Japan

Punch Stress in the Face at This Okinawan Oceanfront Hideaway

Most wellness retreats ask you to light incense and hum yourself into a mild coma. But on a wind-swept clifftop in Okinawa, Japan’s southernmost prefecture, one luxury resort is swapping scented candles for sai weapons and replacing om with hiyaaa!

Welcome to HOSHINOYA Okinawa, a place where you don’t just find yourself... you fight yourself. Literally.

This isn’t your average Zen-and-tonka-bean-smoothie type escape. The Ryukyu Karate Stay is a two-night, three-day wellness program that trades passive pampering for purposeful punches. Think of it as a spiritual cleanse. A cultural immersion, physical reckoning, and damn good food, all served with the salty sting of sea air and sore muscles.

LEARN TO FIGHT WITHOUT FIGHTING

Forget what you know about karate from bad '80s movies and underwhelming gym classes. Okinawa is where it all began. The ancient martial art of “Te” collided with Chinese influences and became “Toudi,” the philosophical ancestor of modern karate. Here, karate wasn’t about breaking bricks or impressing a Tinder date, it was about confronting your own chaos and sculpting it into calm.

At HOSHINOYA’s coastal dojo and on the sand (yes, barefoot beach sparring is a thing), you’ll train in both Ryukyu Karate and the lesser-known but seriously badass Ryukyu Kobudō, which uses tools like the sai (think: deadly metal fork) and the eeku (a weaponized oar, because… island life).

GET BEAT UP, THEN GET RUBBED DOWN.

Once your soul is centred and your limbs are rubber, it’s time to heal like a warrior. A post-training ritual of oil therapy, acupuncture, and shiatsu awaits, administered by licensed experts who can coax knots out of muscles you didn’t know existed.

This isn’t just a massage. It’s a full-body exhale.

EAT LIKE THE OKINAWANS (Which Might Be Why They Live Forever)

In Okinawa, food isn’t just fuel. It’s medicine. And at HOSHINOYA, meals are crafted under the ancient philosophy of Ishoku Dōgen, the idea that what you eat can heal what ails you.

Forget the quinoa. This is vitamin-loaded local greens, mysterious island herbs, and melt-in-your-mouth Okinawan pork that makes your B vitamins do backflips. Every dish is beautifully balanced to restore what the modern world has taken from you. Yes, it’s delicious. And yes, you’ll probably post it before you eat it.

The Rundown:

• Program: Ryukyu Karate Stay
• Duration: 2 nights, 3 days
• Cost: ¥160,000 per person (excl. accommodation)
• Includes: Karate + Kobudō sessions, all meals, spa treatments, a spiritual sucker-punch to your routine
• Group Size: Just you and a plus one (max 2)
• Bookings: Minimum two weeks in advance Link here

The Setting: HOSHINOYA Okinawa

Perched on the edge of Japan and reality, this 100-room fortress-inspired resort combines contemporary luxury with Ryukyu soul. Expect dramatic ocean views, traditional design, and enough cultural gravitas to make you feel like you’ve time-travelled—if samurai were into soft linens and world-class dining.

So if you’re tired of downward-dogging your way to peace, maybe it’s time to throw a few (metaphorical) punches instead. Okinawa’s waiting, with a black belt, a bowl of pork belly, and a killer ocean view.