Group of six diverse people smiling and taking a selfie at a table in a busy indoor market or food court.

Haruka’s Journey to Creating Okinawa Wellness Retreats in Ogimi

In the summer of 2024, I started posting “What’s in Season in Okinawa”, realizing that in some countries, like the U.S., eating seasonally isn’t common and can be challenging for people to adapt. These posts quickly gained popularity, and I began hosting farmer’s market tours in Nago for military families.

Group of ten people gathered indoors for a meal, some kneeling and some standing, smiling at the camera, in a room with large windows and a tatami mat floor, with a table in front of them with dishes and utensils.

Before moving to Ōgimi, we fostered two cats, Wakasama and Fern, in 2023 and 2024. I started helping a local foster organization, visiting every Saturday, which sparked my interest in living in Ōgimi. In October 2024, we were lucky to move into a renovated house provided by the Ōgimi Village office. Soon after, with a friend I met through the foster organization, I hosted my first cooking experience for 8 people.

Group of people posing in a traditional Japanese room with tatami mats and shoji screens, smiling for the camera.

From January to September 2025, I hosted 15-person cooking experiences with my local friend Hiromi-san, which allowed me to deepen my skills in traditional Okinawan cuisine. This experience inspired me to focus on small, intimate retreats, leading to the launch of my 3-Hour Okinawa Wellness Retreat in August 2025.

Three people taking a selfie in a room with laundry facilities. All three are smiling, with a young woman on the left, an older woman in the middle, and a man on the right.

Before this, I had been focused on online health coaching, and I never imagined teaching others how to cook. But my retreats now bring me immense joy, and I feel that this is truly my path.

I couldn’t have reached this point without the support of wonderful friends:

  • Cheryl, a fellow health coach, who helped me realize my passion for cooking.

  • Makiko-san, who guided me to find my serene retreat home and helped me start my first cooking experience.

  • Hiromi-san, introduced by Makiko-san, who hosted many cooking experiences with me and contributed three beautiful paintings to my retreat home.

Two cats sleeping on a cardboard surface next to a white cat litter box in a wooden-paneled room.

Our furry children, Fern and Wakasama, led us to Ōgimi, connecting us with the kind and warm-hearted people of the village where they were born.

Experience the Retreat with Haruka

Certifications

  • Certified Gut Health Coach (Institute for Integrative Nutrition)

  • Japanese Medicinal Cooking Specialist

  • Japanese Fermented Foods Specialist

  • Okinawa Food and Safety Manager

  • Completed 8-week MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) course

Let’s stay connected! Join me on Instagram to see what I’m cooking, teaching, and enjoying in Okinawa.

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