Step out of the noise. Design a life you want to live.

An intimate seven-day retreat where MBA business strategy meets Stanford-inspired Life Design Thinking and the lived experience of Zen mindfulness in Japan. In a small group at a home by the sea in Kamakura, you'll step away from the noise, explore what's possible, and leave with a clear 90-day plan to create more joy, meaning and freedom in your work and life.

Reserve a place Walk through the five days
  • 7 daysin Kamakura, Japan
  • 5 morningsof guided workshop studio
  • 3 guestsmaximum, so everyone is heard
  • 5 weeksof cohort support once you're home

Your life looks successful. But does it still feel like yours?

You’re somewhere between your 30s and mid 50s. You’ve built a career, become good at what you do, and created a life that works on paper. But somewhere along the way, work started deciding how you spend your mornings, your evenings, and your energy.

  • You feel tied to a salary and aren't sure what's really possible
  • You're curious about a career change, but a leap feels reckless
  • You're drawn to a business that gives you more freedom
  • You want more time for the people and pursuits that bring you joy

You don’t need to have it all figured out.
You don’t need a business idea, and you don’t need to be ready to leave your job. You simply need to know that something could be different. Come with the question. Leave with a clearer way forward.

Mount Fuji rising over Sagami Bay, seen from the Kamakura coast on a clear morning
Mt. Fuji across Sagami Bay, a short walk from the retreat house.

Five mornings, five questions

The Ikigai 5 Method moves from see to commit. Each day builds on the last. Mornings blend Life Design and Business Strategy; afternoons bring the work to life through immersive experiences in Kamakura and beyond. You’ll leave with greater clarity, a 90-day action plan, and a renewed focus on putting life’s big stones first —before the small ones take over.Tap a stone to walk the week.

    A day with breathing room

    Studio work happens in the morning, while your mind is fresh. The afternoon puts it into practice. Evenings are for dinner, rest and calling home, with no more lessons.

    Optional really means optional. Resting through jet lag never costs you your place in the group.

    1. Quiet startAn optional early morning wake up and walk on the beach, followed by gentle movement or meditation.
    2. BreakfastIncluded, ease into the day with good food and time to yourself.
    3. Life Design and Business Strategy Workshop StudioTeaching, private work and timed feedback within the cohort
    4. Lunch togetherIncluded, with a pause before heading out
    5. Field LabTry out the morning's work in Kamakura
    6. ReflectionNote what changed before you forget it
    7. Your timeRest, shower, surf or connect with home
    8. Shared dinnerIncluded, eat together, unwind and make space for tomorrow.

    Try a piece of Day 2: your Freedom Baseline

    A vague worry about money often keeps people stuck. Four rough numbers turn it into a clear constraint you can plan around. Everything stays in your browser.

    Your numbers

    Type over the examples with your own rough estimates.

    $
    After tax, including irregular costs spread across the year
    $
    $
    For example part-time work, rental income or a partner's contribution
    $
    Leave out emergency funds and money set aside for other commitments

    Your Freedom Baseline

    Calculated from your numbers.

    Updates as you type
    Runway
    12 months
    How long your transition cash covers the monthly shortfall
    Freedom Gap
    $3,500 / month
    What your next chapter needs to contribute each month
    Monthly shortfall during transition
    $2,000
    Transition spending minus reliable continuing income

    These are planning estimates for exploring options, not financial advice. At the retreat you'll stress-test them against lower income, higher costs and late payments.

    Inamuragasaki, Kamakura

    Home base is a private house on the coast between Kamakura and Enoshima, about an hour from Tokyo by train. Temples and bamboo groves line the hills behind it. In front there's surf, and Fuji on a clear morning.

    Cape Inamuragasaki
    The host carrying a longboard on a Kamakura beach under a wide blue sky
    Morning surf, if you'd like it
    The retreat house in Inamuragasaki, framed by bamboo and trees
    The retreat house
    A moss-covered stone Jizō statue in a bamboo garden
    Jizō Bosatsu
    Hundreds of red and blue paper fortunes tied at a shrine
    Shrine fortunes

    A home, not a hotel

    You'll stay six nights in the host's home in Inamuragasaki, with shared meals, a journal and quiet corners to write in. Room and bathroom arrangements are described in full before you book.

    Kamakura is the classroom

    Field Labs are held at Hase's temples, along the coast to Enoshima and on the ridge trails above Kencho-ji. Routes are chosen for the weather and for the group, and every one has an easier option.

    Everyday Japan

    You'll shop for a meal, take the Enoden line, sit over tea. The retreat is built around ordinary life in Japan, the kind that shows what a different pace can feel like.

    You leave with your Kamakura Freedom Plan

    Each morning adds a section. By the closing dinner the whole plan is written, and the first three actions are already in your calendar.

    Not a single permanent answer. A clear next experiment, the evidence to back it, and support while you run it.

