Testimonials

What piece of knowledge from Takigahara will you bring into your daily life/artistic practice?

Takigahara (and most of my time in Japan) reminded me of how special living around/with/beside people is. Because of travel I tend to be a pretty solitary creature, but I grew up in a house with 3 loud boys and all their friends and it was so nice at Takigahara to feel like a kid again in that sense. That sense of "growing up next to someone". I am again in a solitary place, and I miss being in Takigahara house!

Could you share with us your most joyful memory from the retreat?

My most joyful memory from the retreat was probably… Honestly every dinner time. Food and eating is obviously a big theme in my life hehe! And Sousa really did elate my soul in that department. I was so happy to be eating that food. I felt so good after eating his food. I felt so grateful for that food. And to have gotten to share the food at a long table with a bunch of lovely people made it all the more lovely.

What would you tell someone who is interested in joining Besso?

I would recommend Besso to anyone. The broadest spectrum from people who are as fixated on food as I am, to people that are more interested in traveling to immerse rather than look. Besso is something you gift to yourself!

What piece of knowledge from Takigahara will you bring into your daily life/artistic practice?

Honoring materials and relationships at the beginning of every creative act. Fermenting pine cones into syrup every spring and making a persimmon vinegar every fall.

Could you share with us your most joyful memory from the retreat?

It is hard to choose so I will list a few; dancing to frog music during evening strolls through the rice fields, becoming acquainted with new plants like sansho, wild wasabi and kuromoji! Every shared meal at the café and dinner by chef Naoki Susa, the view from the top of the mountain but also the climb.

What would you tell someone who is interested in joining Besso?

It is an opportunity to experience a very special place, a hub where a diversity of generations, nationalities, species, and practices vibrantly and deliciously come together. I wouldn't miss it!

What piece of knowledge from Takigahara will you bring into your daily life/artistic practice?

I witnessed how the community truly is the heart of Takigahara, and it's left a lasting impression on me. Being there inspired me to dream up something back home in Singapore: a space that celebrates my own cultural heritage, brings people from different walks of life together, and offers them a platform to share their stories and personal experiences with our diverse culture.

The program also gave me the gentle nudge I needed to start writing again. I've always loved writing, but life pulled me away from it for a while. Jam's travel writing workshop really reignited that spark! I'm now working on a piece inspired by my favorite little restaurant in Osaka.

Could you share with us your most joyful memory from the retreat?

There are honestly so many joyful moments that I hold close to my heart—it's tough to pick just one! But if I had to choose, it would be our final evening together.

We cooked up this massive feast using the most beautiful seasonal produce and ingredients we'd foraged our friends from Takigahara and the village. Seeing everyone we'd gotten to know over the week gathered around one table, sharing food, swapping stories, and laughing till our cheeks hurt… was just the most heartwarming moment.

What would you tell someone who is interested in joining Besso?

If you're even considering joining Besso… I say go for it!

It gave me such a beautiful introduction to the Japanese countryside and its rich, living heritage. Beyond that, I came away with incredible memories, lifelong friendships, and so much creative inspiration. It's one of those rare, special experiences that stays with you long after it ends. All of that is to say, you're going to love it.

I rediscovered the writer in me and found a structure to keep my art alive. This gave me the purpose I've been looking for a few years now. Each one of the classes were transformative and each of our personal interactions and experiences tied the knot tighter. [I found the teaching style] amazingly comfortable and open to learning. The experience surpassed my expectations and that's the best part. I loved every bit of it.

I gained so so much from this program. It's pretty hard to put into words. Nepal was such a special experience and learning about the country, the culture and writing with such a great group of people was life changing. It was such a different experience to Tokyo, as I spoke to Jam a bit about (Kellie also did our Tokyo writing program in 2024), but I loved both experiences with all my heart. I gained a whole lot of international friendships, more confidence in my writing and myself as a queer person, and the inspiration to pursue so many more creative pursuits like poetry (which I've always loved, but have struggled to share cause fear of cringe/vulnerability), potentially self-publishing, and maybe even starting my own publication.

