Learn the teachings of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh
Fuji Mindfulness Retreat
May 2, 2025 (Friday) - May 6, 2025 (holiday/Tuesday)
Fuji Training Center, Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture
"Now it's time to get back to breathing, because we need it now more than ever."
“Back to Breath Now, because we need it now more than ever.”
These are the words of Brother Phap Ngiem, a senior disciple of Thich Nhat Hanh, when he visited Japan on tour last year.
This saying has become even more true this year.
Unpredictable international politics, protracted wars, natural disasters, the incredible speed of development of AI...Now is the time to return to breathing and take each step carefully to deepen our awareness of the here and now and connect to a vibrant life.
During Golden Week in May 2025, we will be holding a retreat (overnight meditation session) to learn and practice the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, the “father of mindfulness.”
Spending five mindful days with the monks of Plum Village in a tranquil, natural environment while looking up at Mt. Fuji up close is a rare opportunity to rediscover life and humanity.
Each Breath Gives Life, Each Step Brings Healing
Every breath brings life, every step brings healing
Every year on the eve of Lunar New Year, Thich Nhat Hanh would compose a simple book of parallel verses for the Sangha to encourage and nurture the practice of mindfulness throughout the new year, a tradition that continues today at Plum Village.
As a mindfulness practice, you can repeat these phrases silently, aligning each line with your breath: for example, "Every breath brings life" as you inhale, and "Every step brings healing" as you exhale.
This year, we will be holding a retreat (overnight meditation session) on the theme of parallel verse.
This year's parallel birth
Experience Plum Village in Japan
During the retreat, together with the monks of Plum Village, you will learn mindfulness through walking meditation, eating meditation, sitting meditation, and relaxation meditation, all while breathing slowly and calmly, so that you can apply and practice these practices in your daily life.
This is a rare opportunity to experience Plum Village without leaving Japan, where the collective mindfulness energy created by over 100 participants will gently envelop your mind and body in a healing way.
Whether you are experiencing mindfulness for the first time or are an experienced practitioner, please feel free to join us.
With eleven monks
This year, in addition to the monks from Hong Kong and Plum Village in Thailand who visit Japan every year, we will also be welcoming three Dharma teachers from last March's highly successful tour to Japan: Sister Lin Nyem (Plum Village, Thailand), Sister Kin Nyem (Deer Park Monastery, California, USA), and Sister Chai (Plum Village, France).
We plan to invite a total of about 11 monks with a diverse membership to provide a practical opportunity to practice the teachings of Thay (Thich Nhat Hanh) and the energy of mindfulness that he has cultivated.
Fuji Training Center: A natural environment with a view of Mt. Fuji right in front of you
The original schedule was three nights and four days, but since last year it has been extended to four nights and five days, allowing participants to experience mindfulness more thoroughly and deeply. In order to provide a better environment and venue, this year the event will be held at the Fuji Training Center, the training center closest to Mt. Fuji in Japan.
With a vast lawn surrounded by deep trees and a view of the majestic Mt. Fuji right in front of it, this training center was also used as the retreat venue in 2019 and was very well received. This time, after undergoing renovations during the COVID-19 period, the guest rooms and other facilities have been refurbished, creating an even more calming and clean environment.
(Fuji Training Center website: https://fujicalm.jp/ )
In this environment, you will have the opportunity to experience the "Mindfulness Teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh" as practiced at Plum Village.
Time Schedule
This is the schedule from last year (2024), but please refer to it if you would like. (The time schedule may be subject to slight changes.)
Once this year's schedule is finalized, we will send an email to everyone who has registered.
Children's Programs
In addition to the main program for adults, we also have a children's program available, so families can come and join us.
◆Programs for Children
During the retreat, we offer a range of mindful play programs for children, both indoors and outdoors, set in natural surroundings.
Age of children who can participate
[Target age] Elementary school students aged 6 to 12 years old are eligible to participate. (Children outside the specified age range cannot participate.)
[Contents] This program will be run by the monks of Plum Village in cooperation with lay volunteer staff. (Japanese interpretation will be provided.)
Children can enjoy indoor and outdoor activities while learning basic mindfulness practices.
The main activities are games, sports, arts, crafts, etc. Generally, the activities are done by children alone, but there are some programs where parents can participate together.
Parents are responsible for the care of their children outside of program hours and when they are not attending the program.
Children under the age of 6 are welcome to join the retreat, but there is no dedicated program for them. This means that parents will need to be there to look after them at all times, and they may not be able to participate in some parts of the program, such as meditation, dharma sharing, and mindful community activities. If you are bringing small children, we recommend that you bring another adult with you and take turns looking after them.
What are the programs for children?
This program will be run by Plum Village monks in cooperation with lay volunteer staff (Japanese interpretation will be provided).
Children can enjoy indoor and outdoor activities while learning basic mindfulness practices.
The main activities are games, sports, arts, crafts, etc. Generally, the activities are done by children alone, but there are some programs where parents can participate together.
The retreat offers a peaceful and mindful environment surrounded by nature, which you can also benefit from while spending time with your young children.
*Parents are responsible for caring for their children outside of program hours or when they are not participating in the program.
*You may be asked to leave if you are affecting the progress of a program that requires quiet and concentration.
A space created together with parents
After applying, we will send a preliminary questionnaire to parents, so please cooperate. Please let us know if you have any concerns or things you would like us to consider. We can ask you for more details in advance (we may contact you if we want to confirm more details).
We value the here and now and want to create a space where children can experience the richness and joy of real communication with each other. For this reason, we ask parents to cooperate by not letting their children use digital devices during the retreat.
