Toyota HiAce MRT: camper and cargo model retains popularity

At the Tokyo Camping Car Show 2026, Whitehouse presented its Reno-Mobi service, which refurbishes used Toyota HiAce vans with new beds, furniture, and kitchens. This approach addresses long delivery times for new vehicles and reduces costs. The Bitz Pop-up Roof model based on the Super GL (4WD) includes a 20L refrigerator, sink, Coolstar 12V air conditioner, Eberspächer heater, 200Ah lithium battery, and 1700W inverter. Price: 8.635 million yen.

Garvi Plus has published a list of 11 campsites in Miyagi and Yamagata prefectures where motorhomes are allowed. The selection is aimed at travelers seeking comfortable overnight stays in a motorhome during extreme temperatures. The campsites included are equipped with hookups for electricity and other amenities.

At around 4:20 a.m. on August 26, a camper driven by an 86-year-old man from Osaka collided with a concrete divider at the Oguraike toll gate on the Second Keihan Road in Fushimi, Kyoto. The driver was critically injured. The section was temporarily closed, and ETC was unavailable.

The Hokkaido Camping Car & Outdoor Show 2026 will take place on August 29–30, 2026, at Access Sapporo in Sapporo. The event will feature a wide range of vehicles, from kei campers to caravans, including the Offtime BASE based on the Suzuki Every with a pop-up roof and sleeping space for four, and the CRAFT CAMPER BRILLANTE based on the Nissan Caravan. Admission is 800 yen for advance electronic tickets, 1,000 yen for same-day electronic tickets, and 1,200 yen for same-day paper tickets. Children up to junior high school age enter free. Free parking is available for about 1,000 vehicles. The Sapporo Dog Festival will be held concurrently, with a pet care fee of 500 yen per dog.

The Kyushu Tourism Activation Consortium, together with the Saga International Balloon Fiesta organizing committee, will conduct a demonstration in 2026 allowing overnight stays in vehicles within the event venue. This year, in partnership with Venus Travel, a limited travel package combining ferry travel, car touring, and on-site vehicle overnight stays will be offered starting August 2026. The initiative aims to test whether such stays can be integrated into a broader travel product that attracts visitors from distant regions and encourages regional exploration. In 2025, 329 applications were received for 50 spots, indicating strong demand.

Kumamoto Prefecture has launched a telephone consultation service for evacuees living in vehicles after the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake. The hotline operates daily from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., staffed by nurses. The aim is to prevent deep vein thrombosis (economy class syndrome) and to better understand the situation of vehicle-dwelling evacuees. The prefecture is also distributing leaflets with hotline numbers and nighttime medical facilities through police officers patrolling affected areas.