Many people’s image of Japan is filled with neon lights in never-ending cities and temples carved out of wood older than ourselves. But what some may not know, is that Japan is actually covered in more forestry and mountains (70%!) than the inhabited areas. The lush green landscape outstretches concrete city mazes, but without a car, it’s sometimes hard to get out and experience this side of Japan.
Friends and I decided to get out for a GW trip to camp overnight in a destination not so far away in Sendai and Osaki. Through our journey, we discovered how different camping can be in Japan compared to what we’re used to. Let’s start with the basics of camping in Japan.
Golden Week is a very busy week in Japan because it’s a week holiday. Most of the Japanese go outside and spend their time with their family. But one thing I noticed camping in Japan needs a reservation or you must call them in advance like three to four days before the date of the camping. So here I was, 3-4 days before the camping trip, thinking it was enough time to get a reservation at any desired campground.
Since it was an overnight camping. Complete Camping gears are needed. We don’t want to go to war without any bullets. I prepared camping necessities like a tent, sleeping bag, utensils, survival tools and food, and water.
Camping is not a camping without BBQ. Part of the romanticized camping life in Japan is the BBQ tradition. We bought some sausages, vegetables, seafoods, and BBQ meat to grill at the supermarket and marinate at home. This made our BBQ experience enjoyable.
When the sun sets, we already prepared our bonfire, and it's perfect for the windy and cold weather that time. That moment is very memorable since we are telling stories to each other and laughing around the bonfire.
It was indeed great memories to treasure with my friends here in Japan.
JOHN
