Westie Tokyo Summer Camp 2026
Just like last year, we headed to Kujukuri Beach in Chiba for our summer camp on July 25–26!
We originally had 16 people signed up, although two were unfortunately unable to join us at the last minute. We missed having them with us, but it was still a fun and lively weekend filled with dancing, food, and plenty of laughter.
Our first day was extremely hot!
After everyone arrived at the station, we took turns driving to the local michi-no-eki roadside station, where we would have lunch and hold our dance lessons.
The roadside station had a great selection of locally grown produce, souvenirs, and food stalls serving regional specialties.
We started with lunch at the restaurant. Everyone chose whatever they liked, including sardine rice bowls, pork cutlet set meals, and namero, a local dish made with fresh fish. Over lunch, we introduced ourselves and had a chance to get to know one another a little better.
Once we had finished eating, we moved to the practice space next door and began our first lesson.
We started by cleaning up our movement in pass patterns, followed by exercises to generate more drive and momentum. We then worked on how leaders can control the angles of their arms and applied that idea to refining the shape and footwork of the Side Walk.
Meanwhile, samba dancers were getting ready for the Sanmu City Summer Carnival taking place later that evening, so it was sometimes difficult not to be distracted by all the colorful costumes and activity outside!
After four full hours of practice, everyone was understandably exhausted.
We then headed to our Airbnb, dropped off our bags, and took a short break before walking together to the Sanmu City Summer Carnival.
There were food stalls everywhere. We picked up whatever caught our eye—hot buttered potatoes, freshly fried chicken, shaved ice made with locally grown strawberries, and plenty of other festival food—and enjoyed dinner together.
After eating our fill, we returned to the Airbnb for an evening dance session.
Fireworks were being launched from the nearby beach, so we were able to dance while watching them light up the night sky. It was a very special way to end the first day.
After dancing, we went outside for snacks and handheld fireworks. We chatted while having a little sparkler competition, and this year’s Sparkler Queen was Lien chan! 🎆
The second morning was a little cooler and much more comfortable.
At 8:00 a.m., we all headed to the beach.
Apart from a few local fishermen gathering clams, Kujukuri Beach was almost completely empty. It felt as though we had the beach all to ourselves.
The sand was so hot that we had to run across it before cooling our feet in the water!
And somehow, we also ended up doing squats and push-ups together on the beach. It wouldn’t be a proper camp without a little unexpected group training, right? 😂
After brushing off the sand, we returned to the same practice venue for another three-hour lesson.
This time, we focused on understanding momentum and using body movement more effectively. Everyone practiced hard in front of the mirrors, carefully checking and adjusting their movements.
By the end of the lesson, the difference was clearly visible. It was wonderful to see how much everyone’s movement had changed in such a short time!
After completing all of our lessons, we had lunch and then headed back to the beach.
The forecast had predicted rain for the afternoon, so we were keeping an eye on the sky and wondering how long the weather would hold.
Fortunately, it never rained. However, the wind was very strong and the waves were too high for us to swim safely. Instead, we stayed near the shore, got our feet wet, and enjoyed spending some time together by the sea.
Although it was only a short two-day trip, it was a very full and memorable summer camp.
Thank you so much to everyone who joined us!
And to those who weren’t able to come this time, we would love to have you with us at the next one.
We have already heard a few requests for an autumn camp as well... 😂
For now, we are planning our Winter Camp for around December 19–20, so please save the dates!
We hope to see you there!
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