We wanted to do some camping before it got too cold out. We coordinated with some friends and decided on the Fuji five lakes area. After doing a bit of research we learned that this area and Lake Motosu in particular had been immortalized on the back of the ¥1000 note. We knew that this was where we wanted to be. We looked around and found Kouan Camping Ground in Yamanashi. A friend of ours was able to book a 10 person cabin for a night. We set our check in time to 16:00.

The campground is located on the northwestern shore of Lake Motosu. The campground was pretty busy and the small amount of public parking was constantly filled. It was a little chaotic as cars waiting for a parking spot just stopped on the side of the road. Passing cars had to go into oncoming traffic to go around the stopped cars. Check in was fairly smooth. The cabin came with two free parking spaces. Since we had three cars we had to pay an extra ¥1000.

Kouan Camping Ground Store

This campground and the nearby public restroom were feature points in the first episode of the popular camping anime Yuru Camp. The store featured an impressive amount of Yuru Camp related goods and omiyage.

The cabin was a short six minute drive to the south and was close to the lakes southwestern shore.

Kouan Camping Ground Cabin Review

The cabin is one of three that are just off the main road. The signage is pretty poor and we almost missed it. We took a dirt road past a number of car camping sites before finding the #2 cabin. The cabin is pretty big and nice. There is a large entry way cover in the front. After opening the front door, there was a large genkan (entry way) with an earthen floor. The space opens up to two large bedrooms with a small kitchen and bathroom in between. The furnishings include a two burner gas stove top, microwave, and refrigerator.

We set up our charcoal grill and the included fire pit in the covered patio area and set up our chairs in a circle around it. The large patio provided us protection from the elements, while also providing adequate ventilation for the smoke.

Notes:

• The shower was a constant juggling act. With the water being either too hot or two cold.
• Counter and table space was limited to non existent, so we used our storage boxes and crates as make shift tables.
• We got a decent nights sleep in our warm sleeping bags.
• There are futon sets that could be rented for an additional fee.
• There are room heaters, but you need to bring your own fuel.
• The cabin came with an elevated fire pit & a large charcoal grill.

Check out time was at 10:00 am. We were able to make some quick breakfast burritos before heading out. We headed back to the check in building to pay the fees and check out. After, we took some more photos of the lake and Mt. Fuji in the background. Unfortunately, it was still pretty cloudy and we were unable to see the whole mountain.

Final Thoughts

All in all, we enjoyed our stay at Kouan Camping Ground in Yamanashi. The total cost of the cabin was ¥33,000 for the night. We had seven people, so the cost came out to a modest ¥4,700 per person. We could have gotten it down to ¥3,300 per person if we had managed to be at full capacity. Being in a cabin, was a lot less stressful. Setup and cleanup were a breeze. It was more expensive on a per person basis, but worth it. We would like to come back in the future and try some of their fun looking activities.

Note: Big spiders were a constant worry inside the cabin. We had a designated broom for shooing them outside.

More to Come…

Here is the link to their website.

Here is the link to the activities site.