Based at Lake Kawaguchi, at the foot of sacred Mount Fuji, we offer authentic cultural experiences through which participants can encounter Japanese culture and traditional craftsmanship first-hand.

These experiences are intended both for people in Japan wishing to rediscover their own culture and for international visitors to Mount Fuji who seek to understand not merely the outward beauty of Japanese culture, but also the history, values and spirit that lie within it.

What matters to us is not simply seeing a finished work or learning about culture as knowledge, but experiencing it through one’s own hands.

To touch the materials. To repeat the same movements. To notice the subtlest differences in scent and form.

Through these moments, we seek to convey not only technique, but also ways of engaging with the world that have been passed down through Japanese culture — an attentiveness to nature, to materials and to oneself.

We express what lies within us through more than words alone.

The way we stand.
The way we walk.
The way we breathe.
The way we move our hands.

The body is the essential foundation for how we move through everyday life and express ourselves.

Yet we may experience difficulty in movement or physical discomfort without ever becoming aware of our habitual patterns or the ways in which we use our bodies.

At kototama, we offer local communities bodywork informed by the principles of traditional Japanese martial arts, alongside yoga and Pilates classes.

Rather than forcing the body to perform movements that do not come naturally, we begin by understanding its present condition and individual characteristics. From there, we explore ways of moving and using the body that are suited to each person.