An increasing number of Japanese are discovering an easy and convenient way to enjoy the outdoors. Autocamps are now cropping up across the country, and many were so popular during the school holidays in July and August that they were almost as crowded as the neighborhoods the campers left behind.
The camping population began rising from around 1990, and it is now growing by about 20% a year, according to estimates by the Japan Autocamping Federation (JAC). Today, about 15 million people visit autocamps at least once a year, double the figure of five years ago.
There are about nine hundred autocamps in the country, moreover, and a hundred more are being built every year. The facilities together can accommodate up to 300,000 people on any given day.
One big reason behind the autocamping craze is that people seem less preoccupied with materialistic concerns than in the past and more interested in emotionally fulfilling experiences--one popular approach being to spend more time communing with nature.
Autocamping has provided urbanites with one convenient way of "getting away" for the weekend. Packing camping equipment into the trunks of their cars, they can drive right up to a camping site and enjoy the fresh air and clean water in tents pitched near their cars.
Another reason for the popularity is that autocamping is gentle on the pocketbook. A family of four can enjoy two nights at a camp for around 20,000 yen, while spending two nights at a hotel or Japanese-style inn will cost at least two to three times that amount.
The boom has also been encouraged by the upgrading of camp facilities. Most camps now provide all modern conveniences, such as flush toilets, showers, and electric outlets, making them easy to use even for first-time campers.
The bulk of camp visitors are those in their thirties or forties and their children. Their favorite activities, according to a JAC survey, include cycling, fishing, and hiking. In a similar survey conducted annually by the Leisure Development Center, people showed the greatest interest in fly fishing, canoeing, and riding mountain bikes. Corroborating these findings are sales figures of outdoor equipment stores that show brisk sales of canoes, fishing lures, and fly fishing equipment.
The camping boom has not been overlooked by automakers, either, and many have introduced new models of campers and other leisure vehicles. With Japanese workers being encouraged to take more time off, moreover, the popularity of autocamps should continue to rise in the foreseeable future.
(The above article, edited by Japan Echo Inc., is based on domestic Japanese news sources. It is offered for reference purposes and does not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.)