This new co-living house in the Japanese Alps is inviting trail runners to stay for a month

If your ideal summer involves less doomscrolling and more alpine air, this might be for you. Goodpace, a new community project for trail runners and mountain enthusiasts, is launching a month-long pilot stay in Fujimi, Nagano from June 12 to July 12, 2026 – inviting a small group to live, work and run together in the Japanese Alps.

The concept is simple but unusually appealing: a co-living basecamp where people can stay for weeks rather than just a rushed weekend, with regular access to trails, shared local knowledge, and enough structure to make mountain life actually workable. Goodpace says it is building the kind of longer-stay trail-running infrastructure that does not really exist in Japan yet, where most running communities are still centred around events or short trips.

Participants will stay in a 650-square-metre villa in Yatsugatake, around 12 minutes from Fujimi Station. The house has six ensuite bedrooms, two Japanese inn-style bathing rooms, a large shared living area, a gym, mountain bikes, an outdoor BBQ setup, and yes, a piano for anyone feeling emotionally moved by the mountains. The setting is quiet and forested, with the Yatsugatake range on one side and the Southern Alps on the other.

The appeal is not just the house, of course, but the region itself. Fujimi sits on the border of Nagano and Yamanashi, with access to everything from quick local loops to serious alpine objectives. You can run straight from the villa into the Yatsugatake trail network, or head further out for peaks like Mt. Akadake, Mt. Kaikomagatake, or even weekend missions into the Northern Alps around Kamikochi, Yarigatake and Hotaka. When you are not running, the area also has art museums, wineries, quiet roads and local festivals. 

Goodpace says group runs will be organised based on conditions and what people actually want to do, but this is not a guided tour. You are expected to manage your own schedule and training, be comfortable with shared living, and ideally be available for the full month – though shorter stays may be considered. A Japanese or international driving licence is recommended, since getting around rural Nagano is easier with a car. English and Japanese will both be supported, and all experience levels are welcome.

Pricing starts at ¥120,000 per person for a shared room and ¥190,000 for a private room. That is founding-member pricing for the pilot, so future stays may cost more. Applications are rolling until May 5, and if all goes well, Goodpace hopes this becomes the foundation for something much more permanent. Those interested can apply here.

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