This month, we had the honor of welcoming a small group of media friendlies to join our Founder and CEO Shizu Okusa on The Journey East—an immersive, nervous system reset experience. Ready to nurture our nature, we set off on a revitalizing journey guided by the four elements of Mother Nature in beautiful Kyoto, Japan.
Disconnecting from the chaos of the Western world, we welcomed the chance to connect with Apothékary's roots and ultimately, with ourselves.
We’re excited to share some select moments from the trip and give you a sneak peek of a new offering we’ll be formally announcing next year.
In Our Element
DAY 1:
- Fire ignites transformation and personal growth, which made it the perfect element to usher in our arrival to Japan. We welcomed our group with chadō, a traditional Japanese tea ceremony with Ryo Iwamoto—the youngest tea master in Japan—in the Fuju Tea Room at Four Seasons Kyoto, the beautiful accommodations for our stay. In Japan, the tea ceremony is rooted in the principles of Zen Buddhism and is also a customary welcome for guests. Later, we enjoyed a traditional dashi workshop, making a stock of healing, time-tested ingredients like kelp and shiitake mushroom. After we enjoyed our delicious lunch at Kyoto Rikyu to awaken our senses and stoking our digestive fires.
DAY 2:
- Air allows space for all that comes and goes, and on our second day in Japan we joined Zen Monk Toryo Ito for a special meditation at Kenninji Ryosokuin temple. He welcomed us to clear our minds and honor the thoughts that were merely passing by. Later in the day, we rolled up our sleeves for an ikebana floral arrangement class. The art of ikebana has been passed down for centuries in Japan and, in its principles, honors nature and allows negative space in order to create dynamism—similar to what we experienced after our meditation that morning.
DAY 3:
- Water flows to cleanse, purify, and restore emotional balance, and we were excited to honor this element with an authentic onsen experience on day three. Sumiya Ihoan welcomed us for a private onsen experience where we soaked in the hot springs and let our tension float away. Later, we visited a local flower garden where we frolicked in the fields and sniffed some incredible blossoms—including cosmos flowers in peak bloom.
DAY 4:
- Earth grounds us in nature and roots us in our heritage, and Shizu was excited to share one of her grounding favorite practices with us on our last day: forest bathing. Forest bathing, or Shinrin-yoku, has been shown to reduce stress, support immunity, and boost mood, and we all certainly felt the calming effects of the experience. Our collective journey throughout the week made our final dinner at Kyo-Chabana Minamishinmachi even more special. Recapping our trip memories over a feast of traditional Okonomiyaki, we felt grounded for our long journeys back home.
What to see more of our trip to Japan? Head over to Instagram @apothekaryco and check out our “Journey East” story highlight.
Want to experience The Journey East with us? Keep an eye out for an exciting announcement coming soon in 2025.