Monday, May 4, 2015
It rained all night.
When we woke up this morning we had the choice of taking it easy and spending another night here or spending the day driving south to Yamaguchi and spending two nights there. When these options were presented, the ladies and I had just returned from using the bathroom. This bathroom had evidence that someone in the camp was very sick… We wanted to leave.
Breakfast for 6 on a rainy morning
The rain was supposed to stop around noon. We would take a chance and leave in the early afternoon. Even though that seemed like a long shot, it was worth it to pack up a dry tent instead of a wet one.
In the mean time we made breakfast, ate it, and did dishes. Then the plan was to go to the onsen to take showers and then take down the tents that would hopefully be dry by then. But then it stopped raining and the sun came out earlier than expected.
The new plan was to put as many things in the sun so that it could get dried out. Then someone decided to just take down their fly. And then someone decided to just flip over their tent. Then someone decided to just take down their poles. And the next thing I knew we spent an hour drying every thing out and taking down the tents and packing the cars.
So then we went to the onsen, showered, and left town.
Oh wow!
We drove for half a day and ended at this wonderful campsite. Roland had saved the best for last.
We were all glad we didn’t choose to stay 2 nights at that other campsite.
Japan
(日本)
(Nippon)
How to get there:
You can enter Japan by plane or boat. Though, the number of boats going to Japan from other countries has gone down significantly.
Americans get 90-day visas to Japan at the port of entry. Check with your nearest Japanese embassy or consulate for visa information.
Phone:
- Emergency Numbers:
- Police 110
- Ambulance and Fire 119
- Important phone numbers to know while in Japan
Website:
Downloads:
Videos:
- History of Japan’s Ancient and Modern Empire
- China Uncensored: Why does China hate Japan?
Books:
- Comfort Woman
- The Commoner
- Empire of the Sun
- Flyboys: A True Story of Courage
- Geisha, a Life
- Ghost Soldiers: The Forgotten Epic Story of World War II’s Most Dramatic Mission
- The Last Concubine
- Memoirs of a Geisha
- Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath
- Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan
- What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Notes:
- Be careful what over the counter drugs you bring into Japan. Actifed, Sudafed, Vicks inhalers, and Codeine are prohibited.
- InternationalATMs are really hard to find; more so if you aren’t in a big city. Many places in Japan do not use credit cards. Take cash and call your bank to ask whatATMs or banks in Japan will work with your cash card.
- ATMs have opening hours. Usually 9:00-18:00 (They have better work hours than most business men and women here.)
- The Post Office bank seems to work with the most international cards.
- You can get a Japan Railway, pass which saves you a lot of money on the trains, but you can only buy it before you get to Japan and you cannot be a resident of Japan. (I don’t have more information about it because I’ve only ever lived in Japan; I’ve never been a tourist here.)
Tamagawa Ca
mpsite
(田万川キャンプ場)
(Tamagawa Kyanpujō)
near
Tamagawa Onsen
(田万川温泉憩いの湯 )
(Tamagawa Onsen’ikoinoyu)
- Coordinates 34°39’09.7″N 131°39’44.3″E
Address:
Onsen:
Phone:
- Campsite: 08387-2-1150
- Onsen: 08387-2-0370
Websites:
- Campsite:
- Onsen
Downloads:
Cost:
- Campsite:
- 1,000 JYN/ Night / Tent
- Onsen
- ¥ 410 / adult
- ¥ 200-100 / kids
Hours:
- Campsite:
- 8: 30 ~ 19: 00
- Onsen:
- Closed Mondays
- 10: 00 ~21: 00 (last admittance 20: 30)
Notes:
- To check-in at the campsite, go to the front desk of the onsen.
- This campsite is near or part of Yutori Park Tamagawa.
- There are no tents to rent.
- There is also RV camping for ¥ 1,000 per day.
- I’m not sure it there are showers on the camp grounds, but there is that onsen nearby.
Senjojiki Plateau Campground
(千畳敷高原キャンプ場)
(Senjōjiki Kōgen Kyanpuba)
- Coordinates: 34°24’51.2″N 131°05’26.6″E
Address:
Yamaguchi Prefecture Nagato Hioki in 1138-1
Phone:
- 0837-37-3824
Websites:
Cost:
- 1-5 people: 500 yen / night
- 6-10 people: 800 yen / night
- 11-30 people: 1,200 yen / night
- 31-50 people: 1,800 yen / night
- 51-70 people: 2,500 yen / night
- 71 or more people: 3,000 yen / night
- day camp is free
Hours: (Country Kitchen’s hour’s)
- 11:00～17:00
- Closed on Thursdays
Notes:
- To check-in the camp ground, go to the coffee shop, Country Kitchen. It’s at the top of the hill.
- Staying at the campsite gives you a discount at the coffee shop. But, I’m not sure what this discount is. I think it might be 100 yen off a waffle or something.
- There are no showers at the campsite itself.
- There is an onsen nearby (Kiwado Hot Spring/ 黄波戸温泉).
- Directions
- Coordinates: 34°23’46.2″N 131°07’55.3″E
- ¥ 400 – adults
- Closed Mondays
- 10:00 to 21:00 (May-August)
- 10:00 to 20:00 (September to April)
- A small towel comes with the entrance fee, but you might want to bring your own regular sized towel.
- Phone: 0837-37-4320
- During the holidays, all the toilet paper gets used up by day campers. You should bring some TP of your own for the evenings.
Map:
