Tokyo Meditation Meetup

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About us

Tokyo Meditation Meetup!

Welcome fellow meditators! Join the Tokyo Mindfulness Substack community here to stay updated with events, retreats and guided meditations.

We hold weekly meditation sessions, usually on Tuesday and Thursday nights for one hour. We have regular group meditation sessions focused on meditation in “the buddhist tradition,” without the traditional bowing to statues or chanting. Just sitting and focusing on the breath, body, and mind, for the most part. We also have retreats of varying lengths for those who want to go deeper.

The meditation sessions are suitable for both beginners and more advanced meditators -- I will also indicate which day is reserved for advanced/beginner. Emphasis will be on the development of mindfulness and wisdom, as well as lovingkindness. Chairs and meditation cushions are available. Guidance in these methods is provided in English.

There's also a chance to exchange views and experiences. The point is to have a non-judgmental safe-space to share your experience. If you want to remain silent, that's fine, too.

This group can be a starting point for practicing, discussing or experiencing the dhamma/dharma together and may serve to support your personal practice. :)

Come join us!
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Membership: Our regular sessions are typically 1,000 yen. If you become a paid member of Tokyo Mindfulness for 3,000 yen/month, you get access to ALL of our regular events, as well as discounted and priority access to retreats and special events. Get a membership here.

⚠️ An important note about No-Shows: We have a limited number of space for this event. If you can’t attend, please cancel your RSVP so that others can join. Repeated no-shows will result in you getting kicked out of the group.

Follow and Connect with Us

1-1 Mindfulness Coaching

If you are looking to bring mindfulness in your day-to-day life, let go of your ego and overcome burnout, you can book a coaching call with Misha directly here: https://www.mishayurchenko.coach/

Book Recommendations

Hey all, I wanted to share some books about meditation that have been helpful along my journey and that you might find useful as well! I have listed them in order of “easiest to read” starting from the top, where as those towards the bottom of the list are a little bit more heavy.

Bear Awareness by Ajahn Brahm
Wherever you go, there you are by Jon Kabat-Zin
Wise Heart by Jack Kornfield
Zen Mind, Beginners Mind, by Shunryu Suzuki
Radical Acceptance, by Tara Brach
Waking Up: A guide to Spirituality without religion by Sam Harris
Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond by Ajahn Brahm
The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts
The Mind Illuminated by Culadasa (a very comprehensive guide)
Focused and Fearless by Shaila Catherine
Satipatthana Meditation - A practice guide, by Analayo
Path to Nibbana, by David Johnson (metta practice)
Manual of Insight, by Mahasi Sayadaw
Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha by Daniel Ingram
Seeing that Frees, by Rob Burbea

And, for thousands of free recorded lectures, talks and meditations from Buddhist teachers all around the world, check out this site: https://dharmaseed.org/

Featured event

¥76,000.00

4 seats left

Golden Week Mindfulness Retreat: The Art of Forgiveness and Loving-Kindness

Fri, May 1 · 5:30 PM JST

Shalom Hutte, Azumino, Hotakaariake, Nagano, JP

A 3-night / 4-day mindfulness retreat in Azumino, Nagano. Reconnect with yourself, reconnect with each other, and reconnect with nature.

Join us this Golden Week for a slow, grounding reset in the Japanese Alps. For four days we’ll put our phones away, meditate, hike, soak in onsen, eat incredible home-cooked meals, and spend time in a small, warm community.

The theme of this retreat is The Art of Forgiveness and Loving-Kindness. We explore this in two ways:

1. The practice of opening the heart starts with forgiveness. The invitation is to begin to release all the emotional baggage we are holding onto — to let go of trying to change the past — and to make deep contact with what’s happening in the present moment.

2**. Loving-kindness, also known as metta** in Buddhism, softens the heart and mind and opens the possibility to build a new relationship to ourselves and each other. To, quite literally, befriend ourselves and enter into a more ‘friendly’ way of being. This has the potential to repattern and deeply shift our baseline inner voice and behavior.

