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In Brief
A Japanese couple quit their jobs in Tokyo, converted a used minibus into a camper van, and after four years of travel and the birth of their child, settled in Kunitomi, Miyazaki Prefecture.
A Japanese couple, formerly office workers in Tokyo, converted a used minibus into a camper van four years ago and began a life on the road. Their child was born during the journey. They then moved to the town of Kunitomi in Miyazaki Prefecture.
Local residents helped them integrate into the community. The couple now cares for horses and assists local farmers, including in peach orchards. The story was covered by Japanese media as an example of "new family bonds and a circle of mutual aid."
Aggregated by OpenVan.camp from the public sources listed below, with AI-assisted translation and summary. We always link to the original source. Machine translation may differ from the original -- check the source for important details. Images and content remain the property of their respective owners. Copyright information
A Japanese couple, former office workers in Tokyo, converted a used bus into a camper van four years ago. After having a child on the road, they moved...
A Japanese couple, former office workers in Tokyo, converted a used bus into a camper van four years ago. After having a child on the road, they moved to Kunitomi Town in Miyazaki Prefecture, where locals helped them integrate into the community.
A Japanese couple quit their office jobs in Tokyo to live in a motorhome they DIY-converted from an old microbus. After four years of travel and havin...
A Japanese couple quit their office jobs in Tokyo to live in a motorhome they DIY-converted from an old microbus. After four years of travel and having a child on the road, they settled in Kunitomi Town, Miyazaki Prefecture, where they integrated into the local community by helping care for horses and persimmon orchards.
A Japanese couple, formerly office workers in Tokyo, converted a used microbus into a camper van four years ago and began a life on the road. After ha...
A Japanese couple, formerly office workers in Tokyo, converted a used microbus into a camper van four years ago and began a life on the road. After having a child during their travels, they settled in the town of Kunitomi, Miyazaki Prefecture, where they now care for horses and assist local persimmon farmers, integrating into the community.
Updated: 18.07.2026
Regular
$1.02 /l
JPY166.20 · €0.90/l
29 of 141
cheaper than 80% of countries
High-octane
$1.09 /l
JPY177.05 · €0.95/l
13 of 94
cheaper than 87% of countries
軽油
$0.95 /l
JPY154.91 · €0.84/l
21 of 142
cheaper than 86% of countries
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Country overview
Avg. score
35
Top city
Hokkaidō 81
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Former Tokyo office workers spent a year DIY-converting a used microbus into a camper van. After four years of travel, they settled in Miyazaki Prefecture, integrating into the local community by caring for horses and assisting on a persimmon farm, highlighting a shift in lifestyle choices.
A family of three has moved to the town of Kunitomi in Miyazaki Prefecture, adopting a vanlife lifestyle in a self-converted camper van. They DIY-renovated a microbus, equipping it with solar panels, a wood stove, and a full kitchen. The move followed a journey across Japan and a decision to leave urban life behind after the pandemic.
A couple from Tokyo quit their office jobs to live in a motorhome they converted themselves from a used microbus. After traveling, they settled in Kunitomi Town, Miyazaki Prefecture, where they integrated into the local community. Their motorhome is equipped with solar panels, a wood stove, and a kitchen with an induction cooktop.
Japan
2
A 60-year-old couple from Hokkaido, who experienced a massive blackout after the 2018 Iburi earthquake, used their retirement money to buy a camper and set off on a Japan-wide trip, planning to finish in 10 years.
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