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Final spring we took an unconventional journey to Japan. As a substitute of the normal few days in Tokyo and different massive cities, we opted to lease an RV in Japan and spend two weeks exploring backroads and small cities. We nonetheless loved a number of the highlights in Tokyo, Kanazawa, and Kyoto, however a few of our favourite recollections have been spent subsequent to streams, mountains, and seashores throughout rural Japan.
In case you’re at the moment planning a visit to Japan, I needed to share a couple of issues I want we had identified earlier than renting an RV in Japan.
Why Would You Hire an RV in Japan?
Japan is thought for having a few of THE greatest public transportation in all the world. Plus, a lot of the cultural experiences that vacationers search after might be present in Tokyo or Osaka.
However for an genuine Japanese expertise, you possibly can lease a motorhome and take a street journey throughout Japan.
Why would you keep in an RV versus a resort?
For most individuals, you’re in all probability much better off staying in motels or Airbnbs in cities. Nonetheless, for us, RVing has at all times been our favourite mode of journey. We will sleep in the identical mattress each night time, camp in nature, and get away from the crowds to discover off the overwhelmed path.
In case you’re somebody who likes to discover smaller cities and nature, renting an RV in Japan (or a van) may very well be an awesome choice.
Particularly if you wish to get up with views like this.
Or drink espresso with views like this.
The place to Discover RV Rental Corporations in Japan
There are a number of corporations to select from when renting a camper in Japan. Lots of them provide vans, however there are additionally a number of who provide motorhomes too. We visited throughout peak season and rented our RV comparatively late, so many have been booked up.
Beneath are two RV rental corporations in Japan that I researched earlier than discovering our chosen rental supplier. Each had nice opinions, however no availability throughout cherry blossom season once we visited.
This was the primary firm I reached out to whereas researching. They confirmed up first in Google and had a number of totally different vans and a few motorhomes to select from. Sadly, they didn’t have availability for our dates. They appear to be a very good choice for vacationers based mostly on the variety of optimistic Google opinions they’ve on their web page.
This firm builds out and rents its vans. Their opinions are prime notch and the inside design of their vans is gorgeous. In case you’re visiting Japan as a pair or solo traveler, they may very well be an awesome choice for renting a van in Japan, however the vans are probably too small for households.
Who We Rented Our RV From
We rented from an organization referred to as El Monte RV. They’ve a handful of pickup areas round Tokyo to select from. We picked up ours from the Funabashi department.
By the best way, if this RV firm sounds acquainted and also you’re based mostly within the US, it’s as a result of El Monte is a well-liked RV rental firm within the States. We reached out to the US firm to ask if there was an affiliation. Seems, it’s the identical firm!
The pickup course of was comparatively simple. It took us a few minutes to seek out their location because it’s nestled behind a house items retailer. Like many rental corporations, they’ve a large car parking zone and ample room for parking motorhomes.
We have been greeted by the supervisor who took us by means of a tour of the RV and talked with us about toll passes, GPS, and some other questions we had.
I used to be very nervous about not talking Japanese on this journey and dealing with communication. Everybody warned us that nobody in Japan speaks English. What we encountered throughout our time in Japan was that nearly everybody used Google Translate or a translation machine. Even when you stroll as much as somebody and ask for his or her assist, most individuals wouldn’t be offended when you had your Google translate app out and able to use. In truth, they could have theirs out earlier than you!
We had no translation points whereas choosing up our rental.
If you wish to see our expertise choosing up our RV rental and driving it by means of Tokyo, you possibly can watch the video beneath.
What It’s Like Driving an RV in Japan
The roads in Japan are spectacular. They’re clear, the signage is unimaginable, and Japanese drivers are the friendliest I’ve ever encountered in any nation. They do drive on the left aspect of the street and the suitable aspect of the car, like within the UK or Australia.
I’m at all times a little bit nervous in the case of driving in a brand new nation. I shouldn’t have been involved in Japan. Even once I by accident exited the freeway in downtown Tokyo, I used to be in a position to navigate again onto the principle street.
An surprising good thing about our rental was our toll cross. I didn’t realize it on the time, however there are toll roads nearly in all places in Japan. We often would evaluate our routes to go non-toll versus toll, nevertheless it by no means made sense to keep away from tolls.
