Utase Camping Ground

Beautiful place with awesome people running this stunning campground.

A well-equipped campsite with proper and clean toilets, hot water dish washing area, washing machine, hot shower facilities (5 min 100 yen), and individual dish washing area at each camp ground. Camp at certain spot to have great panorama view of Mt. Aso. There is a small shop sells & rents camping accessories. Owner and his wife produces rice wine. They also run a cafe. We wish to come here again!

PROS: Amazingly well kept grass grounds, a plethora of different types of sites to choose from, on site shop selling essentials, cafe, swimming pool (summer only), friendly staff, incredible atmosphere, light curfew, seasonal events, camping gear rental service CONS: this campsite's popularity may require you to reserve well in advance, higher prices, you must take all your rubbish/trash home BOTTOM LINE: As a family camping site, you can't really ask for much more. The grounds are immaculate, the facilities are clean and never too far. There are so many plots to choose from, each with their own charm. Couple this with Japan's four distinct seasons and you have a campground that will keep you coming back again and again. DETAILED REVIEW: As a family glamper, I am not a true outdoors person. I want to be outside but with a good level of creature comfort. For me, this campsite strikes the perfect balance between outdoor life and comfort. Utase is about 90 minutes drive from Kumamoto City and is higher above sea level so a bit cooler too (may be by 5 or 6 degrees C). It's nestled in a woodland area. As such, it doesn't offer the same panoramic vistas of scenic beauty you might find in other campsites. It more than makes up for this with the plethora of different plots you can choose from. There are lodges (a little small), auto sites with tree cover, water faucets/sinks and electricity, free sites, river sites and a few more secluded sites too. I believe there are over 100 plots but they are divided into different areas and elevation so it never feels claustrophobic. It does have to be said that if you are looking to get away from it all, people included, this is not the place for you. It is a campsite geared very much towards the family camper and children run and play all over the grounds (this is where the light curfew becomes a bit of a blessing as it's essentially lights out time for the children and then it's the grown ups' time). Since the areas vary so much in elevation and there are normally many families visiting, at night it becomes almost magical, like a woodland village out of a Tolkien fantasy, with lanterns everywhere. The actual plots themselves are tiered by size and price. Those with electricity and water faucets/sinks are the most expensive and are roughly 10 square metres. It's possible to reserve two side by side if you have a larger setup or you camp with friends. Otherwise you have the option of using the free sites. While less convenient, they are never too far from a faucet or toilets (western style and clean). It is important to note, that as far as I know, every plot has lush grass terrain and are accessible by car for loading. The areas higher in altitude are close to the camp fire area and at 19:00, a bell is rung and the large fire is lit drawing in many people from the whole campsite. You are also permitted the use of your own smaller camp fires but you must use a base (found around the communal sink areas) to protect the grass. The communal washing up area closest to the campfire even has an electric fridge that anyone can use. The lower side of the campsite has a river and more spacious areas, some of which are fairly secluded. Other facilities include a swimming pool with slide during the summer and blueberry fields (pay to pick). The administrative building sells basic supplies (camping gear like gas, wood, mantles etc. but not food) and has a small café area. The staff are friendly and always willing to chat (one in English too). There is a rental service offering tents, inflatable mats etc. but numbers are limited. To cater for the many repeat visitors, this camp even has a locker service where you pay a yearly fee for a large on site locker where you can store your gear. There are glampers galore here who all share a love of camping. Here, there is a real sense of community: helping and meeting your neighbours. We've been four times already and after I'm done exploring different campsites, I can easily see myself putting my name on one of those lockers.

I used Auto A. Because of the weekday when the coldest weather of this winter came, we were in a state of charter only for ourselves. The shower room can be used as a washing place where hot water comes out, and the toilet and shower room have oil heaters from about 6 pm to morning. The toilet seat was also warm and I was grateful. Since wifi could be used in the tent, it was a camp with flickering snow, but I watched videos and played games with switch. At night, the starry sky was really beautiful and impressed. The staff were very friendly and I looked at the reviews, but as everyone evaluated, it was a very good campsite. I would love to go there again.

This time, I used it for the first time. The shop was very nice and impressed. This time, it is a site with a washing place for each section. I felt that the land readjustment was neatly organized and well managed. It was a very pleasant campsite with the toilets and the cooking ridge in a separate section kept clean. I will be using this again.