) for 10~12 Full Days | Please check below list for "What is Included" in the Retreat

*To maximize the experience & Atsushi's Support, the group is limited to 8 participants.

*Single Occupancy (Or some discount will be available).

*The Airfare from your country & Transportation from the Airport to/from the 1st/last Hotel is NOT included to the Retreat Price.

*A graduate of Sashiko Workshop [Core & Essence] will receive a discount of $360.00.

The deposit of $1,000.00 (USD) is required within 14 day from the registration Date

Non-Refundable $20.00 will be collected at the registration date when you wish to register on the reatreat page). Please send me a check or send funds via Zelle (so that we do not have to worry about fees in case of the refund). Please make sure to read the refund policy before making the commitment. Please check what is & is NOT included in this Fee below (please scroll down. The list is available after "Gallery".

It is my best intention to offer the best experience in this Sashiko Japan Retreat. Please read other points I want to clarify before you purchase the plane ticket and/or make a bigger commmitment.

• *We try our best to make it all of the rooms are “Single”occupation without extra charge for the stay in Tokyo. For the stay in Takayama, please check the other description for the availability (May be shared house or single room in a hotel).*
• Please be advised that The Final Fee is a subject to the adjustment based on your preference & Exchange Rate of the Payment. I try my best to keep it under the cost listed here, but a change may happen when the USD/JPY rate changes substantially. The Price is estimated on the rate 1.00 USD to 150 JPY . (When the Cost is Paid in Full, the price won't change after that).
• Once we have 8 participants, the Retreat will be fixed & confirmed. Until you receive the email saying "Finalized & Fixed", please DO NOT purchase any plane tickets. Also, please avoid making any big commitment until the Final Confirmation.
• For the Retreat 2025, once again, my daughter Leona may need to come along. She will be 10 years old at the point of retreat, and she will be very helpful. However, it may not be your preference to travel with a child - if so, please wait for another opportunity.

Anyone can join this reatreat. However, we have several condition for you to agree. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the condition.

• Atsushi's Sashiko Workshop/Class [Core & Essence] is a prerequisite to this reatreat. For those who haven't taken it, the reatreat offering Price includes the Online Sashiko Class Fee. If you plan to participate In-Person Workshop priror to the reatreat, please let me know so that I can deduct $360.00 from the total fee. The Reatreat Fee includes the the Online Version of the [Core & Essence] in advance to the reatreat to maximize the experience in Japan. Please be advised that the completion of Domestika Course (Introduction to Japanese Sashiko Stitching) will not satisfy this prerequisite.
• In the retreat, we will more focus on stitching & learning from "someone besides Atsushi". Please consider taking Atsushi's 3-Days or 5 Days In-Person Workshop prior to the Retreat (Atsushi may offer a workshop in Japan, and he of course answers any types of questions)
• The reatreat may require the participants to walk. Please let me know in-advance that if you would need a special arrangement for your mobility.
• All of the participants are required to purchase the Travel Insurance. Some may feel it is a waste of money, and we hope that we end up with not using it. However, in order to keep the reatreat sustainable, please agree to purchase the Travel Insurance. I am happy to offer some suggestions.
• It is my best intention to offer the best experience for you in Japan. However, due to the culture, several things are out of my control. (1) If you have a tattoo(s), your access may be limited (ex. public bath and Hot Spring). (2) Food preference such as vegan & Gluten Free. I will do my best to accomodate & offer alternatives - however, you may need to arrange meals by yourself if what we offer are outside of your preference & restriction. For those who has Tattoo & Food preference/Restriction, please join the retreat with your own responsibility.

• The arrangement of reasonable transportation in Japan, from the retreat starting location (the 1st hotel In Tokyo) to the ending location (the last hotel in Tokyo). Please be noted that a taxi within 0.7 miles may not be covered as "reasonable transportation".
• Sashiko Materials & Arrangement to join the special Sashiko project.
• The entrance fees for museums & exhibition (if applicable),
• The workshop Fees & Materials Fees for all the special Workshops- Sashiko, Boro, Kogin (which everyone will take together).
• Hotel stays (aiming single occupancy throughout. For the stays in Takayama, we may stay at a whole house with 4 bed rooms with some sharing. I will ask for the preference once you are in the group).
• Several Official Meals (The Official Meals will be specified in the official itinerary).
• Some of the Breakfast (Some of the Hotel we stay do not offer the Breakfast as they aren't the "Chain" Hotel).
• Atsushi’s On-Site Translation & Cultural Story Reading Materials before/while/after the Retreat.