The classes were all so wonderful but I think especially Heena's poetry class, the pitching and publishing class with Nirvana and Jam, and the Boundaries and Refusal class with Birat were my faves!!! I also really liked the info in Nirvana and Jam's part of the Media Justice class, super interesting. In terms of the experiences, I loved the yoga (do more of them next time if possible pls!), Patan (wish we spent more time exploring, though), and the art gallery trail. The writing salon and farewell dinner were so so special too. Oh yes, also karaoke, good vibes.

I loved the community of writers I've created from doing the program. I really enjoyed all the classes and could've done with even more classes! I enjoyed the routine of the days and structure. The classes were in a great location.

It's a few months later and I've been doing lots of writing since and working on growing a friend's publication, thanks to the motivation gained from doing the program. I've learnt how to pitch (still yet to get a bite) and now feel confident to put my work out to the world. All writing classes were helpful. If anything I would like more classes. I loved learning and having conversations about discourse. I think the mentoring was some of the most helpful parts.

I was so nervous rolling up to the hostel and meeting so many people I forgot their names as soon as they said it. For a moment, I thought I was in over my head. But it turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. Spending a month living with, going to class with, and hanging out with so many amazing people has led me to make hopefully lifelong and likeminded friends and have an experience I would never get anywhere else. The camaraderie we built was surreal and every class felt like a party. I became more confident in my writing and also interested in stepping out of my comfort zone with nonfiction. The location helped with inspiration, too. I liked that we had autonomy over which class to attend, and no pressure for the assignments. Thank you so much for letting me be involved in such an amazing experience. It has truly changed my life.

I enjoyed getting to meet so many people from around the world I would never have gotten to meet otherwise, spending daily life with them, bonding, shared trips and exploring Japan together. For me in particular, I find human connection really meaningful and it gave me new experiences and memories with all kinds of people that I am very grateful for. This is probably the biggest takeaway for me as while I still find writing non-fiction daunting, it definitely feels more doable now and I am inspired to work at it more.

Astray's Tokyo program is everything you could want out of an overseas experience, both professionally and personally. The teaching staff were approachable wells of wisdom, so much so that you could get a dnm and pitching advice in one sitting. The teacher-student veil you get at uni is all but collapsed, which really creates a collaborative learning environment. Classes contained practical, useful skills taught by people who are actually out there in the industry making a name and living for themselves, so you know it's legit. I especially loved the immersive nature of the program. Between sleeping on tatami, taking rush-hour trains and learning Japanese, the program really forces you to live like a local. A city as huge and unique as Tokyo is a lot to take in, so it's a good thing you'll be with a group of diverse but equally like-minded people to lean on. It's actually uncanny how well you will get to know and love a group of strangers when you live and work in their pockets for a month. I'm happy to report we still have group chats going strong. And having a network of talented writers to refer to isn't too bad on the professional front either. Plus you know, there's the cheap 7/11 drinks, karaoke around every corner, and enough gyoza and ramen for 10 lifetimes.

What I enjoyed most about the program was the thoughtfulness. I feel Jam is a true leader and she teaches people with full heart, no gate keeping, about how to become a good writer. The program was thought provoking and it blessed me with so many core memories because of friends I made. I learned how to take criticism and use it positively. I learned how to mingle with people with love and harmony. I learned to write with my own raw voice. The teaching style was excellent. Whether it was Jam or Kim or Megumi or Leiya, they were all very good at clearing the queries as well as presenting us with insights that were so good. I don't have any critique…I think this is one of the few workshops which should be left as it is. Maybe just offer us a reunion at the tenth anniversary of our 2025 Astray trip!

My mum originally thought this was a scam, as it sounded too good to be true – it definitely wasn't a scam, but certainly felt too good to be true when I was living in paradise. I don't throw around the phrase 'best time of my life' often, but this was honestly just that. Every day I was surrounded by like-minded people in a beautiful country, learning more valuable and worthwhile information than I ever did at uni. It is hard to put into words how amazing it felt to be in such a supportive environment that pushed my writing to the next level, and now that I've been published, I feel like I'm on the right path towards my career. The instructors are also some of the most intelligent, well-rounded and funny people you will ever meet, and not too bad looking either (I promise you I wasn't forced to say that last part).

