Located between Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and Lake Kawaguchiko – the most scenic and accessible of the Fuji Five Lakes – Glamping Villa Hanz offers the perfect spot to reconnect with both nature and your loved ones.
Once you arrive at Glamping Villa Hanz, surrounded by beautiful tall pine trees with an uninterrupted view of Mt Fuji, it is hard not to feel instantly relaxed. You are spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding where to sleep, with three different accommodation options on offer: ‘paos’ (dome tents), open-plan villas, and one five-bedroom guest house, a traditional Japanese house over 100 years old, which was restored and relocated from Niigata prefecture.
The paos get you closest to the great outdoors, but are a long way from roughing it. Located amongst the pines, each sleeps up to four people and comes with its own private outdoor kitchen and a large shower room complete with Japanese-style toilet. Inside you have everything you need including a heater or air conditioner depending on the weather.
There is a dedicated reception where you can stock up on logs for the open fire (you can even chop your own wood if you get the urge), collect your cooking utensils and camping essentials – plus a bar and open seating area where you can enjoy the peaceful surroundings. With a play area, a barrel sauna and archery nearby, the spot is perfect for kids and parents alike.
The villas, meanwhile, are just as welcoming but offer a softly, softly introduction to outdoor living by providing the luxury of four walls, log fires and a jacuzzi. The space is transformed by flinging open the huge patio doors onto a private outdoor kitchen where you can cook and eat together.
The five-bedroom guest house, meanwhile, is an altogether grander affair. It’s great for big groups or families that want the luxury of a large private space, as well as outdoor eating areas and BBQs to get you out under the stars. It has five twin rooms, a hot tub, a large open living room with a log burner, a separate indoor dining space complete with irori (Japanese hearth), and you can even book a private chef to rustle you up a gourmet dinner.
Across the site there’s ample parking – a car is next to essential to explore the local Five Lakes area at leisure and easy to hire locally if you arrive in the area by train. There is a kura (storehouse) for any outdoor equipment needs during your stay, a natural onsen (hot springs), along with male and female public baths. There is also an ido (natural well) that provides spring water naturally filtered through the rocks of Mt Fuji to fill your bottles with.
With no on-site restaurant you pick your food box – think quality wagyu beef, chicken and locally sourced veg and wine – from a menu and barbecue the contents yourself under the stars (you can take a lesson in how to light a BBQ if you are completely new to the scene). The activities – including bike riding, archery, forest walks and unforgettable canoe trips on Lake Kawaguchiko – will get the heart racing before a relaxing session in the onsite onsens or barrel sauna.
After a few days you’ll feel rejuvenated, revitalised and reconnected with nature. And the best part? There’s no loading the car up with smelly camping gear that needs cleaning and packing away once you get home.