Japan's Coolest Campground

Bikers. Mongolian-Japanese style barbecue. Roaming sheep. Heated toilet seats. Not the words usually associated with camping in Japan, but it’s the quintessential essence of the Hoshioka campground (also called Hoshini Tegatodokuoka campsite) in Furano, Japan. Known for its lavender fields and defiant mountains standing in the distance, Furano is also home to the most eclectic and entertaining campground I stayed at in the country.

Located in the heart of Hokkaido a 15 minute drive from JR Nakafurano station, this campground is difficult to find via public transit so I opted for a short hitch up. When I got there, I saw dozens of Japanese faces staring back at me from their dinner spots. Everyone disengaged from their food, surprised to see a foreigner out where no 7-Elevens or any sign of commercialism/tourism existed.

They hesitantly pointed to a patch of grass I could use after a small payment, so I took out my tent and built a fire. During my short frustrations I noticed everyone beside me was a biker traveling through Japan’s mountainous countryside. Some broken English later, and I learned that this is a popular stop-over route for motorcyclists looking to rest after a long day of driving. That, and the amazing food.

A fusion of Mongolian style barbecue with Japanese flavours, their famous dish “Genghis Khan” is so popular that on a saturday it was difficult for me to get a reservation despite living onsite. A DIY meal of grilled lamb and vegetables, with a stove placed in front of you to cook the ingredients, sends you drooling before it even touches your lips. But the feeling was bittersweet because I knew the meat was coming from the cute sheep that freely walked the land.

Every morning we would wake up to 5-6 sheep grazing or strolling between our tents while at night they locked them up in a fenced area beside the restaurant on the grounds. Plenty of pigs and rabbits were also moving about, but these animals were always caged- though children and adults were invited to go inside and pet them.

I understood what it was like living on a farm when I slept those nights under the stars. Besides tiny luxuries (like a self flushing, self heated toilet), the lifestyle was organic and sustainable because the animals they take care of, you ate the next day. The food tasted healthier, more flavourful and the location is also popular for traveling Japanese families. A part from the tenting area, there are bungalows and cabins for rent for larger groups or mothers with children. Something for every type of traveler and yet it remained unpretentious and unbroken by tourist propaganda.

Perhaps the location had something to do with that. It’s not advertised for foreigners, as the restaurant brings in all the money, and its tucked away from public transit between yellow and purple fields. But this was all lucky for me as I got a chance to enjoy this unknown story of local life without hoards of wandering tourists blocking my delight.