    Reserve a place

    My Kamakura Freedom Plan

    自由
    1. CompassWhat gives you meaning, joy and a sense of contribution, as three design principles
      Day 2
    2. DiagnosisThe one central challenge, and what you've observed about it
      Day 2
    3. Freedom BaselineEnough number, minimum income, runway and gap
      Day 2
    4. Possible futuresThree five-year Odyssey Plans, each with its own dashboard
      Day 3
    5. StrategyA guiding policy, coherent actions and one deliberate tradeoff
      Day 4
    6. EvidenceYour prototype: what you observed, its limits and what you learned
      Day 5
    7. Next 90 daysUp to three outcomes, with milestones at 30, 60 and 90 days
      Day 6
    8. Operating rhythmA small daily practice, a weekly review and a monthly decision
      Day 6
    9. Support and launchOne thing you'll stop, a support person and three actions booked
      Day 6

    The retreat continues when you get home

    The first weeks back are when plans usually fade. So your cohort of three meets for five weekly 60-minute video sessions, scheduled for your time zones before you leave Japan.

      Carry the light along the path, or choose a week.

      Portrait of Riti, the retreat host, smiling on the rocky shore at Inamuragasaki Waxing a surfboard on the sand The Great Buddha of Kamakura at Kōtoku-in Temple under a blue sky

      Your host, Riti

      It started with a simple question:
      What would it take to build a life you don't need a holiday from — one with more joy, purpose and freedom every day?

      A few years ago, I was sitting on a beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on a company rewards trip. By most measures, life was going well. I had a successful career, a wonderful family and the life I had spent years working toward. But sitting there, all I could think was:

      “I don't want to keep living for the next vacation.”

      So I began redesigning my life. At 43, I went back to school for my Executive MBA, eventually stepped away from a 15-year corporate career, expanded my consulting work, and created a home for my family in Japan.

      More importantly, I started building my life around the things I wanted more of — meaningful work, time with the people I love, mornings to surf, days to hike and travel, and the freedom to choose how I spend my time.

      I don't have all the answers. But I've lived through many of the questions you may be asking now.

      This intimate retreat takes place in my home in Inamuragasaki, about an hour from Tokyo, where the sea, mountains and temples become part of the experience. Our workshops combine life design, business strategy and mindful reflection, drawing from my Executive MBA studies at SFU, Stanford's Life Design Thinking approach, and my own experience redesigning a life from the inside out.

      With only three guests, this isn't a seminar where you disappear into the room. You'll have space to think deeply, explore possibilities, hear honest perspectives and begin designing a path that actually fits your life.

      “I'll share my story as one example, not a model to copy. Your answer should look like you.”

      Founding departure

      $3,500USD per guest

      This is the first departure, so the price is set below future dates. You get the full programme, and we'll ask for honest feedback. Three places in total.

      Reserve a place
      • AccommodationSix nights in the host's Inamuragasaki home
      • MealsEverything from the arrival dinner to the departure breakfast, with dietary needs planned in advance
      • Workshop and coachingFive morning studios, timed cohort feedback and a final review of your plan
      • In JapanProgramme transport and entry to all included activities
      • MaterialsJournal, workbook and your Kamakura Freedom Plan
      • Before and afterA one-to-one welcome call, plus five weekly integration sessions with your cohort

      Not included: return flights, travel between the airport and the house, personal shopping and optional extras such as surf lessons. The retreat supports your decisions. It doesn't guarantee income, a business launch or a particular career outcome.

      Questions guests ask

      Do I need a business idea, or a plan to quit my job?

      No. Some guests redesign the job they already have, some explore a career change and some test a small business idea. On Day 4 you choose the path that fits your question, and you can switch if the evidence points somewhere else.

      How much preparation is there before Japan?

      About 60 to 90 minutes, plus a short log of your energy across three ordinary days. There's also a 30-minute welcome call with Riti three to four weeks before the retreat. You don't need to prepare anything polished.

      Do I have to share my finances with the group?

      Never. You calculate your Freedom Baseline privately. In group discussion you can use rounded or made-up figures, and your worksheets stay yours.

      How demanding is the hike on Day 4?

      The planned ridge walk is about 6 km with 250 m of climbing, over two and a half to three hours. There's always a gentler route or a house-based alternative with the same reflection prompts. Physical effort is never the measure of commitment.

      What if it rains?

      Every Field Lab has a sheltered or house-based version that serves the same purpose. You'll still get the reflection time and cohort time.

      Will I be asked to sell or pitch to strangers?

      No. Any outreach is your choice and sent from your own account. Day 5 tests can be a conversation you arrange before the trip, a realistic work sample or a rehearsed conversation.

      How do I get there?

      Fly into Tokyo (Haneda or Narita), then take the train toward Kamakura. The last stretch is the seaside Enoden line to Inamuragasaki. You'll get detailed travel notes two weeks before arrival.

      Walk through the gate

      Each week has three places. Choose your week, send a short note, and Riti will reply to arrange a 30-minute welcome call, so you can both check the retreat is right for you before anything is paid.

      1. Choose your week and send a short note
      2. Have a welcome call to talk through your question and your fit
      3. Confirm your place and receive the workbook and travel notes

      Request a place

      No payment yet. This starts a conversation.

      Choose your week

      About you

      Add your name so Riti knows who to reply to.
      Enter an email address like name@example.com.
      Add your city so Riti can plan a call in your time zone.
      Add your country so Riti can plan a call in your time zone.
      Include your country code.
      A few sentences is plenty. This helps Riti prepare for your welcome call.

      Your details are only used to reply to you about the retreat.

      Your request is ready to send

      Your email app should have opened with your note to Riti. Send it, and you'll hear back within two working days to arrange your welcome call.

      Reserve a place