Our toll cross, referred to as an ETC, made driving by means of the tolls seamless. We’d sluggish, however notice cease on the gates and they’d mechanically carry. Our ETC would say what number of yen we have been charged at that toll gate. On the finish of the journey, El Monte calculated the toll invoice and we paid them immediately. For 2 weeks, it was about $250 USD for all tolls.
What to Anticipate from an RV Rental in Japan
As you possibly can think about, lots of the motorhomes are very small. Our motorhome was 16 ft lengthy. For reference, that is smaller than an American minivan (which is about 17 ft).
Nonetheless, for a two-week street journey, there was sufficient area for the 4 of us.
One wonderful thing about the RV being so small is which you could park wherever a standard automobile can park. We drove into the previous metropolis of Kanazawa and have been in a position to park in a downtown metropolis car parking zone with no drawback.
Not like different RV leases, not every thing got here included. For add-on purchases, we rented further bedding, pots and pans, desk and chairs, and a vast wifi bundle (extremely suggest, labored nice). You’ll be capable to choose these choices at checkout.
My largest worry about renting an RV in Japan was the toilet.
I couldn’t discover ANY van rental corporations in Japan with an actual rest room or cassette rest room on board. Our motorhome rental got here with an “emergency rest room”. I had no concept what constituted an emergency earlier than choosing up this RV. We’ve a four-year-old and a two-year-old. We’re perpetually in a state of emergency toilet conditions.
That being stated, the toilet scenario wasn’t all that dangerous. The lavatory appears to be like much like different RV loos. You have got a closed-off door and a proper-looking rest room. However as a substitute of your rest room being hooked to a black tank, it simply has a sack/bag in it.
You replenish the bag after which dump it within the rubbish.
Did I really feel bizarre strolling by means of campsites with a bag of my pee in it? Sure.
Was it the worst factor on this planet? No.
If you wish to see a full tour of our motorhome, you possibly can watch our video beneath.
What Japanese Campgrounds Are Like
Japanese campgrounds are totally different.
A number of of those we encountered have been giant fields versus particular person campsites. There are not any dump stations since autos don’t have working bogs. There’s a jug below the sink which you could empty and refill at campsites.
Most individuals have been in tents. We noticed a handful of vans and even fewer motorhomes like ours. As our journey progressed, we did discover campgrounds that extra intently resembled RV parks within the US with particular person campsites.
Do you want reservations?
For 90% of our RV journey plans, we don’t e book prematurely. We like to see what we discover alongside the best way. Nonetheless, we have been uncertain of how simple it will be to name campgrounds in Japan with the language barrier. And when researching we observed that nearly each campground web site stated reservations are required.
We booked each night time prematurely. It was comparatively simple as most campgrounds have some type of on-line reserving or reservation inquiry type. Some campgrounds do say to name, which was subsequent to not possible to do from the States. We searched and located e mail addresses for any campgrounds the place we needed to remain. This took a big period of time however was nicely value it. Each night time of our journey was deliberate and coordinated. We did cancel our final campground reservation so we may return to Tokyo early and take the kids to Disney Sea. They have been the one campground that was paid prematurely and we noticed a portion of our payment refunded.
Whereas we made reservations, only a few campgrounds requested us to pay on-line or reserve with a card forward of time. Most accepted yen in particular person as a substitute. We picked up yen earlier than leaving the States, which I might suggest if potential. Playing cards usually are not regularly accepted throughout the nation.
Professional tip: Print out your whole e mail confirmations so you possibly can merely hand them to the park upon arrival. These shall be in Japanese, so we wrote the date and Google Maps identify on the highest of every sheet. This made it simpler for us to seek out our campsites each afternoon and made check-in even simpler.
Ought to You Hire an RV In Japan?
If you wish to have a really totally different expertise than 95% of the individuals who go to Japan, I might extremely suggest renting an RV.
Our favourite experiences in Japan have been assembly folks and discovering locations off the overwhelmed path. One night time, we camped at a family-owned restaurant and the proprietor took me out and let me dig up bamboo and taught me to cook dinner it. One other day we toured a rural inexperienced tea plantation.
When you can have unimaginable experiences in Japanese cities, a lot of our favourite recollections wouldn’t have occurred had we not gotten off the overwhelmed path.
Questions on planning a Japanese street journey?
Drop them within the feedback! We’re joyful to assist!
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