Illustration of a cedar forest clearing at dusk with a campfire and lanterns

Jewish-rooted family camp · Nagano highlands, Japan · summer 2027

Bring your kids to Japan.
Actually enjoy it.

Children ages 4 to 12 spend five camp days outdoors together. You get those hours to explore nearby. Evenings are family time.

Join the 2027 priority list See the camp experience

Planned, not bookable. No venue is booked or bought. Dates and price are not final. No payment is being taken.

The short version

What a busy parent needs to know

WhatCamp days for your children
Inside your own family trip to Japan. Jewish-rooted, open to families who share its spirit.
What kids and parents do →
When and whereSummer 2027, Nagano highlands
One or two weeks near Karuizawa, about an hour from Tokyo by Shinkansen, then a local transfer. Dates and venue not yet set.
How you get there →
ChildrenAges 4 to 12
Five day-camp days, about 9:00 to 15:00, at an established English day camp in Karuizawa. Small by design.
See a full camp day →
ParentsCamp hours are yours
Explore nearby, stay reachable and collect at pickup. Evenings are family time.
What parents do →
What it costsAbout US$7,000 to US$9,500
For a family of four for one week, before flights. A planning range, not a quote.
What it covers and who you pay →
Where things standNot bookable yet
No venue booked, no deposits, no payment. You see the venue, staff and safety plan before anyone pays.
What you will see first →

Russell, founder of Camp Komorebi, smiling in a screened tent with trees and afternoon sun behind him

Who is building this

Why I'm building Komorebi

Camp is where I learned what a community can do for a kid. Japan is the culture I've loved since I was a teenager.

I spent ten summers at Camp Northland B'nai Brith, as a camper and then on staff, and I still go back for alumni weekend every year.

I worked as a sushi chef through my teens, ran a Japanese food delivery business in university, and later brought it to Jewish celebrations as a caterer, from bar and bat mitzvahs to weddings.

More of the background

In university I also built a program that brought students to Kashechewan First Nation and other communities in northern Ontario. Our dean backed it, and I organized it directly with band offices and local charities. We helped at water treatment plants, stepped into classrooms when teachers were away, and worked alongside families and builders. The point was to see how people really live, drop the myths, and help where we were asked.

After a decade as a founder in agtech and software, I've raised about $1M and built and sold businesses with up to $50k in monthly revenue.

Komorebi brings it together: camp, community, and showing up somewhere new with respect.

Russell

Send Russell a message →

Cost and who you pay

What it costs.
Who you pay.

7 nights · family of four

The camp week

About US$7,000 to US$9,500 for a family of four (two adults, two children) for one week, before flights

That covers the day camp fee you pay the camp directly, a family room with meals, the train from Tokyo, and our fee for the evenings, Shabbat, the group and the planning. It is a planning range, not a quote: the camp has not confirmed 2027, room rates are not set, and exchange rates will move it.

Staying for both weeks costs more. We will publish the two-week total with the venue and programme.

Planned, confirmed before booking

Who you pay

You would enrol your children directly with the English day camp we name, and book and pay for your own room and train directly, using the licensed lodging and train times we name before bookings open. We charge one fee for the evenings, Shabbat, the group and the planning, planned at about US$2,750 to US$4,300 per family and being tested with families this fall. Who sells each part will be confirmed before anyone books.

We help you plan

A family Landing Guide: where to stay, which train, what to book and when, and arrival instructions once the venue is confirmed. Camp hours are fixed, and meal plans are agreed with each family before booking.

7 nights or 14 nights

Two consecutive weeks are planned. Families staying for both get a different second-week programme and a quiet changeover day. Parents are responsible for their children outside camp hours, including changeover day.

Budget separately

Flights, airport transfers, Tokyo hotels, personal travel insurance, optional outings and extensions, and parent meals away from camp. Any tailored-meal surcharge will be agreed before booking.

