- Days
- 3
- Participants
- 8 to 25 participants
- Cities
- Fukuoka
Objectives
- Prepare or decide on a strategic plan in a setting that supports focus
- Build trust within a leadership team through shared time outside daily routines
- Combine an Asia-facing business city with a hot spring retreat reachable by train
- Ensure confidentiality, seamless logistics and individual service
Participant profile
Executive committees, boards, Asia-Pacific regional leadership teams and partner groups. The program also suits leaders who already know Tokyo and Kyoto and want a quieter setting.
Day by day
- 1
Day 1
Day 1 — Arrival in Fukuoka and opening session
- Individual meet-and-greet at Fukuoka Airport, chauffeur-driven sedan or premium minivan to Tenjin or Hakata (about 15 to 20 min)
- Express check-in at ONE FUKUOKA HOTEL (41 rooms at the top of One Fukuoka Building) or, for up to 16 guests, WITH THE STYLE FUKUOKA (16 suites near Hakata Station)
- 2:00 pm — 3-hour opening session in a private hotel room: review, key issues, decisions to make during the retreat; breaks served in the room
- 5:15 pm — 60-minute calligraphy workshop: each member writes the kanji that sums up their priority for the year, the starting point for the next day's discussion
- 7:00 pm — Dinner in an upstairs tatami room at Hakata Ryotei Chikae, or a share-style menu at GohGan for a more informal group
Fukuoka - 2
Day 2
Day 2 — Train to Yufuin and strategy at the ryokan
- Main luggage kept at the Fukuoka hotel or carried by a support vehicle, so the group travels light
- 9:15 am — Departure from Hakata Station on the Yufuin no Mori limited express, reserved seats in a dedicated car subject to availability; arrival in Yufuin around 11:30 am (about 2 hours 15 minutes)
- 11:45 am — Minivan transfer to Yufuin Tamanoyu: 16 rooms with private spring baths in the main building and the STAY Tamanoyu annex bookable as a whole (10 rooms, 20 guests); for a smaller group or as an overflow, Kamenoi Bessou (17 rooms and cottages) on nearby Lake Kinrin
- 12:30 pm — Lunch of local produce, then a 3-hour strategy session in Tamanoyu's banquet room or the lounge of the privately booked annex (to be confirmed with the ryokan, which has no dedicated meeting room), with an optional external facilitator
- 5:00 pm — Free time: hot spring bath, walk to Lake Kinrin
- 7:00 pm — Mountain-style kaiseki dinner at Tamanoyu's Budōya restaurant or banquet room, featuring Ōita beef and local vegetables, with an interpreter if needed
Yufuin - 3
Day 3
Day 3 — Decisions and return
- 7:00 am — Option: walk around Lake Kinrin, often covered in mist on autumn and winter mornings
- 9:00 am — 3-hour decision session: trade-offs, roadmap, allocation of responsibilities
- 12:15 pm — Light lunch and check-out
- Return options: Yufuin no Mori train to Hakata in the afternoon (about 2 hours 15 minutes), then Fukuoka Airport 5 minutes away by subway; or minivan to Oita Airport (about 1 hour) for flights to Tokyo
三日目 · Lake Kinrin
Budget
From €4,800 per person, excluding flights
Indicative rate based on 15 participants in single rooms: 1 night at an upscale Fukuoka hotel and 1 night at a Yufuin ryokan with kaiseki dinner and breakfast. Included: private transfers, reserved train tickets, meeting rooms, calligraphy workshop, meals as per program, bilingual escort. Not included: flights, external facilitator, drinks beyond packages. Upscale Yufuin ryokan have few rooms: an exclusive booking is made 6 to 9 months ahead, and train seats open one month before travel. The Yufuin no Mori does not run with the same trainset every day; a "Yufu" limited express or a minivan (about 2 hours by expressway) serves as an alternative.
Quick estimate
825
€81,600
i.e. €4,800 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
Why Yufuin rather than Kurokawa Onsen?
Yufuin is reached by direct train from Hakata in about 2 hours 15 minutes, so the journey can be used to work or rest. Kurokawa Onsen, in Kumamoto Prefecture, has no station: allow about 2 hours by car or 2.5 hours by express bus from Fukuoka. We offer Kurokawa to groups who prefer a more remote village and a minivan transfer.
Does a ryokan have suitable meeting rooms?
Yufuin ryokan rarely have one. At Yufuin Tamanoyu we use the banquet room or the lounge of the STAY Tamanoyu annex, which a company can book as a whole; at Kamenoi Bessou, which has no meeting room, we arrange a space on the grounds or a nearby venue. We set up a screen, tables or chairs and connectivity, and check Wi-Fi, sound insulation and lighting during the site visit.
Do hot spring baths raise issues for an international group?
Shared baths are separated by gender and used without swimwear. At both Yufuin Tamanoyu and Kamenoi Bessou every room has its own hot-spring bath, which addresses privacy concerns and tattoos, still refused in some shared baths.
What is the best season?
October to November for autumn colors and morning mist on Lake Kinrin, and March to May for mild weather. Winter is very well suited to a hot spring stay. Avoid Golden Week, mid-August and autumn weekends, which are busy in Yufuin, as well as the rainy season (June to mid-July).