• International Airfares to/from Japan (To/from TKO, either HND or NRT)
• Transportation from/to the Airport to the first Hotel in Tokyo (Atsushi can arrange you the transportation from/to with actual expense).
• The Hotel Room before the begininning of the retreat and After the dissmissal of the Retreat. (The final day depends on the plan).
• Travel insurance.
• Workshop You Choose outside of the Itinerary (if applicable in “Free Time”).
• Add-On Plans not mentioned in the Itinerary (such as Kimono Rental).
• Porterage at hotels
• Taxies Fee for your preference.
• Postage for Suitcases (if it requires more than twice of 2 pieces)
• Gratuities, Food & Meals such as lunch and some dinners), and other personal shopping. (Atsushi will usually suggest a place for meals)
• Alcohols Drinks in the official dinners.
• Personal expenses (Snacks, coffees, and choice of upgrading the transportation including Taxi when applicable).

• Official Dinners are the meals included to the Retreat Cost. We will reserve/prepare the dinner. (Please let me know your dietary restriction if there is any). The details will be listed on the official itinerary.
• Unless specified, Optional (unofficial) dinner/lunch is a meal where you can choose to come with Atsushi. The cost for these meals are not included.
• Some breakfasts are included in the hotel stay. I will specify which morning you have breakfast in the official itinerary.
• We will try our best to offer many shopping opportunities is available in Tokyo/Takayama.
• Most of the plans are the “Offer you can choose”. You may choose to what you would like to do instead. Please be advised that the workshop fees will not be refunded even if you choose to do something else.
• If you would like to add more shopping opportunity in Tokyo (or other cities) on top of our plans, please get a flight ticket as necessary.
• I booked the best graded or the most convenient hotels as the budget allows with unique concepts. We try our best to make it all of the rooms are “Single”occupation without extra charge for the stay in Tokyo, and everyone will get the single room (I will explain why in the separate sheets). For the stay in Takayama, please check the other description for the availability (May be shared house or single room in hotels).
• About Luggage: It is important to keep the luggage as “carry-able”. This trip doesn’t have “private bus” to take us everywhere, place by place. Please keep your suitcase as carry-able as possible from city to city. The airline permit you to bring 1~2 check-in suitcase for free of charge. Please consider shipping one suitcase to Keiko’s house from the airport in Japan or the Hotel. Then, you can repack everything in Takayama, then send it to the hotel in Tokyo for the departure airport. I will explain the detail procedure for this.

Please send Atsushi a Check (Payable to Upcycle Stitches LLC) of $1,000.00 USD to secure your seat at the time of registration. The timing of receipt of the fund is the time to confirm your spot. We will not deposit it to the bank for 14 days. Please consider this 14 days as a grace period to cancel the trip. I will use this deposit to secure places to stay & events on behalf of this Retreat. You may also use Zelle to send the fund. Please contact Atsushi if you prefer that way (with Zelle, you have 14 days of grace period after you complete the sending funds).

Please be advised that Deposit is Not Refundable. However, we live in such an unforeseeable society. When some global & govermental issue occurs, your deposit may be refunded as the deposit I made to Places/Activities in Japan shall be refunded.

I will be as reasonable as possible & honest throughout.

Full Payment is due on specific dates. Atsushi sends a notification of Final Payment when the date is set.

• After the 14 days grace period, the Deposit is non-refundable (check above).
• 60~150 days prior to departure date: $300.00 Administrative Fee per person plus Deposit.
• 30 to 60 days prior to departure date: 50% of the agreed FInal Payment as the Cancellation Fee plus the Initical Deposit.
• 7 to 30 days prior to departure date: 75% of the agreed FInal Payment as the Cancellation Fee plus the Initical Deposit.
• Less than 7 days prior to departure date: 100% of the agreed FInal Payment as the Cancellation Fee.

*For the cancellation due to personal health reasons, please purchase your own travel insurance to cover these possible case. This policy for us is for an unfortunate case of “I just change my mind” - which I believe it won’t happen. Please understand that this policy will help me to arrange the retreat with as less risk as possible.

*As I mentioned above, if the retreat itself is cancelled due to government/global restriction, payment shall be refunded (I may ask for some time to process for collecting refund from hotels & other arrangement).