Campground and barbecue area open on Lake Suwa shore

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.

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.

A couple who began traveling around Japan with overnight stays in their car shared details about their preparations and expenses. They discussed the necessary equipment and costs required for comfortable car camping.

The Sakudaira Highway Oasis Parada in Nagano Prefecture has started selling exclusive T-shirts with camping-inspired designs. The 'North Parada Camp Site' and 'Sakudaira Camp Site' models are priced from 3,300 yen (tax included). The shirts are available at the Parada rest area, which also functions as a tourist facility.

At the Rihei Chaya Forest Park campsite in Gunma Prefecture, located at an altitude of 1000 meters on Mount Akagi, the organization KiKi, which became the designated manager this spring, is preparing barbecue areas and facilities for staying with pets. A dedicated tent site for groups, which other campsites avoid due to noise, has also been set up. These efforts aim to draw visitors from outside the prefecture and revitalize the local area.

SEIWA and EXEA have introduced new car curtains designed to block sunlight and provide privacy during overnight stays or breaks. The lineup includes magnetic curtains for front side windows and rear quarter windows, as well as a model with a magnetic rail. The products vary in size and mounting method, allowing users to choose according to their preferences.