Progress update · September 2026
Where Camp Komorebi stands
I want the people who know me to see what this is and how seriously I am taking it. Here is what is done, what is not, what happens next and where you could help.
What it is
A family camp in Japan, with a community around it.
Camp Komorebi is a Jewish-rooted family camp in the Nagano highlands of Japan, near Karuizawa, planned for August 2027. Kids get real camp, parents get time to discover Japan, and families build a community they can come back to, alongside Japanese neighbours.
Why I am doing it
Camp is where I learned what a community can do for a kid. I spent ten summers at Camp Northland B'nai Brith, as a camper and then on staff. Japan is the culture I have loved since I was a teenager: I worked as a sushi chef through my teens and later brought Japanese food to Jewish celebrations as a caterer.
In university I built a programme that brought students to Kashechewan First Nation and other communities in northern Ontario, organised directly with band offices, to help where we were asked.
Komorebi brings those together. A safe place for Jewish belonging is the heart of it: children comfortable being themselves, parents finding people they trust, and friendships that grow alongside Japanese neighbours.
Komoro is the home base. The camp venue is not chosen yet.
What is done
The groundwork, done properly.
- The website and priority listcampkomorebi.com is live, with the camp plan, the safety approach and a priority list for families who want to hear first. It takes no payment.
- A research programmeSourced research on what Ontario Jewish camps charge; Japanese visa and immigration rules, for me and for staff; Japanese property, tax and lodging law; twelve towns compared; venues and programme partners; and how the companies in Canada and Japan should be set up.
- A financial model, independently checkedA working model of the camp and of a first lodge, with its figures checked independently against the research. It shows what each camp week has to cover, and what the camp can and cannot afford.
- A home base: KomoroKomoro sits west of Karuizawa. It has been losing people, has many empty homes and ten onsen, and has lighter local lodging rules than Karuizawa. The camp week itself is planned around Karuizawa, about 30 minutes away.
- First messages, writtenFirst messages to venues, town halls, programme partners and the Jewish community in Tokyo are written and ready for the winter trip. None has been sent yet.
- Job descriptions, writtenThe camp director, Canadian and Japanese counsellors, a Japan operations lead, a nurse licensed in Japan and a Jewish educator. They are drafts and not posted.
- A weekly watch for the right placeEvery Monday, a check of licensed inns and campgrounds for sale in Nagano and nearby, and of empty homes listed by Komoro and neighbouring towns. Watching only: no offers, no contact.
The plan to summer 2027
One step at a time, with a clear go or no-go.
- This fallConversations with families
Real conversations with Jewish families about whether they would come and what they would need to see first. Their answers set the price and the shape of the week.
- January to April 2027Winter in Japan
I plan to spend the winter in and around Komoro, meeting town halls, venues, programme partners and the Jewish community in Tokyo in person. The trip is not booked yet.
- By mid-February 2027Venue and partner confirmed
A licensed venue and a licensed Japanese programme partner for the camp weeks, agreed in writing.
- Before bookings openDates and price published
With everything families need to see before they pay: the place, the people, medical care, insurance, security and who you pay.
- March 15, 2027Go or no-go
If too few families have booked for camp to run well, it moves to 2028 and every deposit is returned.
- August 2027Camp
Two one-week sessions in the Nagano highlands.
- After the first seasonA licensed lodge near Komoro
If the first season works, the next step is a licensed lodge or campground near Komoro, then restored empty homes around it over time. Nothing is bought before then.
What is not done yet
Plainly.
- No venue is booked. Candidate venues are researched. None is contracted.
- No family has booked. The conversations with families start this fall.
- No payment has been taken. No deposits, no fees. Bookings are not open.
- No team is hired. The roles are written. The people are not found yet.
- No property is owned. Nothing is bought or under offer.
- No partner has signed. No venue, programme partner or organisation has agreed to anything yet. When one does, I will say so here.
I would rather you hear that from me now than find it out later.
How you can help
Where you could make a real difference.
Jewish families with children who might want a summer week in Japan. An introduction and a conversation is the most useful thing anyone can give me right now.
Make an introduction →Canadians aged 18 to 30 with Jewish camp experience, especially head staff. They can apply for Japan's Working Holiday visa.
Suggest someone →English and Japanese speakers living in Japan who could help run camp, interpret or open a door.
Get in touch →A lawyer, accountant, insurance broker or experienced camp professional willing to advise.
Offer advice →Anyone who knows people there: a town office, an inn, a school, a family.
Make a connection →If you might come yourself. No deposit and no reserved place.
Join the list →From me
Talk to me directly.
Thank you for reading this. I am building Komorebi carefully and in the open, and nothing will be sold before it is ready. If you want to help, or just want to ask me about it, I would like to hear from you.
Russell
This is a progress update. It is not a booking, an offer or a request for money. I will update this page as things change.