I Looked Into Kurochan Free Campsite

This blog is all about researching and introducing campsites and day-use hot springs, and my series of digging into places that catch my eye has grown quite a bit before I even noticed.

This time I looked into Kurochan Free Campsite. The name caught my ear a bit, and I was also drawn in by the unusual style of having no official website and apparently being run entirely through Instagram, so I decided to dig deeper.

What Kind of Place Is Kurochan Free Campsite

This appears to be a campsite located in the Ryokami area of Ogano Town, Chichibu District, Saitama Prefecture. As far as I could find, there's no dedicated official website, and Instagram (@kurochancampsite) seems to serve as the de facto point of contact. The profile description includes notes like 'a campsite in Ryokami, Ogano Town, Chichibu, at 1,000 yen per person per night' and 'free check-in/check-out, water and flush toilets available.' It seems fairly likely this account is run by the operator themselves, though I couldn't confirm full official verification.

The basic pricing seems to be 1,000 to 1,200 yen per night for adults (junior high age and up), 600 yen for elementary school kids, and free for infants. Free-layout sites and riverside sites reportedly run 1,000 to 1,200 yen per night on weekdays, rising to around 1,500 yen per night on weekends, holidays, and special dates, so it's possible the price shifts depending on the day and which booking site you use. It's open year-round with no fixed closing days, and the main guidance seems to be that check-in and check-out are 'free,' though I did see reference figures of check-in from 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM and check-out by noon the next day, so actual operation might have some flexibility. Reservations can apparently be made by phone, through online booking sites like Nap or Rakuten Travel CAMP, or via Instagram DM.

Checking the Facilities That Matter to an Indoor Type Like Me

As someone who's more of an indoor type, the first things I care about are water facilities like showers and toilets. From what I found, there's a hot-water shower in the management building, priced at 300 yen per person. There's no bath on the grounds, so if you want to warm up properly, it looks like you'd need to head to a nearby day-use hot spring.

• Toilets: Simple flush toilets are available (no bidet function)
• Shower: A hot-water shower is available in the management building (300 yen per person); no bath on-site
• Power: Some sites reportedly offer an AC power plan
• Wi-Fi: Doesn't seem to be available on the grounds
• Cooking area: There's reportedly a hand-built wash area and a unit kitchen, though the water isn't drinkable, so guidance suggests it needs to be boiled first
• Shop: There's no permanent shop, but some gear and supplies are apparently available for rental

True to the "free" in its name, the facilities themselves seem pared down to the essentials, and the basic style appears to be bringing whatever you need yourself.

Komorin

Being able to use a hot-water shower for 300 yen was actually a pretty reassuring point for an indoor type like me. Even without a full bath, just having somewhere to rinse off makes a big difference to my peace of mind.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

When I checked this location using the official "My Area Connectivity Simulation" tool, the overall rating came back as "C." I'm sharing this exactly as it appeared on the company's publicly available tool.

A C rating seems fitting for a campsite tucked away in a mountainous area, and it suggests the signal strength might vary quite a bit depending on where you're standing. Basic use like messaging or searching the web might be fine in some spots, but if you're planning on data-heavy activities like streaming video or handling work communications, it might be worth checking in advance.

Komorin

Seeing a C rating made me feel that, for someone like me who relies solely on Rakuten Mobile, it's probably a good idea to prepare some offline entertainment in advance.

Nearby Hot Springs and Sightseeing Spots

About a 12-minute drive (roughly 7 km) from the campsite is Michi-no-Eki Ryokami Onsen Yakushi-no-Yu, a roadside rest stop with hot springs, so if a shower alone doesn't feel like enough, a day-use bath there could help you warm up properly. There's also a day-use bath at Kokuminshukusha Ryokami-so, about the same 12-minute drive away, so there seem to be multiple options.

On the sightseeing side, Ryokami Sanroku Hana-no-Sato Dahlia Garden is just a 2- to 5-minute drive away, and depending on the season, you might enjoy a stroll while taking in the flowers. If you're willing to go a bit further, Kakudo Dam (also known as Nishi-Chichibu Togenkyo) is about a 10- to 15-minute drive and was mentioned as another spot with nice scenery.

Wrapping Up

Pulling it all together, Kurochan Free Campsite left me with the impression of a campsite defined by affordable pricing around 1,000 yen per night and the easygoing freedom of flexible check-in and check-out. The facilities are pared down to the essentials, like a hot-water shower and flush toilets, and combined with the fact that it's run through Instagram rather than an official website, it might be a place that values a simple, free-spirited atmosphere.

As for Rakuten Mobile signal, the official tool returned a C rating, so if connectivity matters to you, it's probably worth checking in advance. If you're concerned about it, you can look it up using Rakuten Mobile's official tool, so it seems like a good idea to check once before you visit.

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