Dates, the day camp and its fee, our fee, the venue, room rates and who supplies and invoices each part will be clear before booking. Price and booking details.

Safety you can check

Before anyone pays,
you will see all of this.

None of it is in place yet. We publish the list now so you can hold us to it.

The placeThe named venue with real photos, the room you would sleep in and its rate.
The datesBoth weeks, with check-in and pickup times at camp.
The peopleThe camp director by name, staff ratios by age band, and how staff are screened.
MedicalThe nearest hospital and how far, the health lead on site, and how a sick child gets home.
InsuranceWhat cover is bound for the camp and what you need to carry yourself.
SecurityA written security plan for a Jewish group, with advice from established Jewish community organizations in Japan.
Who you payWho sells each part (camp, room, train), the refund terms and the go or no-go date.

Each week needs a minimum number of families to run. When bookings open, the terms will state that number and a go or no-go date. If a week does not run, deposits are refunded in full.

Safety, food and support questions → Price and booking questions →

A holiday for everyone in the family

Real camp. Your own Japan.
Time together.

For children

A world of their own.

Forest adventures, making and cooking, games, campfire stories and friends their own age. Camp days have a rhythm, with room to choose and grow.

For parents

A little freedom back.

Drop off around 9. Pick up around 3. In between: a long lunch, an onsen, coffee and a walk through town. Stay reachable, and save longer travel for before or after camp week.

For all of you

Traditions worth keeping.

Shared meals, family adventures, Friday-night dinner and Japanese-led cultural experiences. A Jewish-rooted welcome, open to families who share its spirit.

See the daily rhythm and age groups

For ages 4 to 12, camp days run about 9:00 to 15:00 at the Karuizawa day camp we name, with lunch included. Children return to their parents at pickup. Younger siblings stay with their parents; there is no nursery programme in 2027.

4–8 · Explorers

Imaginative outdoor play, making things, games and first camp friendships.

9–12 · Adventurers

Trail skills, cooking, team challenges and more choice.

Groups may combine or split once we know who is coming.

Read the hour-by-hour programme →

See the Sunday-to-Sunday week

Sunday
Arrive together, settle in and meet around the first campfire.
Monday–Tuesday
Full camp days for children. Parents explore nearby and collect at pickup.
Wednesday–Thursday
Camp adventures, a shared taste of local culture and a resident-designed Yui exchange.
Friday
Camp traditions, then Friday-night dinner together.
Saturday
A family day, then a closing culture evening co-designed with local residents.
Sunday
Depart, or enjoy a quieter changeover day before week two.

A typical camp day

09:00 opening circle · 09:30 forest adventures or a skill workshop · 11:30 lunch · 12:30 quiet and creative time · 14:00 choice activities · 15:00 family pickup.

See the full camp day →

Programme design shown. In 2027 the camp day is run by the Karuizawa day camp we name, and its own schedule replaces this once agreed. We may develop overnight camp for older children in a later season. It is not part of 2027, so please do not plan travel around it.

Sushi, soba noodles and tempura arranged on a Japanese restaurant table

Come hungry. Take your time.

Japan is part of
the reason to come.

Fresh sushi, Shinshu soba, warm oyaki and seasonal vegetables. Camp meals bring everyone together; restaurant outings give parents another way to explore. Thoughtful hospitality, not extravagant.

Kosher, kosher-style and tailored meal plans

We will work with each family on a meal plan before booking: supervised kosher meals where a suitable provider and delivery plan can be confirmed, clearly defined kosher-style preferences, or other tailored dietary arrangements. Kosher-style is not certified kosher. We will agree ingredients, preparation, supervision where relevant, availability and any extra cost in writing. We will not accept a booking on the assumption that we can meet a food requirement we have not confirmed.

Kosher providers operate in Japan. Chabad Tokyo advertises supervised meals and delivery; camp supply and handling are not yet contracted.

