Magical 🍁Autumn🍁 Lakeside Camping in Oku-Nikko, Japan

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A walk-through of my favourite camping place🏕 in one of my favourite areas in Japan😍
This is Shobugahama campsite (菖蒲ヶ浜キャンプ場) in late Autumn, which is on the mid-Northern shore of Chuzenjiko (中禅寺湖 ) in Oku-Nikko, near the popular Ryuzu Falls. I try to come here every year at this time when the area is at its most magical🍁, and once it gets cold enough at night to reduce the crowds, when I can then camp right by the lake (always prime real estate). It can get very crowded on weekends up to mid-October and over Summer school holiday period.

The campsite is open from late April (for Golden Week) until the end of October. It is fairly well appointed, with cabins of varying sizes, big toilet block, undercover seating area, a small goods store, and there used to be a bath/shower (extra fee) but not sure it is still running. Camping fees are JPY 2,100 / adult / night (it's doubled over the years!! but worth it).

Official site (very basic, Japanese): http://www.shoubugahama.co.jp/facilit...
Active updates on X: https://x.com/campkanrinin

Basic access: Most people drive here (you can tell from their amazing setups🎪) with parking near the entrance at the campsite, but it's easy to get here by train + bus (carrying less amazing gear🏕).
Public transport from Tokyo : by far the easiest and best deal is to use Tobu Nikko Pass All Area, where you can get up to 4-day train+bus passes throughout the region for less than JPY 5000 (excluding reserved train seat price).
Main Tobu link: https://www.tobu.co.jp/en/ticket/nikk... - which has other useful detail about the greater Nikko area.

Train : Tobu Nikko line train (東武日光線) originating from Tobu Asakusa station (東武浅草駅) to Tobu Nikko (東武日光駅) with the fastest reserved express train taking ~2:30hours
Bus : outside Tobu Nikko station is the main Nikko tourist bus stop, Bus Stand no. 2A which goes all the way to Yumoto Onsen (湯元温泉), where you need to get off at Ryuzu Falls (stop 35 or 36, 菖蒲ヶ浜). The scheduled time it takes is 1hour, but with the Autumn crowds it can take MUCH longer!
(Pro tip: buses originate outside the JR Nikko station 5min away so if you want to avoid the queues at the "main" bus stop (and get a seat on the bus), you should make a bee line there!)

#camping #japan #nikko #okunikko #Chuzenjiko #autumn #奥日光 #菖蒲ヶ浜 #中禅寺湖