The best places to go glamping in Japan

The mountainous resort in Myogi features a suburban golf course on its property, but you don’t have to own a club set to appreciate the area’s breathtaking scenery. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a morning person, you might find yourself wrapping up warmly at the crack of dawn to watch the sunrise in front of your dome tent. If you can pull yourself away from views of the terrace, the area has plenty more for you to see, including a series of hiking trails and attractions like Myogi Shine and the Gunma Safari Park.

2678 Myogimachi Sugahara, Tomioka, Gunma

These spherical tents suspended in the forest of Numazu, Shizuoka prefecture look straight out of a fairy tale. The spheres aren’t furnished with antique trinkets or luxurious couches; they instead adhere to a simple style that instills the feeling of being at one with nature – don’t worry, you still get a proper mattress bed. Even the camp’s spacious indoor lobby is only furnished with the bare minimum, with just a few stylish wooden surfaces and little else to distract you from the zen of nature.

That doesn’t mean you’re left wanting more, though. Everything is so well taken care of that you don’t even need to bring your own provisions. At the on-site café, you’ll be spoilt for choice, from locally made craft beer to six-course dinners. Moreover, Inn the Park is especially accommodating to people with dietary preferences including vegetarians and vegans.

220-4 Ashitaka, Numazu, Shizuoka prefecture.

Kyoto is a city of impeccable style, so it’s not surprising that the area also features a very chic glamping spot. The facility features nine different tents and cabins including air-conditioned domes and warmly lit yurts with a campfire to accommodate intimate couples all the way up to rowdy crowds of eight. That said, you’re likely to spend more time in the adjacent dreamy library than in your own campsite. 

The Lantern Terrace is more or less a cross between a spa and a library featuring a selection of 10,000 books to curl up with. Reading nooks for literature lovers of all ages include semi-private booths, personal cocoons and even a mini yurt complete with a faux fireplace. As for the adjoining spa, in addition to traditional hot springs there are also rice bran baths, bedrock baths and herbal steam booths for you to get the most out of your self care session. Packages start from ¥7,700 per person.

1-14 Hirotani Okawachi, Sonobe, Nantan City, Kyoto

A family oriented resort, Twin Wing in Tochigi is packed with outdoor facilities and attractions suitable for all ages. The area features a racing circuit, which is used for different motorsports throughout the year, and even has special tracks and go-karts for guests to race on. If you’d rather leave the road behind, the park also offers an aerial walk with a zipline, a ‘net forest’ playground and a hot air balloon experience. Accommodation ranges from log cabins to spacious glamping setups, though with all the activities to choose from, you probably won’t spend much time inside. Packages start from ¥82,600 for two adults.

120-1 Hiyama, Motegi, Haga District, Tochigi

Take a trip to Yamanashi and enjoy the natural scenery that surrounds Japan’s favourite volcano, Mt Fuji. The grounds at PICA Fujiyama are an ideal spot for ambitious climbers: it’s just a half-hour drive or 40-minute train ride to the volcano’s fifth station and the highest starting point. However, the stunning scenes of Lake Kawaguchiko and the secluded environment make it a worthwhile destination even outside of climbing season.

With all this space, paragliding courses are an option for adrenaline junkies, but there’s also kayaking, glass blowing, cooking classes and pottery classes for visitors who prefer something slower paced. Packages start from ¥10,000 per person. 

6662-10 Funatsu, Fujikawaguchiko, Minamitsuru, Yamanashi

The views on offer at Resort Oshima in the coastal town of Kushimoto, Wakayama are just about unparalleled. These tents are set up on wide planes of grass where you’ll be able to gaze at an unobstructed view of the starlit sky come nightfall. It gets better – with the ocean so close by, the resort has an open-air bath with a backdrop of crashing waves in the near distance that can be booked privately for two people. Are you sold yet? 

Needless to say, the location means an abundance of open water activities, including the standard sports like paddle boarding and more extraordinary excursions like whale watching. Back on land, there’s a two-hour workshop available for making dazzling Turkish candle holders.

1035-6 Kashino, Kushimoto, Higashimuro, Wakayama 

Izu Shaboten Village was established to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Izu Shaboten Zoo in Shizuoka prefecture. There are three types of dome tents to choose from, but the Japanese-style tent is the best option during the colder months because it comes equipped with a kotatsu (a low heated table with a duvet) that is impossibly cosy and hard to come out of once you settle in.

Because of the site’s proximity to the zoo, guests are just a few steps away from seeing free-roaming peacocks, squirrel monkeys and even those internet-viral capybara that sit in hot spring baths. Equally worthwhile is the neighbouring theme park which features carnival rides, a wooden castle maze and a dinosaur forest which never fails to delight the kids. Packages start from ¥20,300 per tent. 

1317-13 Futo, Ito, Shizuoka

This riverside camp in Saitama makes a perfect overnight trip for anyone keen for an outdoor barbecue and a lazy afternoon by the riverside. The facility will provide you with food that’s ready to grill, though you can choose to bring your own provisions if you prefer. The tent comes equipped with semi-double beds and an abundance of pillows to keep you comfy, but there are also cabins on site suitable for stays lasting more than one night. Packages start from ¥9,800 per person. 

930-1 Hongo, Tokigawa, Hiki District, Saitama 

These cabins in Chiba are really just an excuse to have a weekend full of barbecues, but what’s not to love about slow evenings of grilling steaks by the sea? The ‘tents’ (more triangular cabins, really) are just three minutes from Ichinomiya Beach, a favourite haunt for Tokyoites who enjoy surfing, as well as Ichinomiya River, where you can catch your own fish to cook for dinner. At sundown, you can set up lanterns provided by the facility to relax on the outdoor roof deck, or try looking through the star-gazing telescope to see the moon up-close. Packages start from ¥40,000 per room. 

10217 Ichinomiya, Ichinomiya, Chosei, Chiba 

Undoubtedly the most opulent glamp site on this list is Circus Outdoor, which you don’t even have to leave Tokyo to visit. Forget camping cots and portable lamps; the tents at this glamp site on the shore of Okutama Lake are heavily decorated with as many cushy, vintage furniture pieces as they can fit. Just remember: lounging on a plush leather loveseat under a chandelier is still glamping as long as it’s in a tent. Go all out and book a yurt that comes with a butler, or opt for a more affordable option with a barbecue dinner included in the meal plan. Packages start from ¥60,500 per person.

If you’re attracted to the idea of glamping but can’t bear to spend a night away from your bed, a feasible alternative might be a glamping-themed dinner on the rooftop of Tokyo Solamachi, also known as Skytree Town. This way, you can have the same experience of an outdoor barbecue or campfire stew before finishing off some cocktails in your own mini yurt before going back to the comfort of your home. Meal plans start from ¥3,650.