Children under 6 years old
Children under the age of 6 are welcome to join the retreat, but there is no dedicated program for them. This means that parents will need to be there to look after them at all times, and they may not be able to participate in some parts of the program, such as meditation, dharma sharing, and mindful community activities. If you are bringing small children, we recommend that you bring another adult with you and take turns looking after them.
stay
◆Rooms
The rooms are shared by men and women (all rooms have showers and toilets).
Three people will stay in one room.
If you have a friend who would like to share your room, please indicate this in the free comment section of the application form.
If you are applying as a family (2 or 4 people), we will try to accommodate only the family members as much as possible. However, if you apply as a parent and child, you may be placed in the same room as two other parents and children of the same gender.
If you are traveling with small children, are elderly, or have a medical condition or disability and would find it difficult to share a room with other guests, please contact the organizers in advance. We will consider providing you with a private room.
The shower rooms in your room are equipped with shampoo, treatment, and body soap. Toothbrush and toothpaste sets are available in the corridors on the 2nd and 3rd floors, so please feel free to use them.
Bath towels are available for rental (200 yen each) and face towels are sold (100 yen each) at the front desk.
All rooms are equipped with one hair dryer. (If you bring your own, please only use one at a time. Using two will trip the circuit breaker.)
Date and Time
2025
May 2nd (Friday) - May 6th (holiday/Tuesday)
May 2nd Reception 14:00-16:00
May 6th, Ends around 14:00
venue
Fuji Training Centerhttps ://fujicalm.jp/
Address: 5-1-1 Araya, Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture
◆Access to "Fuji Training Center"
Please come to Fujikyu "Mt. Fuji Station", the nearest station to the "Fuji Training Center".
★To get to Mt. Fuji Station from Tokyo, the JR/Fujikyu Direct Express Fuji Kaiyu is convenient.
Please note that the JR/Fujikyu Direct Express Fuji Kaiyu only has reserved seats and no unreserved seats.
(JR reserved seat tickets usually go on sale at 10:00 one month before the travel date.)
Limited Express Fuji Excursion: JR Easthttps ://www.jreast.co.jp/hachioji/fuji_excursion/
★Express bus Shinjuku - Fuji Five Lakes Line
Highway Bus.com - Easy booking for express buses nationwide
https://www.highwaybus.com/gp/reservation/rsvPlanList?lineId=110
A shuttle bus (free of charge) will operate from Mt. Fuji Station to the Fuji Training Center.
The journey takes about 10 minutes. There is no need to apply for the shuttle bus in advance.
<Shuttle bus operating hours>
May 2nd (Friday) Mt. Fuji Station → Fuji Training Center 13:30-15:30
May 6th (Holiday) Fuji Training Center → Mt. Fuji Station 14:30-16:30
*One bus (28 passengers) will make several round trips during the above times.
*If you are unable to board the shuttle bus (or are unable to board on the day), please use a taxi. (The journey takes approximately 7 minutes.)
*All registered participants will be sent a map showing the pick-up location (boarding and disembarking location at Mt. Fuji Station) by the day before the event.
Due to the Golden Week holidays, road congestion is expected on expressways and around the base of Mount Fuji.
Things may not always go as planned, so please take your time and enjoy your visit.
Participation Fee
Adults: ￥84,000
University students: ￥80,000
High school and junior high school students: ￥70,000
Elementary school students and younger: ￥60,000
・The cost includes accommodation and all meals (vegetarian) from the start to the end of the retreat.
・High school students and younger cannot participate alone and must be accompanied by a family member.
・If you apply as a family of four, including children, we will discount 10,000 yen from the total payment amount. However, there is a limit to the number of rooms available, so please contact our office in advance.
・There is no charge for infants who are accompanied by their parents and whose meals are prepared and who share their own bedding. (If you would like to bring an infant with you, please contact us separately.)
・A free shuttle bus is available from Mt. Fuji Station to the Fuji Training Center.
・The application deadline is Wednesday, April 24th (morning). (There is a possibility that the deadline may be extended slightly.)
・Peatix e-ticket service is used for purchase.
・After purchasing your ticket, a purchase completion email will be sent to the registered email address. (*For convenience store payments, it may take up to 2 hours for the purchase completion email to arrive after the payment is completed at the convenience store.)
★If you purchase multiple tickets
This is limited to family members only.
If you are purchasing multiple tickets as part of a group, please apply for each person separately.
We appreciate your cooperation in managing your personal information.
★Cancellation policy
If you request this by midnight on April 24th, we will give you a full refund.
However, if you purchased the product at a convenience store or ATM, or if you paid by credit card and more than 50 days have passed since the payment date, a refund fee of 500 yen will be charged. Please note that we will not be able to refund any requests made after midnight on April 24th.
◆For those who are unable to participate for financial reasons
If you would like, please let us know your situation at the Plum Village Invitation Committee at tnhsangha@gmail.com . We will discuss how to respond to your request.
Before you apply
Please be sure to read this before applying.
・Depending on the infection situation at the time, we may ask you to wear a mask and take your temperature. We appreciate your cooperation in these cases.
Disclaimer
The organizers will do everything possible to ensure everyone's safety during the retreat, but the organizers cannot be held responsible for any natural disasters, injuries or illnesses caused by participants, or accidents such as theft or damage. Each participant is responsible for managing their own physical and mental health and belongings. If you are concerned, please take out your own insurance in advance.
In the event of inappropriate behavior or if the organizers determine that you are disrupting the practice of other participants, you may be asked to leave.
Please be aware of the above before participating.
＜Request＞
Those with the intention of proselytizing religion or engaging in network marketing are asked to refrain from applying to participate.
・If you have been diagnosed with a severe mental illness and are taking medication, please get your doctor's approval and let us know in advance. We may contact you.
・Please also check the "Frequently Asked Questions" page.
How to apply
Please purchase tickets and apply via the Peatix application page.
If you have difficulty using Peatix, please contact us via the inquiry page .