I Looked Into Private Villa Glamping Fuji Yamanakako

I've been looking into campsites and lodgings one after another, asking two questions: can I get there without a car, and will I get a signal?

This time I looked into “Private Villa Glamping Fuji Yamanakako.” I was thinking about days when I'd rather skip camping and have more of a hotel-staycation vibe, and places with an in-room hot spring and a sauna caught my eye. As an indoor person, a stay that seems to be self-contained inside the room sounded really appealing.

What Is This Private Glamping Place With Just 7 Units in the Lake Yamanakako Area Like?

It's a glamping facility in Yamanakako Village, Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture. There are two types, villas (2LDK) and dome tents, and it seems to be quite small, with only 7 units in total. Here are the basics, as described on the official website.

• Booking: Apparently, all reservations, changes, additions, and cancellations are done through the web only
• Rates: I couldn't find accommodation rates on the official website, so it looks like you check them on the booking page
• Payment: It seems you can pay on site with cash or a credit card
• Check-in/check-out: Check-in is from 3 PM. Check-out is at 10 AM for the Royal types and 11 AM for the Premium types. Early arrival and late departure seem to be generally not allowed
• Cancellation fees: 50% from 30 days before, and 100% from 7 days before
• Conditions of use: Apparently, day-use isn't available
• Parking: Free for up to 2 cars per room, it seems

Komorin

Cancellation fees kick in pretty early, so I thought I'd want to be a bit careful during times when I can't predict my schedule.

Hot Spring, Pool, and Sauna: All Private to Each Unit

The rooms seemed to be divided into 4 types.

• Premium Suite: 3 units, about 120 m², up to 6 guests
• Premium Dog Suite: limited to 1 unit per day, about 120 m², up to 6 guests. You can stay with your dog, apparently
• Royal Glamping: 2 units, a combination of a dome tent of about 40 m² and a dining and hot spring building of about 40 m², for up to 5 guests, it seems
• Royal Dog Glamping: limited to 1 unit per day, up to 4 guests. Dogs are welcome here too

According to the official website, every unit has its own in-room hot spring, private pool, barrel sauna, and fire pit, and none of them are shared with other guests. Here are the finer points of the facilities.

• Hot spring: The water type is listed as “simple spring,” and it seems you can use it 24 hours a day. I couldn't confirm the name of the source, whether it's free-flowing or recirculated, or the water temperature
• Pool: It's cold water, and apparently in the cold season the temperature drops to around 10°C. It's about 120 cm deep at the deepest point, and it seems you can also use it as a cold plunge after the sauna. You need a swimsuit
• Sauna: A self-loyly style for up to 4 people, with the temperature adjustable from 70 to 100°C. It's available 24 hours a day, and there seem to be no extra charges or time limits. Preheating takes around 50 to 60 minutes, it seems

By the way, whether the barrel sauna is an outdoor or indoor type looked a bit inconsistent in the FAQ on the official website. If you care about that, it'd be a good idea to check before booking.

Meals and Room Facilities, From an Indoor Person's Perspective

Meals seem to center on BBQ with ingredients from Yamanashi. There's a roofed BBQ space with heating and air conditioning, so apparently you can use it even on rainy or snowy days. You're free to bring your own food and drinks. Renting a BBQ grill is 3,850 yen per grill, and it was listed as free with meal plans. On the other hand, it seems you can't bring your own grill or hot plate.

The rooms have air conditioning, a kitchen, a fridge, a microwave, an air purifier, and a hair dryer, and free Wi-Fi is available too. It's also described as workation-friendly, which sounds reassuring for days when I want to hole up.

Only the two dog-friendly types allow dogs, and there's apparently no pet fee. However, dogs can't go in the hot spring or the pool.

Komorin

If the hot spring and sauna are both available 24 hours, it seems like I could spend the whole stay without leaving the room. I thought it was a great setup for indoor people.

Can I Get There Without a Car? Looking Into Access and the Surroundings

By car, it's about 10 minutes from the Yamanakako IC on the Higashi-Fujigoko Road toward Lake Yamanakako, and about 90 minutes from central Tokyo.

For people like me who don't drive, directions by public transportation were also provided.

• Highway bus: Take the “Fuji Five Lakes Line” from the Yaesu Exit of Tokyo Station or from Busta Shinjuku, get off at the Yamanakako Village Office stop, and walk 15 minutes
• Train: Change to the Fujikyu Line at Otsuki Station, get off at Fujisan Station, take a bus bound for Gotemba Station to the Yamanakako Village Office stop, and walk 15 minutes, it seems. From Gotemba Station, you can also reach the same stop by a bus bound for Kawaguchiko Station
• Pick-up service: I couldn't find any mention of it on the official website

A 15-minute walk from the bus stop might be a bit tough if you have a lot of luggage, that was my impression.

For shopping nearby, a Seven-Eleven is about 3 minutes by car, and the Ogino Yamanakako store is about 7 minutes by car. However, the distance to the Seven-Eleven was given in two different ways, about 2 km and 1.2 km, so it wasn't clear. Apparently there are no vending machines or shop on the premises, so it'd be better to prepare what you need in advance. As for sightseeing, the official website lists Naruzawa Ice Cave, Oshino Hakkai, Lake Kawaguchi, an aquarium, and more, but I couldn't confirm the distances or travel times.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

I checked this facility's location (Yamanakako Village, Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture) with the official “my Area Communication Simulation.” The result was an overall rating of “C.”

If signal matters to you, it seems better to check beforehand. I couldn't find any mention of mobile phone signal on the official website. Since there's free Wi-Fi, you might end up relying on that as well.

If you're curious, you can check the lodging's location with Rakuten Mobile's official tool. It'd be reassuring to confirm it yourself before booking.

Komorin

The rating was C. For a stay on days when I want to relax without worrying about signal, it might actually be a good fit. Still, anyone who needs a way to stay in contact will probably have to prepare something.

Wrapping Up

To sum it up, my impression of Private Villa Glamping Fuji Yamanakako is that it's a place where all 7 units have an in-room hot spring, a private pool, and a barrel sauna, so you can spend your time in a private space that you don't share with other guests.

The hot spring and sauna are apparently available 24 hours, and there's a roofed BBQ space, so it seems less affected by the weather, which I found appealing. On the other hand, it's worth keeping in mind that reservations are web-only, cancellation fees start early, day-use isn't available, and it's a 15-minute walk from the bus stop. Rakuten Mobile's signal got an overall rating of “C” on the official tool, so if signal matters to you, I'd recommend checking with the official tool. For detailed rates and availability, please check the official website.

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Related Links

• Official Site