One of the best months of my life I can say I was actually 'learning' while on holiday. As much as it's based around travel writing, it's way more about learning how to network and present yourself as a freelancer – which is where most creative industries are headed. These guys are current, they're young and they know how the landscape is changing for young millennials in the working environment, so they can actually give practical advice for young 20-something idiots fresh out of college on how to get a job and make money while bumming from home (sorry Mum). I definitely recommend getting on board with Astray even if you don't study journalism (I studied fashion). It's relevant to every working environment; learning how to adapt and work within new personalities, manoeuvring and directing conversation and how to actually prioritise and be efficient with your day. We were in Bali so of course, all we wanted to do was drink and surf, but we had to write pitch stories at the same time…

I liked the classes and valued the critique from the group for our writing pieces, I felt like it gave me a lot of validation and helped me as a beginner writer. I also liked meeting and befriending everyone in the program, incl. getting to know our teachers, professionally but also personally. The networking alone was worth it. My favourite classes were Pitching, Starting a Publication, and the Business of Writing. I valued the lived and professional experience of our teachers, who provided practical insight and not just theory.

When I applied for the Astray workshop, I was three years into uni and didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. My month in Japan re-motivated me, helped me to rediscover my passion for writing, and showed me that there are so many careers paths in journalism that they don't teach you at uni. Discovering the crazy, overwhelming Tokyo culture with such an inspiring, talented and diverse bunch of people was an amazing and eye-opening experience. I also learned valuable skills from all of the teachers, who are far more in touch with the modern media industry than many uni lecturers. Their main goal is to help you get published, and to start building your brand and portfolio. It's a great opportunity to get a foot in the door of a highly competitive industry. I left Tokyo with great memories, new friends, and valuable experience under my belt. All in all, I'd call that a pretty sweet deal.

The Astray Tokyo program was a great experience that I would definitely recommend to almost any writer at the beginning stages of their career. The staff were professional but not intimidating and Jam did an amazing job of curating a group of participants who were very individual but simultaneously some of the most inclusive people I have ever met. Coming from an editing background, the program allowed me to develop skills across writing styles in a supportive, collaborative and enjoyable environment. The group editing sessions are super valuable and expose you to a variety of methods for tackling conceptually difficult article topics. The immersive style of the program also made it really easy to make friends and contacts in the industry. Also, Tokyo is rad and you'll have a blast bonding with everyone over shitty 2000s songs at karaoke.

After four weeks with the Astray gang I felt more confident about my writing and more positive about my future job prospects than I felt throughout most of my journalism degree. I realised that I have the capacity to direct my own work and writing and now, thanks to the teachings of Astray, I have the skills and knowledge to as well. Being able to meet, live and work with a worldly bunch of writers left me in awe of their creativity and forced me to work harder and challenge what I thought I knew about journalism, travel and myself. Do not hesitate to spend a month on the Astray program. Never has there been a more perfect balance of experiential learning, down-to-earth teaching, Bintangs and bike rides in the history of journalism and probably the world.

Prior to going on the Astray program, I thought I knew a thing or two about writing. With butterflies in my stomach I flew over to beautiful Canggu to meet a bunch of strangers that I was going to be living with for a month. Over the four-week period I spent with Astray, I learned things about my own writing as well as the writing industry in general that I fear I wouldn't have learned without enduring numerous fuck-ups in the real world. Making friendships I know I will have for a lifetime, we created hangovers together night-in, night-out, and the classes always kept everyone engaged, filled with info and pointers you would be (and probably currently are) lost without. After leaving the 27-odd people that I now consider my family I have noticed less of my emails get ignored, more ideas come to my head and I feel 10 times more comfortable, not only in my writing, but on a scooter as well.