Overlanding Japan Eiji Matsushita

Overlanding Japan

Japan is a small island country, so the style is a little different from overseas with vast land, but I enjoy short-term camping by car called Jimmy in search of the sea, mountains, rivers and lakes.

Hello, I’m Eiji Matsushita and I live in Fukuoka prefecture in the Kyushu region of Japan. It is a place with large population and many buildings. Since I often go camping, in the mountains where there are no people, the footsteps of beasts like deer, bears, and wild boars sometimes approach the tent.

One of my vehicles is a 1994 SUZUKI Jimmy with a body lift, matte tires and an over fender. The other is a 2017 Jeep Wrangler, roof carrier, matte tires and a hitch carrier. This SUZUKI Jimmy is my favorite to drive. This is because there are many narrow roads in Japan, which are compact and can lead to rough roads.

These are the places I enjoy to camp - the seas of Omura Bay, Entrance Nada and Kanmon. The rivers are the Niyodo and Kusu River, and Shidaka Lake and Mountain Kuju. Pic 9

My favorite tents are the Blast Trail, Hilleberg, Nemo and Msr. The Blast Trail is mainly used in places where tents cannot be set up or in rough places. Hilleberg, Nemo and Msr are often used in places that cannot be reached by car.

There are four seasons in Japan, and each has its own advantages:

• Spring is a time when fresh greenery and flowers are beautiful, so I go out to mountains and lakes.

• Summer is a good climate for fishing, so I go out to the sea and rivers. Temperatures are between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius.

• In autumn, the leaves begin and the mountains turn red, yellow, and orange, so I go to the mountains.

• In winter, it snows, so go to the mountains and enjoy a bonfire and a wood stove. But autumn is my favorite! I enjoy camping when the mountains are colored and it starts to get cold. In winter in Japan, it is 0 degrees in the plains and -10

Celsius in the mountains.

The dishes I eat are stir-fried, stewed dishes using beef and pork. Roast beef, curry, spareribs, self-caught fish and dumplings. It’s a favorite dish that is easy and delicious to eat.

A memorable trip is at the foot of Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan in Shizuoka prefecture. I went by car for 15 hours to visit this sacred place. Fumotoppara Campsite is said to be the most sacred place to camp, a vast campsite that campers all over Japan want to visit at least once. In many seasons, 1,000 to 2,000 people visit. Mt. Fuji is the world cultural heritage that Japan is proud of. We worship Mt. Fiji and national treasure that protects its beauty.

Eiji Matsushita

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