- Days
- 4
- Participants
- 6 to 20 participants
- Cities
- Okinawa
Objectives
- Take the leadership team away from headquarters to work through one or two structuring decisions
- Keep discussions confidential in a small property with no other groups
- Alternate short working sessions with time outdoors to step back
- Show executives a Japan they rarely see: the subtropical south of the Ryukyu Islands
Participant profile
Executive committees, boards and leadership teams after an acquisition or while preparing a strategic plan. Executives used to large city hotels who are looking here for space, discretion and a strong natural setting.
Day by day
- 1
Day 1
Day 1 — Flight to Ishigaki and opening session
- Direct flight Tokyo Haneda – Ishigaki (about 3 h 15) or Naha – Ishigaki (about 1 h); seats grouped together and luggage handled by our team
- Meet-and-greet at New Ishigaki Airport, private van transfer to The Ubufuru Ishigaki (about 10 min)
- Check-in to suites of at least 130 m²; one 165 m² 2LDK suite is set aside as the committee's meeting room and lounge
- 5:00 pm — 90-minute opening session in the lounge suite: framing the issues and confidentiality rules
- 7:00 pm — Ishigaki beef barbecue dinner served in the suites by the hotel team
Ishigaki - 2
Day 2
Day 2 — Strategy session and Kabira Bay
- 8:30 am — 3.5-hour working session in the hotel's privatized restaurant, with screen, video conferencing and an optional bilingual facilitator
- 12:30 pm — Light lunch served on site
- 2:00 pm — Transfer to Kabira Bay on the northwest coast (about 40 min); swimming is not allowed, so the bay is explored by glass-bottom boat and from the lookout
- 4:30 pm — Walk in pairs on the Kabira headland: each pair comes back with one proposal for the next day's session
- 7:00 pm — Dinner in town: Ishigaki beef grilled over charcoal in the horigotatsu private rooms of Ishigakiya in Maezato (up to 10 guests per room, adjoining rooms booked for a larger committee), or, for a livelier evening, Yaeyama dishes and a sanshin live show at Aguya
- 9:00 pm — Star-gazing with a local guide at an unlit site in Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park, certified as an International Dark Sky Place in 2018; loungers, blankets and red lights provided
Okinawa - 3
Day 3
Day 3 — Mangrove at dawn and decision session
- 7:00 am — Optional guided kayak in the Miyara River mangroves opposite the hotel, at high tide (about 1 h 30, timing set by the tides)
- 9:30 am — 3-hour decision session in the lounge suite: trade-offs, roadmap, owners
- 12:30 pm — Lunch, then a free afternoon: pool, outdoor sauna, tennis or calls with headquarters from the suites
- 5:30 pm — Private sunset cruise from Ishigaki Port (about 20 min from the hotel), weather permitting
- 7:30 pm — Closing dinner in The Ubufuru Ishigaki's privatized restaurant, with a menu built around Ishigaki beef and reef fish
三日目 · Okinawa sea - 4
Day 4
Day 4 — Wrap-up and departure
- 8:00 am — Breakfast in the suites
- 9:00 am — 2-hour wrap-up session: sign-off on the decision log and the message to share with teams
- 11:30 am — Check-out and lunch
- Transfer to New Ishigaki Airport (about 10 min); direct flight to Haneda or connection via Naha
Okinawa sea
Budget
From €5,200 per person, excluding flights
Indicative rate for 12 participants in single-occupancy suites, 3 nights at The Ubufuru Ishigaki, plus one extra suite set aside for meetings. Included: private van transfers, restaurant buyout for sessions and the closing dinner, meals as per program, glass-bottom boat, star-gazing guide, private cruise, bilingual coordinator on site. Not included: international and domestic flights, external facilitator, drinks beyond packages. Skies are clearest from October to April; the rainy season reaches Yaeyama roughly in May and June, and typhoons mostly from August to October. Dates ideally set around the new moon.
Quick estimate
620
€67,600
i.e. €5,200 per person, excluding flights
Indicative estimate based on the per-person rate shown for this programme. The exact quote follows your brief.
Frequently asked questions
The Ubufuru Ishigaki has no meeting room: where does the committee work?
In a 165 m² 2LDK suite set aside for that purpose, whose living room comfortably seats up to 12 in lounge format, and in the hotel's privatized restaurant for longer sessions or groups above 12. We bring in a screen, video conferencing kit and flip charts.
When is star-gazing best on Ishigaki?
Moonless nights and the drier months, October to April, work best. Ishigaki is one of the few places in Japan where the Southern Cross can be seen, low on the horizon, roughly from January to June. We set dates around the lunar calendar and keep a second evening as backup.
How do we get to Ishigaki from Europe?
Via Tokyo Haneda, with a direct flight of about 3 hours 15 minutes to Ishigaki, or via Naha (about 1 hour's flight). A night in Tokyo on the way in helps absorb jet lag before the first session.
Can we swim in Kabira Bay?
No, swimming is not allowed there because of currents and boat traffic. For swimming or snorkeling, we add a boat trip to a reef or an approved beach, depending on the weather.
Can partners join the retreat?
Yes. During sessions, we offer partners a boat day to Taketomi (about 15 min from Ishigaki Port), snorkeling or a minsa weaving workshop. The 2LDK suites also suit couples who want more space.
