🇯🇵 Japan — OpenVan.camp
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Hanahana no Sato Auto Campsite in Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture, is located about 90 minutes from central Tokyo via the Aqua-Line. The site, built on former rice terraces, keeps rescued cats and dogs that may visit guest pitches. It also features a "Heidi" swing, a Tarzan rope, and a crayfish pond, with the Gun Dam and a roughly 3.3 km walking trail nearby.
DRIMO published a list of four roadside stations in Kagoshima Prefecture that permit overnight stays in vehicles and offer hot springs. As of October 23, 2025, permission for overnight stays was confirmed by phone. One of them, Osumi Yagoro Densetsu no Sato in Soo, has parking for 350 standard and 20 large vehicles, a 24-hour toilet, and the Yagoro-no-Yu hot spring with admission of 330 yen for adults, 110 yen for children, and 220 yen for local residents aged 70 and over. Overnight stays are allowed only for rest and short sleep; long stays and camping are prohibited.
Japan
A Japanese cyclist undertook a four-day gravel riding trip in Obihiro, Hokkaido, using a campervan for transport and accommodation. The second-day route covered 100 km with 80% gravel; on the third day, a participant rested due to an allergic reaction to a bee sting. Due to a typhoon, the return flight was moved from 20:15 to 16:15, departed two hours late, and landed safely at Haneda. Onsen admission in Hokkaido costs around 500 yen.
The Ehime Camping Car Fair 2026 will take place at the Emifull MASAKI shopping center in Masaki, Iyo District, Ehime Prefecture, on September 26–27, 2026. Organized by Aisin Jidosha, a dealer of new camping cars in Ehime Prefecture, this is the fourth edition of the event. Various types of camping cars will be on display, from light campers to full-size cab-over and van conversions. Okay Motors from Kagawa Prefecture and Camping Car Hiroshima from Hiroshima Prefecture are also scheduled to participate. Visitors will be able to see the vehicles in person; ready-to-deliver models and gifts upon contract signing will be offered.
A four-day gravel cycling trip around Obihiro, Hokkaido, using a campervan as transport and accommodation. The route included a 100 km section with 80% gravel; one participant was stung by a bee, causing arm swelling and a day off the bike. Due to a typhoon, the return flight was moved from 20:15 to 16:15, while the 13:00 flight returned to Tokyo and the 16:15 flight landed with a two-hour delay. Onsen visits in Hokkaido cost around 500 yen.
Japanese company Nuts RV has unveiled the compact Toyota Camroad Aletta Evolution Type X motorhome based on a Toyota Camroad truck chassis. Measuring 4.85 metres long, about 2 metres wide and 2.8 metres high, it accommodates up to six passengers and provides five berths, including a transformable alcove bed of approximately 180×180 cm. The living area features two opposing benches with a mobile table, a kitchen unit with a 70-litre fridge, a sink and a microwave, plus a transverse bed of about 126×180 cm. The base version has rear-wheel drive, a 132 hp petrol engine and an automatic transmission. Pricing starts from 10.05 million yen or 5.3 million Russian rubles.
Japan
Autumn camping in Okayama, Hyogo and Tottori: from sea of clouds to island camping and starry nights
In autumn 2022, the author visited four campsites in Okayama, Hyogo and Tottori prefectures. In Okayama, these were Nishiyama Kogen Campground at 450 m elevation and Takebe no Mori Park Auto Campground, in Hyogo — MOUNT LAKE on Awaji Island, in Tottori — Hojo Auto Campground, open year-round with no regular holidays. The latter offers electric hookups and water taps at every site, and visitors receive an original sticker. The trips were made in a Mitsubishi Delica D:5.
On the first day of Silver Week, the author and their partner set up a DOD tarp and tent at the Chinaihama Auto Campground in Takashima, Shiga Prefecture, on the shore of Lake Biwa. They secured a site in the middle of Kitahama, adjusting the tarp after finding it too close to the neighboring plot. After multiple attempts, they pitched the tent, struggled with the high poles, and finally laid out the inner sheet and inflatable mat. The author noted it was their first camping experience and suggested visiting once a month.
A family undertook their first Hokkaido trip by car with overnight stays, skipping difficult mountain climbs due to restrictions. The route started at Otaru port after a ferry from Niigata and ended in Wakkanai, where they arrived in time for sunset at Cape Noshappu. They stayed overnight at Wakkanai Nature Park parking, which lacks mobile signal and has dark toilets, according to the account.
Japan
Ogusho has introduced a model based on the Nissan Caravan Grand Premium GX featuring a 60% matte black paint finish that provides a semi-gloss surface. The vehicle includes a dark brown woodgrain interior, a convertible bed system, herringbone-pattern flooring, and Ohlins DFV shock absorbers. The five-seat layout is retained.
