maui rainbow retreat in Japan

Izu is great in a sence that it is an excellent surf spot but also offers great trails for biking , trainrunning and hiking. wall climbing ( not that I have one it but heard it is good) and offeres great hot springs and seafood! what more can you ask for?(keiko teaching)
This time we did the small yoga retreat with our teacher from Maui Keiko. the owner of the lodge Tomoko cooked healthy meal with all local ingredients and her husband took care of so many things like driving, making sure everyone is comfortable.many of the girls surf too so we got to surf , yoga and enjoy great local food that Tomoko( owner of the lodge) offered. Onsen and great food, and talked all night with all kinds of snacks from all the places. great get together.(Hot spring , Onsen in Japanese, this is a very old traditional japanese building and had huge Hinoki wood Tub, amazing relaxation)
Many of the girls went sightseeing, Aiko who run bike trip service in Izu took us to some of the beautiful spot( and great cute shops)The place we stayed is Villa Shirahama and its location is great, as well as the host, They built the yoga studio last year and there are so many cool things around the whole property and the view is mind blowing , not to mention you can check the surf from where you sleep.
Anyone visiting Japan should consider visiting Izu, since it is fairly close from Tokyo , yet offers beautiful ocean with waves, lush green forest and old historical sites with great food! and experience all that by staying this Villa and meet Soma Family can guarantee to make the trip memorable.
check out www.villa-shirahama.com

It's always good to see old friends!

Some of the friends I got to see in this Japan trip.

Chikara Tsumura in Ishigaki, we got to explore some new spots and rode some waves all by ourselves. Ishigaki is one of the Yaeyama islands where I feel very connected. rush green, crystal clear water and bright corals . local music and sincere people. I love this place!

Tokuoka family and friends in Iriomote.
This island really reminds me of Haiku where I live but even more remote. everyone is very friendly and I always feel at home when I come. I dont even have to surf or kite , just being here and relax , walk on the beach and look for shells ( pick some eatable seaweed and others ) makes me sooo happy!
If I ever choose a place to live in Japan, Iriomote would be on top of the list( except I am very afraid of Habu snake)

Omaezaki is windsurfing Mecca of Japan. and many of my friends including my best friend motoko and my favorite kid Sumomo( motoko's daughter) live here.
This time Motoko introduced me to standup fishing. I saw it on her blog that she was catching some real good eating big fish and I was like . " If Motoko can do it, I should be able to do it"
I got to try it twice but I didnt catch anything in Omaezaki, but the idea of catching the diner was so sttractive I bought the whole setup and started practicing. it is a great way to train for paddling too. You end up paddling for a long time hoping to catch something.

Izu is one of the closest beach resort area from Tokyo but it is so quiet and beautiful. This Place also reminds me of Haiku , where Lush green meets surf.
I got to know this beautiful family who run a vacation place and they help us organize yoga retreat there. Soma family is such a beautiful creative family that every time I visit them they make me feel right at home and also inspired to be more creative. 3 sisiters, Minami,natsu, and Nonno are so cute, too!
We had some Patagonia staff camp here as well and since then I heard may Patagonia staff get together and use this facility for surf trips.

I can go on and on about people and places in this trip. I guess there is no place like home!