Shimoda

Design Workshop, 15th-20th September 2025

Join us in the beautiful seaside town of Shimoda, just 2.5 hours from Tokyo. Spend a week by the beach, working with other talented creatives and local residents on a project for the community.

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Schedule

Reviews

Pricing

A small group of people getting a tour of Shimoda, Japan

A group photo of workshop participants standing by a beach

About the Workshop

A Week of Connection, Discovery & Purpose

Our Shimoda workshop allows you to contribute your expertise to help the local community, while making friends and learning from locals and other talented designers.

Expand your network: Our last Shimoda workshop welcomed participants from 8 countries, including everyone from students to design leaders from Google and Meta.

Learn New Skills: Hands on lectures with experts allow you to learn about cross cultural UX research, Japanese design techniques and even Japanese mascot design!

Make an Impact: The program allows you to meet and conduct research with local residents, before working on a solution that will be used by the local government.

The Location

Shimoda - History & Nature just 2 Hours from Tokyo

This workshop is held in a stunning beachside coworking space in the town of Shimoda, located in the Izu Peninsula just over 2 hours by express train from Tokyo.‍

The area has a rich history dating back over 1200 years. It is well known as the landing place of US Commodore Perry's "Black Ships" in 1853 that resulted in Japan ending its period of isolation.

Today, it is a summer getaway with beautiful beaches, but is facing a decline in population and fewer tourists since COVID - presenting challenges for local businesses.

Water in Shimoda bay with the city behind

Shimoda Design Workshop 2025

Workshop Schedule

You can also attend Design Matters Tokyo the weekend before the workshop to meet designers in Tokyo before joining us in Shimoda!

Mon Sep 15 - Welcome Dinner 🥳

Arrive and check in at your hotel during the day, before joining us for a welcome dinner with fellow participants and members of the community!

Tue Sep 16 - Hello Shimoda 👋

Start the morning learning about Shimoda's history at Ryosenji Temple, followed by a tour of the town. Then meet your team and learn about your project for the week.

Wed Sep 17 - UX Research 📋

Start with a lecture about cross cultural UX research techniques, before using what you've learned to plan research. Spend the rest of the day in town, interviewing local business owners, tourists and local government representatives.

Thu Sep 18 - Japanese Design 🇯🇵

Analyze your research results and decide on a design direction, before learning about Japanese design techniques and starting on your design output. In the evening, enjoy drinks with a local designer who designed the town's penguin mascot, "Perurin"! 🐧

Fri Sep 19 - Design & Beach Day 🌊

Spend the morning focusing on your design output. In the afternoon, take a break to relax by the beach or go hiking by the workshop space with other members.

Sat Sep 20 - Final Presentation 🎉

Spend the day working on your design deliverables (with plenty of breaks for delicious food and sea breeze) In the evening, gather in the center of town for the grand finale - presenting your work to local community representatives!

Participant Reviews

Reviews from our 2024 participants

“The entire time I was thinking to myself - if only this could be my job! I'm having so much fun!”

Rachel Puvvada

Product Researcher
USA

“It's such a brilliant concept. Most workshops are too short to make real connections, but this one resulted in meaningful long term connections.”

Yoshio Kaneko

Product Designer
Japan

“You reignited my passion for design. I'm leaving feeling refreshed, recharged, and so excited to keep growing as a designer.”

Jazlyn Lim

UI/UX Designer
Singapore

“The hands-on experience of working on real-life problems was invaluable, and the passionate individuals I met made it all the more enriching”

Pallavi Joshi

Project Manager
India

“I made some great friends and learned a lot about the UX process. Thank you for the well thought out program!”

Madoka Suganuma

Researcher
‍Japan

“As designers, we can get stuck behind our desks. This rejuvenated us. I'm already looking forward to the next one!”

Ng Choon Wee

Designer
‍Singapore

See More Reviews

Pricing

Fluent Japanese speakers can apply to be an ambassador for special pricing.

Join us in Shimoda

Ready to Apply?

Only 20 spots available - secure yours now!

Who can apply?: No prior UX experience is required, as long as you have a strong interest in design and Japan.

How do I apply?: After clicking apply now, fill out your details and reasons for joining the workshop, before paying the fee via credit card (Stripe). You will then receive a confirmation email from one of our team members.

Can my company pay?: Yes! Click here to see a document to show your boss.

Workshop Fee

¥99,000

What's Included:

Welcome Dinner w/ Local Community

Guided Tour & History Lecture

Japanese UX Design & Research Training

5 Day Workshop Program working with local businesses & government

Discord group with all participants & alumni

Participation Certificate

And more!

Book Now

Cancel up to 1 month prior for a 50% refund.

Workshop Team

By Designers, For Designers

Maxwell Forrest

Maxwell is the founder of Wayfinder, a Tokyo based UX consultancy. From Australia, he has been living in Japan for over a decade and worked for some of Japan's top tech companies.

John Leung

An experienced product designer from Canada, John moved to Japan in 2016 and has since worked with several of Japan’s top tech startups. He is currently a Senior Product Designer at PayPay Securities.

Haruka Makabe

Haruka is an experienced UX designer who has worked on some of Japan’s top tech products. She currently works as a designer at Mind Foundry. Sometimes codes interfaces. Always curious.

FAQs

Do I need to be a designer to join?

No! As long as you are interested in coming up with innovative ideas, there is no need to have previous design experience. We will provide frameworks to use during the event, and you can learn from other experienced participants.

What sort of people attend?

Our past participants have been from all over the world and had a wide variety of work experience. Some were designers from GAFA companies, while some were students or those in non-design roles with an interest in design. Most join alone and leave with life-long friends!

How intense is it?

We do our best to ensure a balance of work and rest, but due to the need to conduct research and create design output in 5 days, each day is action packed. However, we have been sure to include time for rest, including an afternoon at the beach.

Can I receive a certificate and use the program for my portfolio?

Yes, all participants will receive a certificate after the workshop and will be able to use the work produced during the workshop as a portfolio case study.

Where can I stay?

Click here to see a detailed list of accommodation options. There are multiple options within a short walk of the workshop space, ranging from affordable guesthouses to luxury hotels.

How do I get there?

The workshop space is a 20 minute walk from Izukyu-Shimoda Station. You can get there in 2.5 hours from Tokyo Station or Shinagawa Station by taking the Odoriko or Saphire Odoriko express trains. Learn more

Do I need to speak Japanese?

No! The program is provided in English. Our team is bilingual, and Japanese and bilingual participants in each group will help you communicate with locals.