Looking into Saiko Camp Village Gnome

I keep this blog going by looking into campgrounds, day-trip hot springs, and lodgings one at a time. This time too, I read through an official website and looked into a place that caught my eye.

Today it's Saiko Camp Village Gnome, on Lake Saiko in Yamanashi Prefecture. I'm an indoorsy person who has a license but doesn't drive. Still, I learned that besides lakeside sites there are also rental gel tents and trailer houses, which sounded like less setup work, so I got curious and looked into it.

The Short Version

What stuck with me was the wide range of choices, from woodland and lakeside sites to gel tents and trailer houses.
For Rakuten Mobile, the official tool gave a rating of “C”. If you're counting on a data connection, it might be reassuring to check for yourself beforehand.

I've put the details together below.

What Kind of Place Is Saiko Camp Village Gnome?

It's a campground in the Lake Saiko area of Fujikawaguchiko Town, Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture. Apparently it's run by HAMAYOU RESORT. I didn't see any notice of a temporary or permanent closure on the official site, but I couldn't find anything about the operating season, such as whether it's open year-round or closed in winter.

According to the official site, the basic information is as follows.

Reservations: On the lakeside site page, it says you book online through the campground reservation site Nap. It looks like bookings open at midnight 30 days before your stay. Apparently you can't reserve lakeside sites by phone.
Payment: It seems the accommodation fee is paid online by card when you book. On site, you can apparently pay extras like early check-in fees and parking for a second or additional vehicle by cash, card, or PayPay.
Check-in and check-out: For regular sites, you enter between 13:00 and 15:00 and leave by 12:00. For gel tents and trailer houses, you enter between 14:00 and 15:00 and leave by 11:00.
Cancellation fees: 30% starting 3 days before your stay, 50% the day before, and 100% on the day.
Phone hours: 9:00 to 17:00, and it seems the inquiry form is open 24 hours.

Komorin

Lakeside reservations opening at midnight 30 days ahead sounds like a race on popular dates. I'd probably fall asleep before it opened.

So Many Site Types, from Woodland and Lakeside to Gel Tents

Looking at the “Stay” list on the official site, I was struck by how many types of sites there are. Prices seem to be listed per night, but I couldn't find whether they're charged per site or per person. The only one where I could confirm tax-included pricing was the lakeside site.

Woodland site: from 9,350 yen
Lakeside site: from 7,700 yen (up to 5 people, tax included)
Group site: from 19,800 yen (up to 15 people)
Weekday-only “leave it to us” site: from 3,300 yen (up to 3 people)
Designated-plot site (you choose the spot): from 9,350 yen (apparently aimed at beginners)
Wide site: from 12,750 yen (up to 8 people)
Gel tent: from 19,800 yen (up to 8 people)
Trailer house: from 18,700 yen (up to 4 people, with a covered deck)

There's also a double site (up to 12 people). However, the prices and whether power is available didn't match between the top page and the “Stay” list on the official site. If it matters to you, it'd be a good idea to check the latest information before booking.

On the top page, the lakeside site is categorized as “free site, along the lake.” But the detail page seems to say it is “not a free site, and a reservation is required.” The plots are divided, but apparently which plot you get is first come, first served on the day. The weekday-only “leave it to us” site is the same: the top page calls it “free site, woodland,” while the detail page seems to clearly state it's reservation-only. In what I looked into this time, I didn't find any site you can use without a reservation.

Checking the Rules for Vehicles and How to Spend Your Time

Since I hardly drive, the rules around cars were what I wondered about. According to the official FAQ, these are the rules.

Bringing in vehicles: One vehicle per site, two for wide sites and double sites, and up to three for group sites. Extra vehicles use the paid parking lot (550 yen).
Gel tents and trailer houses: Apparently you can't drive in.
Pets: You can bring them on a leash or in a cage. However, pets that might threaten people or bark can't enter, and it seems pets aren't allowed at the gel tents or trailer houses.
Campfires: Allowed with a fire pit, open fires are prohibited, and you need to put it out by 23:00.
Fireworks: Handheld fireworks only, until 20:30.
Quiet hours: 21:00 to 7:00 the next morning is sleep time, and it seems playing instruments or music is to be avoided all day.
Swimming: Swimming in Lake Saiko is prohibited, but playing in the water on the beach is apparently fine.

