In Japan, there are many places to park and stay overnight in a camper van with clean restrooms, as long as you know how to find them. Followings are main overnight places for camper vans.
Michi-no-eki
Michi-no-Eki is a roadside rest area for those driving across Japan. They are located along national roads and provide free parking space, restrooms, and regional and tourist information. There are over 1,000 locations throughout Japan. One thing to note is that some Michi-no-Eki doesn’t allow overnight parking anymore, so make sure you ask the local staff to avoid trouble.
Service and parking area in expressway
Service Area (SA) and Parking Area (PA) are parking spaces along expressways with clean toilets and restaurants. It is possible to stay overnight in a camper van so these places are really useful. However, many truck drivers also use these areas, so make sure you park as far from trucks as possible to avoid a loud night.
Auto camping site and RV park
Auto camping site and RV parks are very popular in Japan. The fee depends on facilities and ranges from JPY 2,000 to JPY 7,000 for a camper van with 2 people. Some of camping sites have own hot springs, so it is a convenient way to enjoy a relaxing night. However, during summer season and public holidays, it is difficult to find a space without prior reservation so please make sure to call or reserve beforehand.
Free parking spot
There are thousands of free parking spots with restrooms, especially outside big cities. General conditions of these places are basic, but even in the middle of nowhere you will be surprised to see a nice and clean parking with toilet. These are usually located near parks or recreational areas. You can easily find these places on the internet (in Japanese though), so please feel free to contact us.
You might want to read…
トラックバック / ピンバック