A family traveled by camper van to Camp & Cabins Yamanakako despite rain and a typhoon. Check-in was at 8:50, and a 3rd anniversary event featured a quest, crystal hunter, burgers, super ball scooping, and BINGO. In the BINGO lottery, their daughter won a The North Face tent plus goods. Pizza and pasta cost 500 yen each.
From October 9, Lawson will add RV parking facilities at nine stores in Gifu and Mie prefectures. The initiative, developed with Glory and the Japan RV Association, will bring the total number of participating stores to 37. The company plans further expansion in Kyushu, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Shikoku and Miyagi, aiming to operate RV parking at approximately 70 stores by the end of fiscal 2026.
Japanese web magazine DRIMO published a selection of four roadside stations (michi-no-eki) in Wakayama Prefecture where visitors can combine overnight stays in their vehicles with hot spring bathing. The availability of overnight parking was confirmed by phone as of November 11, 2025. The list includes Okutoro roadside station in Kitayama Village, which has parking for 82 standard and 7 large vehicles, 24-hour toilets, and the Yamano-Yado hot spring open from 15:00 to 20:00, with admission at 700 yen for adults and 500 yen for children aged 3 to 12. The publication notes that overnight stays are intended for short rest and sleep only; setting up tables and chairs, using open flames, and leaving trash behind are prohibited.
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Former AKB48 member and travel YouTuber Yuka Suzuki has converted a commercial Nissan NV100 Clipper van, which her father planned to scrap, into a camper.
Under the furusato nozei (hometown tax donation) program in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, two motorhomes are listed as thank-you gifts. The required donations are 59,703,500 yen and 54,393,500 yen. Both are based on the Toyota Camroad, feature a 2754 cc diesel engine, four-wheel drive, and accommodate 7 passengers and 5 sleepers. Delivery takes about one year. Other gifts include Rakuten Travel accommodation coupons worth up to 300,000 yen for a 1,000,000 yen donation, a custom denim suit for 715,000 yen, and a boat bottom cover for 570,500 yen.
Toyota has unveiled the Tacozilla project, a camper based on the Tacoma TRD Sport pickup with a manual transmission, inspired by Chinook models of the 1970s–80s. The premiere is planned for the SEMA Show. The preliminary layout includes a sleeping area above the cab, a small kitchen, a dining area and a bathroom; the model will be more compact than traditional American motorhomes. The project is at the prototype stage. Chinook RV was founded in 1938, closed in 2005, revived in 2013 and produces motorhomes based on Mercedes Sprinter and Ford Transit, as well as travel trailers.
The blog 'Chiyotan' published an account of a first-ever camping trip at the Chiuichihama Auto Campground on Lake Biwa in Takashima, Shiga Prefecture. The trip took place on the first day of Silver Week; the group bought hand-cut Omi beef steak at a long-established shop en route. At the site, they pitched a DOD 'Itsuka no Tarp' and a tent, adjusting the tarp due to proximity to the neighbouring plot and struggling to fit the flysheet. The post mentions lake views, swimming and SUP by other campers, and a wish to return about once a month.
A family with three children took a 10-day campervan trip, mixing van life with hotel stays. They found that bringing all summer clothes for the kids was wise, but umbrellas, raincoats, and children's tablets went unused. Cooking equipment, seasonings, and bath amenities were also largely unnecessary because they cooked infrequently and public baths provided supplies.
The exact origin of the Japanese term 'sha-chu-haku' (sleeping in a car) is unknown, with Wikipedia stating 'first appearance unknown'. As of September 2026, Japan has 1,234 'Michi-no-Eki' roadside rest areas, where the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism permits only short naps, not overnight stays. The number of paid 'RV Park' sites certified by the Japan RV Association grew from over 500 at the end of June 2025 to 676 by the end of July 2026; requirements include a 4x7 m parking space, 24-hour toilet, 100V power, and a bathing facility within 15 minutes by car. The association, founded in March 1994, has dispatched campers to disaster areas since 2011; after the January 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, about 60 vehicles were sent to Ishikawa Prefecture, leading to the recognition of campers as 'disaster response vehicles' and the signing of the first agreement between a ministry and the association in November 2024 to provide campers during disasters.
A couple took a spontaneous trip to Tottori Prefecture and chose to sleep in their car after finding all hotels in the city fully booked. They saved 44,000 yen that a business hotel would have cost and stayed overnight at the roadside station Nishi-Inaba Kirari. They had previously checked five hotels in Tottori without success. During the trip, they visited the Karoichi market, Conan Airport, and the Tottori Sand Dunes.