This article was originally published in Housing Japan Magazine, 2020 edition.
We talk with Modern Escape Japan and hear about their wellness retreats
Photos: Alfie Goodrich & MEJ
Wellness tourism is coming into sharp focus as an area of huge potential growth for Japan. And not all of that growth is coming from inbound tourism.
Wellness in the workplace is increasingly important for Japanese businesses, and a happy workforce is one that can escape from job-related stress.
With retreats in the tranquil countryside of Japan, Modern Escape Japan (MEJ) offers opportunities to get away from it all.
We spoke to Menya Hinga, co-founder; Joey Wu, co-founder and yoga instructor; and Hidetaka Mizohata, participant, to find out more about what is making MEJ the go-to choice for a break from the hustle and bustle.
Housing Japan (HJ): Menya, tell us about MEJ.
Menya Hinga, Founder of MEJ (MH): Modern Escape Japan is the brainchild of all the founding members. For me, the idea sprung to life when we did our first SOGO Fitness retreat to Okinawa back in 2016. SOGO is a not-for-profit fitness group, predominantly for foreigners in Tokyo, which I set up some time back. It was after that trip that I realised there was an opportunity to offer similar retreats all over Japan, which is full of tall mountains, beautiful beaches, dense forests and breathtaking Japanese landscapes just waiting to be explored.
HJ: What would you say defines a Modern Escape customer?
MH: MEJ participants are friendly, outgoing and span all ages. They join us to get out of the city, connect with nature, re-energise and connect with themselves and others. Our participants are generally curious about how their health can be improved and sustained through a pattern of regular exercise and healthy food. That’s exactly what we share at our retreats.
HJ: Is Modern Escape Japan solely based around out-of-Tokyo retreats? Or do you have events in the city?
MH: As the name suggests, our retreats occur outside urban environments. We believe in the restorative power of nature so, although our trips include many group activities like outdoor yoga, guided meditation and short hikes, we also prioritise time for being alone to take naps, read or forest bathe.
HJ: How do you pick locations for your retreats? Are they places your team know and love? What makes a great destination for an MEJ retreat?
MH: We’re regularly exploring new locations but, generally, the locations we pick are surrounded by nature, where our participants can unplug their minds from their busy lives and reconnect.
HJ: What do you think makes the retreat-style of event, i.e. getting away from it all, uniquely helpful to those who join?
MH: Our retreats are full-service, with comfortable accommodation, specially designed healthy food and carefully crafted wellness programmes that include activities focusing on both the body and the mind.
In a typical day, you can expect an early morning that starts with meditation, yoga and a healthy breakfast, followed by more active group activities, such as hiking and guided fitness. Through these activities, our customers make new friends who are like-minded. Our foods are carefully designed, with a focus on whole foods, plants and natural ingredients. Some of our customers call our retreats “the perfect healthy holiday getaway.”
HJ: How did the Modern Escape team come together?
MH: Our team is made up of four fitness and health professionals, all very passionate about sharing their experiences in living a sustainable life through healthy food and exercise. We all bring different expertise: I am a full-time health coach, Risa is a full-time Pilates instructor, Joey is a yoga teacher and Elma is an ultra trail runner. Our shared passion naturally brought us all together.
“A passion for fostering a healthy mind and body“. Joey Wu, head of PR for a global finance company, puts front and centre the reasons why she got involved with MEJ.
HJ: Joey, why did you get involved with MEJ?
JW: Living in the city, we all have one thing in common: stress, whether it is about our work, relationships or responsibilities. Yoga and being a yogi (which I’ve been for many years now) is something that has kept me physically fit and helped me reduce stress whilst I’m working hard.
In the international yoga community, it is very common these days to take off to a remote place and spend a few weeks unplugging yourself. This type of healthy holiday is becoming popular even among people who don’t do yoga regularly. I’ve been to Thailand, Australia, the US and various places to do that. In Japan, beyond a few teachers doing ad-hoc retreats, there has never really been the kind of organised yoga retreat scene that there is elsewhere.
About a year or two ago, I got to a point in life where I just had too much stress. Around this time, my teacher from the US booked a venue in the countryside near Mount Mitake where a bunch of people, including myself, did a retreat. The healing power was so powerful it got me thinking, wow, Japan really needs to get organised to do more of this kind of thing, and I want to help other people who can really benefit from this kind of experience.
Like a lot of great things that happen in life, at the same time I was thinking about this, I got connected to Menya, who was doing great things with his SOGO group. We talked and it was obvious he’s so passionate about all of the same things I’m passionate about. So, we said, “OK, let’s do it.”
Other people came on board with their individual specialities and that’s basically how MEJ came about. There were shared passions and a desire to create retreats here in Japan, where we’ve got so much wonderful nature to enjoy.
HJ: Hidetaka, what was it like being on one of MEJ’s retreats?
Hidetaka Mizohata, a participant (HM): I’m a city dweller, with a busy corporate job in Tokyo. Any opportunity to get out of the city into nature is something I’ll always be keen to take. Getting away from it all with a group of like-minded people, to do activities together—yoga, meditation— and eat great food, prepared with the express purpose of being healthy and nutritious, was so refreshing.
It’s so easy sometimes, in a busy corporate environment, to feel alone with your stress. But after I came back to the city and went back to work, the retreat experience stayed with me. I felt connected and less alone, more like I was part of a group of people who shared my passion for keeping my mind and my body healthy.
Find out more about Modern Escape Japan, Menya, his team and their upcoming events by visiting the group’s website at: www.modernescapejapan.com