We’ll explore these heart-based and compassion practices through guided meditations, pair practices, and group practices both indoors and outdoors. There will be plenty of time to go to the onsen, have meaningful conversation, do some light hiking, and enjoy the spacious views of the Japanese alps.

Details: 👇

Dates: May 1–4, 2026 (3 nights / 4 days)

Location: Iramu Karapute, Azumino, Nagano (arrive by 5pm on this train)
Group size: Max 12 participants
Price:

✅ What's included

3 nights / 4 days at the retreat center
guided meditations + teachings
3 meals per day
2 onsen trips
transportation to/from Hotaka Station (the nearest station)
optional 1:1 guidance during the retreat

❌ Not included:
The cost of transportation from Tokyo to the retreat center is not included in the price. The easiest way to get to the center is by shinkansen from Tokyo to Hotaka station. This is 7,500 yen one way. Also add-on services (acupuncture, massage, etc. if available)

🌙 Who this is for
This retreat is for people who want a kinder, more heart-centered way of practicing mindfulness. Maybe you already meditate and want to explore practices like metta, forgiveness, and compassion, not just calm or focus. Or maybe you simply want a few days in nature to slow down, soften, and reconnect.
It will also be a gentle crash course in heart practices, with space to practice both on and off the cushion. For those interested in going deeper, I’ll also offer guidance on how heart practices like metta and forgiveness can support deeper concentration and the jhanas.

🧘‍♂️ What we’ll do
Over the four days we’ll blend:

guided meditations
nervous system + presence practices
heart practices
nature walks
two onsen trips
light partner exercises
creative / intuitive practices (movement, reflection, simple expression)

There will also be plenty of downtime. This is not a silent retreat, but there will be periods of silence.

🏡 Accommodation: The retreat will be at the serene Iramu Karapute center in Nagano's wilderness, surrounded by the beauty of the Japanese alps. Food is cooked by the local staff and sourced from their gardens and is one of the highlights. Veggie options available. Max 12 people. 🙂 Picture of rooms here.

💴 Price: ¥88,000. Pay here by credit card or here by bank transfer.

Bonus: integration night add-on is ¥17,000 (May 4–5). Pay here.

Cancellation policy: 100% refund up to 2 days before the retreat 80% refund up to the retreat day. No refunds once the retreat begins.

🌱 Optional Integration Day
If you want more space to chill, you can stay one extra night: May 4 → May 5 (checkout at noon): ¥17,000. This includes meals, guided meditation morning + evening, optional 30-minute private coaching / meditation session with me, and a full free day to walk, journal, rest, return to the onsen, and integrate. That makes the full experience 4 nights / 5 days.

🧥 What to Bring:

A towel for the shower + onsen
Comfortable clothes; sweat pants, yoga pants, hoodies.
Comfortable shoes for walking/hiking
Water bottle
Notebook
An open heart and open mind :)

📍 Meeting Point: Iramu Karapute and location on Google maps. We will meet at Hotaka station. I recommend this train. The retreat will provide free car transportation from Hotaka station to the center at 5:00pm Friday, meeting at Hotaka station. Our dinner is at 6pm and opening ceremony at 7pm. If you plan to arrive earlier or later, you can get a taxi from there to the center. If taking a car directly there, parking nearby is provided free of charge.

📵 Digital detox: We will take your phone at the start of the retreat and keep it in a safe place until lunch time on Monday. Please make arrangements to be completely offline. Emergency contact is 08051858742 (Misha). Don't worry, we'll get plenty of pictures!

📝 Questionnaire: Everyone is required to fill out the questionnaire/ waiver before the retreat.

👥 About Your Guide: Misha Yurchenko is a Tokyo-based certified, trauma-informed meditation teacher and somatic coach with 10+ years of experience. He has spent time on retreat around the world and practiced a range of techniques. After experiencing extreme burnout from his venture-funded startup, he founded Tokyo Mindfulness and is dedicated to helping others on their healing journeys. He takes an integrated and practical approach combining meditation, breathwork, and nervous system healing to help people let go of the ego, release old habit patterns and find inner freedom. He is the author of several books and lives in Nerima with his family.