Attending a Japanese Snow Peak Way as an American

Attending a Japanese Snow Peak Way as an American

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In October 2023, during a visit to Snow Peak's HQ1 Campfield in Niigata, Japan - it just so happened that the three days we were staying there coincided with Snow Peak Way Premium. 

For those who don't know, Snow Peak Way Premium is more or less equivalent to America's standard Snow Peak Way. Over two nights, and three days, campers gather and partake in classes, Takibi Talks, contests, and enjoy copious amounts of food.

But while we were in the same location, we weren't part of Snow Peak Way. This meant all of our observations were done in the periphery. It left enough of a tease to know that I wanted to actually see what a Snow Peak Way was like in Snow Peak's home country.

So, during a tour of the northern half of Japan one year later in October 2024, I made it happen, acting as the send-off to my time visiting every Snow Peak Campfield location north of Tokyo. Here's how it was as an American.

Ahead of Time

There were a few things I needed to know about Snow Peak Way in Japan before signing myself up. Some pieces I already had a grasp on, I would only understand a little of the language, and I needed to bring my own camping equipment and food. But there were some bigger differences that I had to prepare myself for that don't take place in America.

The Lottery

Access and tickets to every Snow Peak in Japan is a lottery. Unlike how Snow Peak America operates with ticket releases based on tier, Snow Peak Japan takes an egalitarian approach, ignoring your membership rank entirely. You are required to be a Snow Peak Japan member, which requires a Japanese phone number and address, but once you're entered it's entirely random as to if you will get in or not.

Snow Peak Japan announces Snow Peak Way dates far in advance, typically mid February for the calendar year. This allowed me to determine approximately what might be happening when I was in Japan. As events take place every 3-6 weeks typically, there were two happening while I would be in the country. The first, at the southern tip of Japan was too early and too far out of the way. But the other, Snow Peak Way Kanuma 2nd, lined up perfectly and was only an hour north of Tokyo.

These lotteries open up approximately 60 days prior to the event, and winners are announced about 45 days prior to the event. This makes it the hardest part for a traveler attempting to join, as it's tough to plan with 100% certainty. To get around this, I gave myself some flexibility, not booking anything for the dates Snow Peak Way Kanuma 2nd was taking place.

If selected, you'll receive an e-mail requiring you to login and pay (more on that later). If you aren't selected, your e-mail will contain a number of how many parties need to cancel for your to be accepted. For example, if your number is 5, there's a decent chance you'll get in - so keep an eye on your inbox as when the opportunity arises you will need to be fast. However, the flip side is there are so many people trying to go that when talking to a friend who also entered the lottery, his number was somewhere around 115. At a 50 site event, this meant the entire selection of people would need to turn over nearly two and a half times before he would be given access.

While there are pros and cons, I see far more benefit to this system compared to the tier access offered in America. Snow Peak Way should be open to anyone, from novice campers to die-hards, and the fairest way to do that is with a lottery.

The Pay Structure

Another departure from American Snow Peak Way's, and another change that I feel is a better system, is how the payment works. Here, tickets are sold either by campsite (Snow Peak Way Campfield and Snow Peak Way Big Sur), or individually (Snow Peak Way New York). Because of this, tickets are prices with the assumption your site will be full, meaning the average ticket price for a campsite is $500 - a very hard thing to justify if you're going solo.

For Snow Peak Way in Japan, access is broken down into two parts:

  1. The Snow Peak Way Ticket
  2. The Campsite Reservation

Snow Peak Way tickets, if you're selected, will cost around $40 per person. Then, you must reserve your site which can range from $20 per night for field sites, to $200 per night for a Jyubako. This means individuals are paying for themselves, and how much space they will occupy. Large families pay more for a higher headcount, but ultimately the average price is lower and again - more fair.

The Time

The biggest departure, and one that I've written about in the past but people are still surprised to hear is that Snow Peak Way Japan is only a single night. The gates open at 10:00am, and by 12:00pm the following day the Campfield is once again empty.

Why all the work for only a single night? Simply put, it has to do with Japan's unique work:life balance. Taking off early on a Friday, or taking a Friday off, just isn't as common. So for longer events like Snow Peak Way Premium, they are always only ever held on national holidays, allowing everyone attending to already have the day off work.

Arriving to Snow Peak Kanuma

Knowing that the event was short, I wanted to ensure I didn't miss a moment. This meant arriving early. While being an hour outside of Tokyo wasn't an extravagant amount of time, it made more sense to stay in the city of Kanuma as I already had a rental car to lug my gear around.

Kanuma is a medium sized town, like many Japanese towns in the mountains. This means there's ample spots to grab food for dinner, or for a meal while camping. There are konbini's a plenty with snacks and drinks, and there are plenty of hotels to crash at. Had I been coming to Snow Peak Campfield & Field Suite Spa Kanuma, I would have simply gone there and started camping, but for this event I simply wanted to be nearby. Even so, it was a 20 minute drive through a more dispersed countryside to get to the Campfield.

While I arrived a little early, around 9:00, it was a much later start than I am used to. And I was still nowhere near first in line. About 20 people back, I hopped waited as the Snow Peak Staff got their things ready for the doors to officially open an hour later. When they did, the line was about 100 people deep, or I would estimate about half the camp. As people were starting to register, they had staff coming through the line with paperwork, asking names and getting waivers signed. 

A new experience for me was having people immediately recognize who I was on their list. Not due to fame, but simply that I was very clearly the only American standing there, and with only one name on their list not written in Japanese, it was easy to put the two together.

Because the ticket and campsite are separate purchases, they're billed through separate arms of Snow Peak. This meant despite a quick sign-in, we were then directed to the front desk where we would purchase our campsite for the night. While there was a little English spoken on their side, and a little Japanese on mine, we took advantage of translation apps to work through it. Thankfully, having camped at Snow Peak Locations over the last few weeks I was familiar with the jist of it.

I opted to not rent any gear. Despite typically renting a Takibi Firepit at other Campfields, knowing there would be Takibi Time here I decided to save a bit of money and get to setting up my camp. 

With two more steps still to go, I was then directed toward the back entrance of the Snow Peak Kanuma store. Here, I showed my registration and was given my Snow Peak Way standard items. In Japan for the year, it was kept relatively light with a lapel pin, nametag, and lanyard.

As I was then pointed out the door and to a few Snow Peak Single Action tables nearby, I filled out my nametag. In addition to my name, which at this point I had become used to writing in Katakana, stickers were offered that inform other campers a bit about who I am at a glance. These stickers are a great addition, and I'll get in to more of why that is later, but some of the options were,

  • I'm a solo, group, or family camper
  • I like to talk to people, or I like to be alone
  • My favorite Snow Peak Way activity is Takibi, eating, etc

The Snow Peak Way Setup

With my registration packet in-hand, I sat in the drivers seat thumbing through it. Inside was a combination of Snow Peak Way information and a parking pass for the field I was assigned. Unlike Snow Peak's Campfield in Long Beach, Washington, cars are not only allowed but expected to drive into the grounds. Take a short dirt road around the main entrance and park your car on the field (always back in). 

I unloaded my car and looked at the campers setting up to my left and right. Without knowing for sure, and taking an abundance of caution as a foreigner, I asked both groups via my phone if it was ok to set up between them - to which they both offered an enthusiastic yes. Both conversations also lead to a bit of chatter, what was I doing here? What made me come all this way? Where were my travels taking me? All questions that now three weeks into this journey I had become well accustomed to. 

Like the questions, I was also at this point very familiar with the setup I had brought. Despite picking up a few additional pieces, it remained relatively the same.

Gear I Brought From Home

Gear I Purchased New

Gear I Purchased Used

Exploring the Grounds

With such a quick setup, I found myself with time to spare. It was 11:00, and the event didn't officially begin until 2:00, it felt like a good moment to get the lay of the land.

Snow Peak Campfield & Field Suite Spa is the brand's second Field Suite Spa in Japan. At just an hour north of Tokyo it's incredibly popular, but not overly large or remote. From my site, and nearly all of the Campfield, it was easy to see houses in the surrounding neighborhoods. Though this isn't uncommon for camping in the country, it still catches me a bit off guard. 

As the name implies, being a Field Suite Spa there is an absolutely beautiful onsen with both open air and indoor bathing pools. Like most hot springs in Japan, it is fully nude and is a bath house. You are required to remove your shoes before entering the locker room, remove your clothes before entering the bath area, and take a shower with soap before entering the pools. 

Feeling refreshed, I started looking for a bit of food. Kanuma offers two dining options within the main building. The first is a quick burger spot, the second a Soba restaraunt run by locals who also use the space as a farmers market of sorts. I opted for the latter. The wait was long due to how many people were at the Campfield this weekend, with guests and locals also coming out for the day, but it was well worth the wait.

It also felt like a good time to visit the camp store. Despite having passed through it during check-in, I didn't get a chance to really look at what was offered. Outside of the standard items, and the pieces specific to one location, I was blown away by how much food they were offering. Had I not already done grocery shopping the day before, I would have been more than fine picking up meals right here on site.

Opening Ceremonies

After the late-morning and early afternoon meandering and roll-in of those who were driving from a little further away than the Tokyo metro area, the opening ceremony begun. 

It was at this point that Snow Peak Way Japan started to feel like a song I hadn't heard by an artist I knew. The beats were there, there was a familiarity in all of it, but it was still a new experience.

Quickly becoming my best friend, my live-translation app on my phone helped me get most of what was being shared with the opening speeches. And while often Google Translate came in handy for small conversations, larger dialogues like this I switched to an app called 3PO. Rather than working sentences or lines at a time, 3PO was always running and always translating, but the best part was the live text to voice. With a small headphone in my ear, the microphone picked up on the conversation, translated it, then spoke it back to me. While there was a delay, it was monumental in feeling like I was integrated in the event when a language barrier would have otherwise kept me at arms length.

While the ceremony went forward without much departure, there was a moment that I truly appreciated. From the sidelines came a staff member carrying a large glass jar with ash and charcoal inside. With long tongs, the large piece of charcoal was picked up and placed at the top of the wood pile they'd constructed in the Takibi. As the fire was lit, the announcer went on to explain,

This charcoal is moved from Snow Peak Way to Snow Peak Way, as the Takibi of this event is extinguished, charcoal will be taken from it and placed back in the jar, to be used at the next Snow Peak Way. In this, the fires are one from event to event all around Japan in an unbroken chain.

The groups quickly dispersed into the activities planned, which, compared to the experiences in America were on the light side. There were drinks, a tarp and tent setup demonstration, a few booths from Snow Peak themselves talking about the services they offer for repair and land development in Japan, and a small craft and coloring area for the little ones.

Takibi Talk

Before getting into this experience a bit, I want to take a quick moment to point out something I love that differentiates Snow Peak Way Japan from Snow Peak Way America. It's a subtle one, but it's noticeable in how this moment is titled. The core of the time block is the same, gather around the campfire, enjoy a drink, talk to your fellow campers, and for the brand, most importantly, talk to customers.

The event I'm used to is Takibi Time, here, Takibi Talk. That simple change takes it from a passive to an active event - people immediately understand what they are here for, and why it is so important in moments like these. The staff comes out in full force, from the C-Suite that was present to the employees behind the cash registers. 

And while unnecessary, Snow Peak Japan made it a point to sit an employee who spoke English at the fire I opted to sit around, ensuring that I could take part in the conversation. We spoke to each other, and he also translated what others were saying to me, and what I was saying to others. It was an above and beyond moment that I didn't expect and didn't ask for - but a level of inclusion that has stuck with me.

But is where I felt the biggest gaps between the events I had grown accustomed to, and what I was experiencing here. It became increasingly clear over the course of the day why our name tags allowed for stickers with information about ourselves, why there were so few activations, and why Takibi Talk was so prioritized - no one really knew one another. 

Snow Peak Way America feels in so many ways like a family reunion - for better or worse. Because the events we're used to don't use a lottery, it's so many of the die-hards who return time and time again. As they do, they form connections, and become friends with those they're seeing each year. Those stickers are an introduction to someone new who you would have never known about previously.

Here, there are so many people looking to attend that they could triple the size of the event and it still wouldn't be enough to accommodate everyone who entered the lottery. So each time you go, it's unlikely any of your friends will be there with you. This separation drives people to focus on their own camp, and the feeling of community that I, and so many others, get from Snow Peak Way America simply isn't present here.

Evening Walks & Drinks

After Takibi Time, I took a moment to stroll through the Campfield once more. I always find that there are a number of distinct moments to do this, and each time the feeling always changes. While early morning as the sun rises will forever be my favorite, the evening is a close second.

I felt more of the solitude that I had expected to feel coming in to the weekend. But what I didn't expect was for it to be a communal feeling. No one else was walking around or popping into campsites, and while I'm certain there's an aspect of me being an American that builds an expectation of what people do, the local attendees were very much in their own worlds with little desire to say hello, share a drink or some food, and sit around a Takibi with a neighbor.

Because of this, I ended up deciding to call it a relatively early night, crawling into my tent at around 9:30. Shortly after, a soft voice popped up in English, "Are you still awake?" It was the staff member who was with me at Takibi time. "Do you want a drink?" Never one to turn down the opportunity, I crawled back out and followed him, enjoying drinks with the staff until 1am - this was more of what I had expected.

In the Morning

I'm not a good sleeper in general. Even at home insomnia will pry my eyes open at 2am leaving me sitting there until the sun starts to rise at which point I either fall back asleep or decide to get a start on the day. And while I can typically sleep through the night while camping, the minute the sun peeks up I am wide awake.

This becomes harder in Japan as the time zone has always felt a little off to me. The sun rise well before 6am, and start to set at 3:30. There's nothing one can do but accept it, so with a coffee in hand I began a customary morning walk of the grounds. There weren't any activities occurring, simply others crawling out of their tents, getting fires going, starting to brew their coffees. But by 8:00, the morning activities had kicked off.

Coffee and tea were served, as well as a morning soup. While I can't speak with certainty about what it was, it felt reminiscent of a miso. Which, if you've never enjoyed a morning cup of miso soup, you're missing out. The saltiness and brine will wake you up as well as any coffee.

However, there was a hitch. None of the servings would begin until the morning stretches, the Raido Taiso had kicked off. You may be familiar with these in pop culture from Japan, where office workers begin their day all standing near their desk doing a set routine of movements. It's the same thing at Snow Peak Way, you're simply at camp. Having never partaken in the activity before, I wasn't one to turn down the opportunity.

As a routine that has been practiced for over 100 years, everyone in the group was intimately familiar with the motions even down to the little children. Though after a few beats, it became easy enough to mime my way through allowing me to enjoy the feeling of the blood flowing through my limbs.

Closing Ceremonies

As quickly as the event started, it was over. We stood once more around the once burning Takibi now just ash and lumps of coal. Like the fire began, a large piece was removed and placed back into the glass jar to be carried to the next Snow Peak Way, allowing our fire to continue into perpetuity. 

Like America, the event here closes with a paper airplane contest divided between adults and children. Having been to Snow Peak Way West in Long Beach just a few weeks earlier, I took the strategy from the winner of that event and fashioned myself a dart. The move was a surprise to many - people came up asking questions and pointed at it to which I explained that this type of plane had won the American contest multiple years. While that luck didn't carry over for me, it did get me into a solid 4th place, and I can't ask for anything more.

A group photo later, and the event was over. People began to pack up. I took a few moments, enjoying the Spa one more time as well as another soba lunch on site. This was the last moment of the trip where I would be at a Campfield, and where I would be driving - as once I left my next stop was to return my rental car half a country away from where it had been picked up. But as far as closure goes, I don't know that I could have asked for anything more.

Final Thoughts

Snow Peak Way Japan is in as many was distinct from its American counterpart as it is similar. But despite a language barrier, and being unfamiliar with those distinction points, the comfort came in doing something new and in being with like minded people no matter what we spoke. The other campers, like myself, had entered the lottery of Snow Peak Way to step away from the city, to set up a tent, and to enjoy food. They stepped out of their comfort zone to speak with strangers at Takibi Talk, and laughed together as paper airplanes flew every which way.

While getting into a Snow Peak Way in Japan isn't easy, it's not something that I would feel intimidated to try again if the opportunity arises. 

And this that may be my biggest takeaway from this tour. I truly wish Snow Peak would treat themselves like a global entity, and create avenues of tourism for those who want to experience their style of camping in Japan. Because making reservations can be cumbersome, a Japanese address and phone number are required for a membership account, and knowing how to navigate the ins and outs of these places isn't a hard challenge, but it's one that does still exist.

Now, on to planning the next tour.

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