There's an asterisk I need to add to this report, and that is how we almost completely overshot and missed even visiting this Snow Peak Campfield location in one of our Tours of camping in Japan. It's the first time this has happened, and it came as a surprise in more ways than one.

With each trip overseas to meet with KōROGI's partners, camp, and report back on camping locations and information we do quite a bit of due diligence and planning. This involves deep research, scouring maps and planning routes. Knowing where we'll be taking a car or the train or flying, and ensuring that long the way we're not missing anything that would help out our community.

But as we were waiting for our dinner to be served at the Ryokan about 3 hours south of Kawano Eki Ochi, and were doing a final check on what the next day was going to bring, our heart sank. There were two Ochi Campfields, and they were minutes apart from one another.

Which did we have reservations at the following night? Would this impact our route? And how did this go unnoticed? Snow Peak's Kawano Eki Ochi started off as a big question mark, but we're glad it's one we would end up finding answers to.

How to Get to Snow Peak's Kawano Eki Ochi Campfield

Located on the island of Shikoku and in the Kochi Prefecture, Kawano Eki Ochi finds itself up in the foothills of the magnificent Niyodo River Vally. And while scenic, it does make it a more challenging location to find yourself at if you're an international traveler. By train from the nearest main city, in this case, Osaka, expect an 8 hour travel time. We say expect because rural transit lines and busses in Japan, while reliable, are often very sparse in their schedules. Some bus and train lines can run as little as once or twice per day depending on the location and time of year. Which means missing a transfer can cost you a full day of travel time. It's because of this, that we generally don't recommend using public transit for these more remote Camping locations.

Driving is a possibility as well. From the same starting point of Osaka, it will take about four and a half hours to drive to Kawano Eki Ochi. The 329km route does have a few tolls, but the drive will make you wonder if you can pay more just for the privelage. Heading through Kobe, you'll cross Awaji Island along the backbone of its volcanic bedrock, and cross over in to Naruto, where you'll take more mountain passes up and over Shikoku, dropping down in to the Niyodo River Vally. 

As we were on a time crunch, we had opted for the third route: flying. Leaving Fukoka Airport we had a direct flight in to Kochi Airport. The total travel time was a quick 45 minutes, and with how easy it is to fly domestically in Japan, despite our flight departing the airport less than an hour from when we dropped off our rental car in Fukuoka, we ended up spending a solid 20 minutes waiting to board. Landing in Kochi Airport, we took a quick shuttle bus to the Toyota Rent A Car location, were handed the keys, and hit the road. And while we had a few other stops, had we gone straight there it would have been an hour drive. 

In all, these three modes are actually quite equal in terms of cost, it's simply a matter of how you want to see the country and how you want to spend your time. For us, the flight + rental worked best. But if we were wanting to see more, driving the whole thing would be well worth it.

A Focus On Local Tourism

The first thing you'll see when arriving at Kawano Eki Ochi Campfield is that it looks nothing like a campfield. The main road through the city of Ochi (route 33) takes a quick right turn and barely passes over some rice fields before the large black building appears on your right. Large, and boxy, it's as if someone took a Jyubako Tiny Home and scaled it to 500% size. With large activity iconography on the side, it conceals what the grounds really are.

Snow Peak alludes to the intent behind this specific location on their website, and it explains why it is located so close to another, larger, Campfield location in Ochi Niyodogawa just down the road. It states,

"Kawano Eki Ochi is a new tourist hub for the Niyodo River, a miraculously pure stream with the best water quality in Japan."

Kawani Eki Ochi may be the only Campfield location to be a Campfield second, and a gateway first. And that begins to explain the unique layout and feel of it all.

This also feels like a good time to remind people to dig in to each individual Campfield website as part of your travel planning. Each location site offers recommendations on things to do and see in the area. We have been able to visit some incredibly locations and eat outstanding food because we took them to heart. 

A Place To Hang Out

Most Snow Peak Campfield locations around the globe cater to all kinds of travelers, those wanting to pop in, those wanting to stay, and those wanting to learn more about the area. In that way, they often act as a tourism hub, a type of AAA for the camper in Japan. Kawano Eki Ochi though dials that up and rises above the rest.

In the same way that we hadn't realized it was a separate location in our plans, it made it incredibly easy to pop in. If we had remained ignorant, we would have been driving down Route 33 towards Ochi Niyodogawa and seen it alongside the road. We could have stepped in, learned a bit, and been on our way having grabbed a few snacks. The main building is bifurcated with the primary entrance hallway. Walking through it leads to a large patio and overlook. On the left is the store and cafe, while on the right are amenities including bathrooms, laundry, showers and gear storage.

We started on the left, entering the camp store and taking it all in. While on the smaller side of camp stores, it had all the gear necessities you would expect, as well as a few location specific and exclusive items.  Interestingly, this location offered copious real estate to local makers and craftsmen, with hand made textiles, bags, carvings, and local foods. If we were staying, it would have been incredibly easy to simply stock up on everything we needed right here. 

The cafe, like all Snow Peak Cafe's, offered a focused menu with enough options to allow variety, but not a full menu. Refrigerated goods were also available if you were looking to grab and go. Without much seating, the patio remained the optimal spot to sit and take in the outstanding view.

A Place To Stay

Stepping away from the main building, we walked down three flights of steps to get on ground level below Route 33. A simple stroll, but it showcased just how perched the architecture was on the valley wall - something we'd come to find out was a staple of the area.

Wandering down, you'll find yourself at a campground, but you won't find yourself at a Snow Peak campground. Instead, it's Miyanomae Park Camping Ground, an independently owned and operated field of sites that is placed between Snow Peak's building and the Niyodo River. Snow Peak works directly with the Camping Ground, and while you cannot reserve a site online, you are able to do so in-person at the store. At which point you can easily move your car down into the grounds and set up for the night.

In addition to the partner camp, there are also 7 Jyubako Cabins that are available to rent. These are all generation two cabins, meaning they have running water and HVAC, but no bathrooms. You'll need to venture out to the main building for your 2am respite. 

Things to do at Kawano Eki Ochi

For us, we experienced Kwano Eki Ochi as we have so many impromptu stops on road trips. But if you have the time, Snow Peak offers a Canoe Tour that is all inclusive. And for those of us traveling outside of our home country, there are rarely two better words to hear than all inclusive.

For about $40 per person, all you need to bring is a swimsuit (or clothes you don't mind getting wet) and a towel (or the gung-ho attitude to just roll with wet clothes). From there, trained guides will take out on canoes down the Niyodo river, nicknamed Niyodo Blue for its incredible translucent color. 

Final Thoughts

For us, there isn't much more to offer at the location itself. But we find a beauty in that. For a long time we've talked about how Snow Peak locations around the world act in a way as their own home base. They're comfortable yet wild, a known quantity yet full of unique points of view, and hard to get to while still being easily accessible. Kawano Eki Ochi may embody that better than any location we've been to.