Campervan, RV & Vanlife News
Chinese technology company Xiaomi has announced two large SUVs, the SkyNomad N70 and N90. A camper version of the N90, called Max Studio, is also offered with an electric pop-up roof and heated floor. The N70 starts at 209,900 yuan in China, significantly below the initially planned 334,080 yuan; according to CarNewsChina, 100,000 pre-orders were placed within a week. The N90 Max Studio is priced at 384,000 yuan and includes five seats, two beds, a refrigerator, a vanity mirror, an illuminated storage shelf, an electric pop-up roof and a heated floor that warms up to 38 degrees. The N90 measures 5.29 m long, while the N70 is just under 5 m.
United States
Needs Sapporo, a tuning shop marking its 26th year in 2026, has unveiled a modified Nissan Caravan. The vehicle retains its category 4 commercial classification while adding a central split bed, an FF heater powered by a sub-battery, and an HDMI-connected rear monitor for remote work. Options include an original center console bed for dogs and Ogusho side multi-pipe racks for fishing rods.
Japanese authorities are tightening regulations on private lodging (minpaku): in September, Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward announced a ban on new minpaku in residential zones, and Bunkyo Ward plans to prohibit weekday operations. In July, the Japan Tourism Agency indicated that municipalities could impose 'zero-day' rules. Registered minpaku units rose 58% from 26,657 in September 2024 to 42,070 in July 2026. As hotel costs rise, alternatives are expanding: in July 2025, Lawson launched a pilot 'Convenience Store RV Park' at a store parking lot in Chiba, offering camper van stays at 2500–3000 yen per night with toilets, power, and waste disposal. The company reported no complaints from neighbors.
A Japanese salaried employee purchased a new Nuts RV Jeepney motorhome for 10.2 million yen. After a 2026 transfer cancellation, the company ended housing subsidies, raising rent from 10,000 to 140,000 yen per month. Three appraisers valued the vehicle at 10.2 million, 10 million, and 9.5 million yen, but the owner kept it, covering the loan with food delivery income.
The Japan RV Association promotes the RV Park network of paid overnight sites for motorhomes and camper vans. Chillin Chillin Park in ZAO, located in the town of Zao near the Togatta Onsen hot spring, offers three pitches, 24-hour toilets, paid 100V electricity, free water and paid waste disposal. The rate is from 4,000 yen per night per vehicle, with reservations by phone or online required at least three days in advance.
United States
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.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has announced the world premiere of the fully electric camper ID. California Cruise at Caravan Salon 2026, opening on 28 August in Germany. The model is based on the all-electric ID. Buzz and becomes the first member of the California family with an electric drivetrain. The company positions it as a first step toward electrifying the California line and plans to gradually expand a new generation of fully electric campers by 2028. No photos of the ID. California Cruise have been released so far.
As of late August 2026, the Japan RV Association certified 686 RV Parks, while the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism registered 1,234 roadside stations (Michi-no-Eki). However, only 99 lodging facilities participate in the Yu-Yu Park program, which allows hotels to open their parking lots to car campers — just 0.26% of the 38,174 accommodations with observed pricing data. Out of 4.07 million public plan names, only 46 include the term "car camping," and 16 of those bundle bath access. The median price for one vehicle per night is ¥3,300 (interquartile range ¥2,500–3,850), about 35% of the national median estimated ADR of ¥9,500. A real-world example at Sengokuhara Shinboku Ichinoyu in Hakone offers a weekday plan at ¥5,500 including unlimited use of the large communal bath (normally ¥1,400).
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.
United States
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.
A Japanese couple with three years of car camping experience installed a composting toilet in their vehicle that separates solid and liquid waste. The device requires no plumbing or electricity, and the peat moss or sawdust medium needs replacing every one to two weeks for two users. This eliminated nighttime searches for public restrooms and expanded their choice of parking locations.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.