Practical Test: Turning an SUV's Tailgate into a Living Space for Car Camping

Japanese YouTuber Chomoka, who runs the channel 'chomocamp' about solo camping and car sleeping, shared her style of traveling in a used car purchased for 380,000 yen. She started posting videos in 2019, and in 2020, after appearing on a BS TV Tokyo program, her channel gained popularity, surpassing 50,000 subscribers. Chomoka noted that camping became a popular leisure activity during the pandemic, and her style involves fitting personal preferences into a small space.

An outdoor field opened on October 10 at the Akasuna Park complex 'Suwa no Wa' in Shimosuwa, on the shore of Lake Suwa. The facility includes 7 campsites and 4 barbecue booths. Pets are allowed.

In Hikawa town, Kumamoto Prefecture, the Noguchi family continues to sleep in a car parked in their yard following a magnitude 7 earthquake on July 28. Although their house remained standing, walls have peeled off, and the children are afraid to sleep indoors. Mother Tomoka Noguchi (42) said the children choose the car because they witnessed nearby houses collapsing.

On July 25, 2026, Kia opened the Kia PBV Tonan Yokohama showroom inside the Minami-Machida Grandberry Park mall in Tokyo, featuring the PV5 electric van. The showroom is operated by Toy Factory, a camper builder. A pre-opening event drew about 200 visitors over two days, with questions focusing on range, drivetrain, and subsidies. EVs account for only about 2% of new car sales in Japan, so the company targets families and couples, including Tesla owners.

During a trip through Japan, an AI dashcam with blind spot monitoring was installed on the Osteria camper van, improving driving safety. The journey also included visits to the WHATAWON shopping mall in Osaka and the Osaka Camping Car Show, where new camper models were showcased. A test of the lithium battery without alternator charging showed the charge dropping from 73% to 44% on the first day, but solar panels restored it to 57% on the second day.

R&I Company Limited, based in Sapporo, has developed a 40-foot trailer house designed for dine-in restaurant use. The model incorporates operational insights from GoGo Curry and is intended for deployment in commercial facility parking lots and underutilized spaces. The first location, GoGo Curry Iwaki Everia Base, is scheduled to open on August 12, 2026, in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture.