ÉLANOURA
RETREAT JAPAN
October 10-18, 2026
A Volunteering Retreat for
Women Leaders
Élanoura is a global collective of women leaders living a life (“élan”) of light (“oura”).
Through Élanoura Retreats (#travelwithimpact), we volunteer together in person and donate 10% of every retreat fee directly to a local nonprofit partner.
This year, we’re thrilled to invite you to join a small circle of women leaders for nine days in Japan: tea ceremony and city lights in Tokyo, onsen and Mt. Fuji views in Hakone, incense and kimono in Kyoto, and a morning of volunteering with the nonprofit Sankakusha, supporting young adults who have left violent or unstable homes with no safe place to stay.
Our donation will help fund the housing, safe spaces, and paid job training through Sankakusha’s three-year program.
AS FEATURED IN:
Our 9-Day Itinerary & Activities in Japan
October 10-18, 2026
Across the energy of Tokyo, the natural beauty of Hakone, and the charm of Kyoto, this one-of-a-kind experience invites you to slow down and get present. Every detail has been crafted to engage your senses and open your mind, body, and spirit.
- Arrive in Tokyo and check in at Shiba Park Hotel, your home for the first part of the journey.
- Gather for a welcome tea experience with traditional sweets to settle in and connect.
- Enjoy breakfast before departing for a Shibuya Guided Tour, including Shibuya Crossing, Meiji Jingu Shrine, and Omotesando.
- Experience the contrast of Tokyo’s vibrant energy and serene spiritual spaces.
- Enjoy a modern Japanese lunch in Omotesando.
- Return to the hotel for time to rest or explore.
- Participate in a traditional Tea Ceremony, learning the philosophy of presence and intention.
- Gather for a welcome dinner featuring seasonal sushi.
- Begin the day with breakfast at the hotel.
- Travel with your guide to a Singing Bowl Sound Bath session designed to relax the nervous system and restore balance.
- Enjoy a free afternoon in Tokyo, with open time for lunch, rest, or exploring.
- Head to Shinjuku for a guided night tour, with hidden alleys, a light meal along the way, and cultural insight.
- Continue the evening at your leisure with optional karaoke or drinks.
- Begin the day with breakfast and check-out.
- Volunteer with our nonprofit partner, Sankakusha, joining the young adults they serve for a hands-on activity, with a translator alongside.
- Share a Japanese lunch with Sankakusha, prepared through their own food service program.
- Travel from Tokyo to Hakone via bullet train and private transfer, transitioning from city energy into nature.
- Arrive at the creekside Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora, with private in-room onsen. Enjoy a firewood cuisine dinner at the hotel.
- Begin the day with breakfast followed by Workshop Session 1 focused on your bigger picture purpose and individual life path.
- Visit a Zen temple for a guided Zen Meditation and Calligraphy Experience, practicing stillness and focus.
- Return to the hotel for time to rest, enjoy the onsen, or reflect.
- Gather for dinner at the hotel.
- Explore Hakone’s natural landscape, including a Hike with Mt. Fuji views along Lake Ashi, the ropeway, and Owakudani Valley.
- Return to the hotel for Workshop Session 2, focused on setting your new direction and next chapter.
- Enjoy free time to rest, reflect, or experience the onsen.
- Travel to Kyoto via bullet train and settle into The Hotel Higashiyama.
- Enjoy a local Japanese lunch in the neighborhood.
- Visit Arashiyama for a personalized Incense-Making Workshop to take your very own signature fragrance home with you.
- Return to the hotel for free time.
- Gather for a tempura dinner in Kyoto.
- Begin the day with breakfast at the hotel.
- Experience a traditional Kimono Photoshoot while exploring Kyoto’s historic streets.
- Enjoy free time to explore or rest.
- Close the retreat with a Farewell Dinner.
- Enjoy breakfast before departing for the airport.
- Leave with new friendships, your own signature incense, and the knowledge that your week made a real difference in Japan.
Who our retreats are for:
YOU MAY BE…
If you’ve been craving more meaning in your work, life, and relationships, this could be exactly what you’ve been asking for.
What’s
Included
Join an international, multi-city retreat that includes:
[ 01 ]
Three distinct locations in high-demand destination: Tokyo, Hakone, and Kyoto, with high-speed rail and seamlessly coordinated transportation throughout
[ 02 ]
In-person volunteering with our Tokyo nonprofit partner, Sankakusha, plus 10% of your retreat fee donated directly to their work.
[ 03 ]
Cultural experiences: guided tours, tea ceremony, calligraphy, incense making, and kimono photoshoot, with translators
[ 04 ]
Wellness experiences such as meditation, sound bath, and a nature hike designed to support rest and renewal
[ 05 ]
Most meals included, with curated Japanese dining experiences centered on fresh, nourishing, and mindful eating
[ 06 ]
Accommodations at Hotel Shiba Tokyo, Hotel Indigo Hakone (including in-room onsen bath), and Hotel Higashiyama Kyoto
[ 07 ]
Facilitated purpose and vision-focused leadership sessions and workshops
[ 08 ]
A highly curated, small-group experience for powerful women leaders
Airfare and transportation to/from Airport are not included.
“When you can step away from the day-to-day to a new reality, there’s a magic that occurs: you suddenly gain the clarity and perspective to move forward differently toward what’s calling you forward.”
Erika Brechtel, Founder & Retreat Leader
What Makes the Élanoura Retreat Extra Special
01. Thoughtfully Designed, Not Overfilled
With every detail already taken care of, you’re free to show up fully, without the weight of planning or chaos.
02. A Small, Curated Group
You’re surrounded by thoughtful women who bring depth, perspective, and a trusted network of women-owned business referrals.
