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Event: Kokoro Letters: Ichigo Ichie and Writing What Matters Most (on Zoom) Contact Amanda​ for the Zoom link.  

Date: December 16, 2025, 7:30 PM
Description: In this reflective writing workshop, inspired by the Japanese tea ceremony's principle of Ichigo Ichie (“one life, one meeting”), you’ll be invited to pause, reflect, and write a heartfelt letter. The session will guide you to express love, gratitude, or messages of significance to those you care about — or to yourself. Just as each tea ceremony is a unique encounter, this moment is an opportunity to create something lasting. With no writing experience required, just bring an open heart and the willingness to share your truth.

The speaker's background: Masatoshi Shoji is a compassionate professional with extensive experience in healthcare and education. He holds a Master’s in Applied Linguistics, a Ph.D. in Dental Science, and certifications in medical writing, acupuncture, and the Integrative Health & Lifestyle program from the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. Currently an English Language Instructor at Shokei Gakuin University, Masatoshi also offers private Japanese lessons, medical writing and translation services, and home-visit acupuncture, massage, and lymphedema therapy. As a certified death doula and advanced grief counselor, he provides crucial support to individuals and families navigating end-of-life transitions. As the host of Death Café Sendai, Masatoshi facilitates open conversations about death and dying, creating safe spaces for reflection. He is also a Willow EOL educator and active member of a cancer peer network, supporting those facing serious illness with compassion and care.

 

https://louisiana1927.wixsite.com/masa/japanese-language-instructor

This workshop will be recorded, so please contact Amanda after December 16 if you would like the link to the recording.

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​​Counterpoint retreat in December Plans --  Postponed to Spring 2026!

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Thank you to those who showed interest in our retreat. After careful consideration, we are  postponing the retreat to the spring. We needed more time to come up with activities that would suit all the people who signed up. 

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We are planning a 5-day retreat (Mon–Fri) in the first or second week of December at a temple in the Okazaki area in Kyoto. The temple has a delightful space for workshops and other activities, a beautiful garden, and offers overnight accommodation for people who wish to stay there. Our plan is for people to join a creative writing workshop in the mornings and a relaxing, skill-building session in the afternoons (yoga, making Japanese sweets (wagashi), etc.). There will also be plenty of time for socializing. People living in Kyoto need not stay overnight unless they want to! 

 

Please fill out this survey for us to get an idea of the level of interest for such a retreat.

You will not be committing yourself to anything yet!

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