I couldn't find directions from the nearest interchange or station, whether there are local buses or a pickup service, or the total number of parking spaces on the official site. If you're heading there without a car, it'd be a good idea to ask them in advance.

Facilities That Matter to an Indoor Person

For facilities, it seemed to have most of what you'd need at a campground.

Toilets: Apparently they have warm-water bidet seats and a wheelchair-accessible stall.
Showers: Coin-operated, 100 yen for 3 minutes. It seems they can't be used in winter.
Cooking area: There's a tap with hot water, and apparently fire pits, stoves, and a washing area are also provided.
Shop: The management office (9:00 to 17:00) sells camping supplies such as firewood and charcoal.
Trash: It seems you pick up a designated trash bag, sort your trash, and take it to the trash station. It apparently can't be used from 17:00 to 8:30.
Coin laundry: Located in the hotel across the road, 300 yen per load.
Power: On the official site's top page, only the gel tents were listed as having power.
Bathing: About 150 m away, there's a sister facility, the day-trip hot spring Izumi no Yu.

The activities also seem plentiful. There are SUP rentals, pedal boards, kayaks, and more, all by advance reservation. The official site also introduces a play park, a tree house, a foot bath, hammocks, a covered private space for pizza and BBQ, fire pits, and more. As an indoor person, I was drawn to the idea that you could probably relax just fine without leaving the campground.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

I checked this facility's location (the Lake Saiko area) with the official my Area Communication Simulation, and the overall rating was “C”.

Since it isn't the top rating, if you plan to use data, it might be reassuring to prepare ways to get by offline beforehand. If you're curious, you can also check for yourself with Rakuten Mobile's official my Area Communication Simulation.

Komorin

Since the rating was C, I felt that a relaxed way of spending time, without leaning too much on the signal, would suit this place.

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Nearby Spots for Shopping and Stopping By

The area information page on the official site lists driving times from the facility. There are no distances in km, just the names of the spots and the travel times.

Fuji Saiko Onsen Izumi no Yu: 1 minute by car (about 150 m according to the FAQ)
Saiko Iyashi no Sato Nenba: 6 minutes by car
Aokigahara Jukai walking trail (Tokai Nature Trail): 6 minutes by car
Fugaku Wind Cave: 10 minutes by car
Narusawa Ice Cave: 11 minutes by car
Seven-Eleven Kawaguchiko Katsuyama Higashi store: 11 minutes by car
DCM Kawaguchiko store (camping gear): 13 minutes by car
Ogino Kawaguchiko store: 14 minutes by car
Michi-no-Eki Narusawa Bussankan (local products shop): 14 minutes by car
Yamanashi Red Cross Hospital: 19 minutes by car

Having a day-trip hot spring about 150 m away felt reassuring. On the other hand, it seems convenience stores and shops for stocking up are about 11 to 14 minutes away by car, so it looks best to get your food and other supplies ready beforehand.

Wrapping Up

To sum it up, Saiko Camp Village Gnome struck me as a campground whose wide range of choices, from woodland and lakeside sites to gel tents and trailer houses, really stands out.

The lakeside site page says reservations are made online through Nap. I didn't find any site, lakeside included, that you can use without a reservation. There's a day-trip hot spring and activities nearby, and the on-site facilities seem to cover the basics. On the other hand, there were some things I couldn't confirm on the official site, such as the operating season, how to get there, and the unit that prices are charged by. If you're thinking of going, it'd be reassuring to check these beforehand.

For Rakuten Mobile, the official tool gave a rating of “C”. If you plan to use data, please also check for yourself with the my Area Communication Simulation. You can find the facility's details and the latest information on the official website.

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