03. Guided, Not Prescriptive
You’re supported through conversations and workshops, while still having space to think, reflect, and move at your own pace.
04. More Than Travel
This is not a getaway. It is travel with impact: a cultural immersion that gives back to the place that welcomes us.
05. Meaningful Contribution
Through in-person volunteering and local partnerships, your presence contributes to the communities we engage with.
06. Women Only, By Design
The circle is small and women only on purpose: the friendships from nine days together are the part alumnae mention first.
“I went on this trip thinking it was a business trip with the hope of maybe making at least one friend, but what actually ended up happening was I met 9 lifelong friends that I happened to discuss business with.”
“I will be forever grateful to Erika as she curated a group that included such diverse women whom all I could relate to in one way or another and I look forward to watching them all grow and succeed not only in business but their personal life. Anyone would be crazy NOT to attend something Erika puts together.”
Sheena
Owner, FInancial Services
“I enjoyed the whole trip! Every day had a lot to offer and was well balanced with workshops and activities. I loved not knowing all the details of the places we visited. To me it added more magic to the experience.”
“Coming in not knowing any of the ladies made me a bit nervous at first. I believe Erika did an amazing job selecting the candidates. Everyone was amazing, kind, supportive and had a lot to offer in terms of business and personal experiences. The place we stayed at was perfect. It felt like home and the food was delicious. There was a great level of attention to detail that elevated the experience. I am so grateful to have been part of this and to all the amazing connections I made. I was looking forward to being part of the Project Soar volunteering opportunity and I think that was an important part of the retreat. Thank you!!”
Oula
Florist
Explore Our Previous Retreats
2024
Greece Retreat
In Greece, we partnered with The ANKAA Project and Yoga & Sport with Refugees, volunteering with women and girl refugees. Our donation funded two pieces of essential gym equipment for YSR and supported ANKAA’s ongoing programs and community.
2023
Mallorca Retreat
In Mallorca, we partnered with IRES Foundation, supporting women survivors of violence through both volunteering and donation. Through art and shared creative expression, we experienced a sense of connection and positivity that transcended language.
2023
Morocco Retreat
In Morocco, we continued our partnership with Project Soar, volunteering with teen girls facing period poverty and child marriage. Following a devastating earthquake, we also provided emergency supplies and extended support to their girls in need in Syria.
2022
Morocco Retreat
In Morocco, we partnered with Project Soar, volunteering with teen girls facing period poverty and child marriage. Our donation funded three years of period products for 255 girls, helping them stay in school and reducing their vulnerability to child marriage.
ÉLANOURA X SANKAKUSHA
Our Japan Non-Profit Partner, Sankakusha
When a home is unsafe for a young adult, their life can become unsafe, fast. Many of the young adults Sankakusha serves have left families that were violent or unstable. Without safe adults around them, the next problems follow fast: housing insecurity, debt they cannot service, and predatory job postings on social media that reach them before public-support resources can. The throughline is isolation. Sankakusha is built to intercept that chain early, before it sets in, and has walked alongside more than 520 young adults in Tokyo to date.
“From my junior high school years, I assumed the role of a young carer for my grandparents. My mother, a single parent, subjected me to abuse from early childhood. I came from a dysfunctional family, and although I experienced violence, fear prevented me from escaping.”
— 20 year-old woman at Sankakusha
VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY
On Day 4 of the retreat, October 13, our cohort will spend a morning at Sankakusha’s space in Toshima Ward, Tokyo, a small renovated house where young adults gather. We will make garlands together with the Sankakusha team and the young adults they serve, to decorate the space. After the activity, we share lunch together, prepared by Sankakusha’s own food service program.
IMPACT MADE
Ten percent of every Élanoura retreat fee is donated directly to our local nonprofit partner. For Japan, that gift goes to Sankakusha, supporting the housing, the safe spaces, and the paid job training that move a young adult from isolation to independence.
Sankakusha runs three core programs: Sankaku House (housing across four shared houses and seven private rooms in Tokyo), Sankaku Kichi (a drop-in safe space in Toshima Ward), and Social Sankaku (paid job training delivered in partnership with 80 corporate sponsors). Together they form a three-year accompaniment that moves a young adult from safety, to motivation, to confidence.
Join us to elevate young adults in Tokyo, Japan
PRESENTED BY
Élanoura is a global social enterprise supporting women through education and experiences that combine connection, leadership, and meaningful contribution.
Each retreat is created in partnership with local nonprofit organizations, offering participants the opportunity to engage directly and contribute to the communities we visit.
Ten percent of every Élanoura retreat fee has been donated directly to our local nonprofit partner, funding three years of period products for 255 girls keeping them in school and out of child marriage in Morocco, emergency supplies for at-risk girls in Syria, programs for women survivors of violence in Mallorca, gym equipment for girl refugees, and skills training and language education for women refugees in Athens, Greece. For Japan, our donation goes to Sankakusha, supporting the housing, the safe spaces, and the paid job training that move a young adult from isolation to independence.
Our work extends beyond retreats to include masterminds, group coaching, and guided frameworks that support women leaders and expanding their impact.
MEET YOUR RETREAT LEADER
Erika Brechtel
Erika Brechtel is an L.A.-based brand consultant who has worked with women leaders and founders for over 20 years. Her work has been featured in Forbes, HuffPost, Thrive Global, and SELF.
She speaks for organizations including UCLA Anderson, Junior League, and Fabletics, and has spent over 30 years volunteering and serving on nonprofit boards focused on empowering women and girls globally.
Born and raised on the North Shore of O‘ahu, Erika now lives in Los Angeles, where she is raising her 17-year-old daughter.
Learn more about Erika here