Allergies and dietary needs in the FAQ →

Illustration of two adults and a child walking a sunlit forest trail — A slower kind of discoverySpace to breathe in the forest.Illustrative imagery. Activities and locations are not yet booked.

Easy enough to reach

Tokyo first.
Then the highlands.

Karuizawa sits in eastern Nagano Prefecture, about an hour from Tokyo by Shinkansen. It is the rail anchor for our venue search, not a confirmed camp address.

Arrive two or three nights early.
Stay in Tokyo, recover from the flight and explore one neighbourhood at a time.
Take the Shinkansen on arrival day.
We will suggest a train so families can arrive together, and send arrival instructions with the confirmed venue.
Return, or keep exploring.
After seven or fourteen nights, continue your family holiday or head home. Flights and independent extensions are separate.

Three practical Japan trip shapes

12 nights: 3 in Tokyo + 7 at camp + 2 before departure.

15 nights: 3 in Tokyo + 7 at camp + 5 exploring Kyoto/Nara with your children.

19 nights: 3 in Tokyo + 14 at camp + 2 before departure.

Independent travel examples, not camp-sold packages. Read the practical travel guide.

Beyond the summer · The Yui Project

A community families return to
across generations.

A safe haven for Jewish belonging is a founding purpose of Komorebi: children comfortable being themselves, parents finding people they trust, and friendships that last beyond a holiday.

We want those relationships to grow alongside Japanese neighbours. Tikkun olam, a Jewish call to help repair the world, meets Yui through paid local work and resident-chosen projects. The host community decides what is useful; children learn to contribute without replacing local workers.

Camp is the beginning. Over time we hope a licensed home near Komoro, returning families and year-round stays keep this community alive across the seasons. No property has currently been acquired.

A safe haven is our purpose, not a guarantee of safety or residency.

Our purpose

A place to be openly Jewish.

Why belonging matters, and what a safe haven means to us. →

Our relationship with Japan

A welcome that works both ways.

Ageing communities, intergenerational exchange and the Yui approach. →

Where things stand · October 2026

Planned, not bookable yet.

We are taking no bookings, deposits or payments. No venue is booked or bought. We are looking at licensed lodges and campgrounds near Karuizawa and Komoro, to rent or to own, and we will name the licensed venue, with photos and room rates, before bookings open. If one building is too small, nearby licensed lodging could house some families.

In 2027 the camp days themselves are run by an established English-language day camp in Karuizawa, not by us. We are in conversation with camps there now and will name the camp once it has agreed in writing. Our job is the group: the evenings, Shabbat, the families around you, and the planning that makes the week easy.

Still to confirm: dates, the day camp, venue, price, staff, insurance and the safety plan.

Russell plans to spend January to April 2027 in Japan, meeting venues, programme partners and local communities in person. Exact dates and meetings are not yet confirmed.

Read the full progress update →

How a week goes ahead.

Each week needs a minimum number of families to run. When bookings open, the terms will state that number and a go or no-go date. If a week does not run, deposits are refunded in full.

Families on the priority list hear first when dates, the venue and booking terms are ready, along with occasional notes from Russell on real progress.

For families considering summer 2027

Join the 2027
priority list.

Be among the first to hear when dates, the venue and booking details are ready. Choose one week, two weeks or either. You can also follow the journey without expressing camp interest. You will also receive occasional notes from Russell as the community takes shape: real progress, discoveries and ways to help.

No deposit, no reserved place. You can decide once the full offer is confirmed.

Help deliver the mission

Bring your expertise.

Work with us

Camp leadership, counsellors, bilingual Japan operations, hospitality and administration.

View team roles →

Advise or volunteer

Safeguarding, Jewish life, community relationships and practical founding support.

Explore advisory and volunteer roles →

Venues and local partners

Licensed venues, lodge and pension owners, and local operating partners in Japan.

Introduce a venue or partner →

Bring your kids to Japan.Actually enjoy it.