I Looked Into Camping Hills Kamogawa

I've been continuing a series where I research and write about various facilities, mainly campsites and day-trip hot springs.

This time, I looked into "Camping Hills Kamogawa," located in Kamogawa City, Chiba Prefecture. It seems to be known for an open-air bath with daily-changing herb baths, and even as someone who leans more indoorsy, I thought "okay, this one's got my attention."

What kind of place is Camping Hills Kamogawa?

This is a campsite in Kamogawa City, Chiba Prefecture. Hours are apparently 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, with no fixed closed days. There seem to be two types of accommodation available: "tent sites" where you can park right next to your tent, and "Family Log Bungalows" made from Nordic Finnish timber. The bungalows apparently have double-layered windows and doors, plus a fan, ceiling fan, and ventilation fan, so they seem like they'd be reasonably comfortable even in summer.

About a two-minute walk from the campsite, there's apparently a spot with a view of the terraced rice fields (the name is written slightly differently across sources, sometimes rendered as "Nikomine Oka" terraces). November through late February is apparently recommended as the best season for watching the sunrise from there. The area is also said to be good for stargazing, and since it's close to both the sea and mountains, access to other leisure spots seems decent too.

• Tent site: 6,000 yen per night per plot (1 car, 1 tent, 1 tarp, up to 5 people; AC power access is an extra 1,000 yen)
• Family Log Bungalow: 13,500 yen per night per unit (1 car, up to 5 people)
• Spacious Plan: A plan letting one family use two sites' worth of space, apparently discounted from the usual 12,000 yen down to 9,500 yen (limited to 3 groups per day)
• Rental items: tents for 3,000 yen, tarps for 1,500 yen, and it looks like charcoal and other equipment are also available

Komorin

Just imagining an environment where you can see terraced rice fields and starry skies is kind of calming. I don't drive myself, so if I ever went, I'd probably have to rely on someone else to get me there...

About the signature open-air bath and how to book

The biggest highlight of this facility seems to be its bath—an open-air bath often described as featuring daily-changing herb baths. Admission is apparently 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for children, with showers charged separately. I couldn't tell from the official site whether people who aren't camping can use just the bath on its own, but it seems like most guests enjoy it as part of their overnight stay.

Reservations can apparently be made through a tentative booking form on the official website (it seems you get a response within 24 hours of applying), as well as by phone. It also looks like bookings can be made through an external reservation site called "Natsu." Note that group camping is apparently limited to a maximum of 2 families and 3 groups per day, and stays consisting only of 3 or more adults are generally not allowed (except for three-generation families), so if you're planning to visit as a group, it might be a good idea to check the conditions in advance.

As for access, it's said to be about a 2-hour drive from central Tokyo, and around 40 minutes from the nearest highway exit (outside of congested times). There's also a note warning that car navigation systems sometimes direct you to a dead end, and since there are apparently steep slopes on the grounds, it seems wise to check the route in advance, especially if you're driving a rear-wheel-drive car. By train, it's said to be about a 7-minute drive from JR Awa-Kamogawa Station, but I couldn't find any mention of a shuttle bus on the official site, so a taxi might be the assumed option.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

As a Rakuten Mobile user myself, signal conditions are always something I check when looking into a campsite. I checked this facility's location using the official "My Area Connectivity Simulation" tool, and the overall rating came back as "C."

With a C rating, it seems like signal quality could vary depending on exactly where you are on the grounds. Given that this is a quiet environment suited for stargazing and enjoying views of the terraced fields, connectivity might differ from spot to spot. If you have things you need to stay in touch about during your stay, or if you're planning to do any remote work, it seems worth preparing in advance with this result in mind.

Komorin

A C rating is just something you have to accept honestly. Mountainous areas often have unpredictable signal, so personally, I'd go in assuming I'll be offline for most of the stay.

Wrapping Up

Putting it all together, Camping Hills Kamogawa struck me as a campsite whose main draws are the daily-changing herb open-air bath, along with a location where you can enjoy terraced rice fields and starry skies. The ability to choose between tent sites and double-window log bungalows also seems like a nice point, letting people pick based on their camping experience and preferences.

That said, I also found a few things worth checking in advance when it comes to access, like the steep slopes on the grounds and the possibility of car navigation systems giving wrong directions. As for Rakuten Mobile signal conditions, the result came back as a C rating, so if that's something you're concerned about, it might be reassuring to check the official Rakuten Mobile tool yourself before your visit.

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Related Links

• Official Site