In traveling to every Snow Peak Campfield in Japan, the United States, and soon Korea, we've often hit on the easy ones to get to. Snow Peak's Minoh location is just outside of Osaka. And the Osaka location we noted was just 12 stops and 10 minutes of walking from our front door if we ignore the 11 hour flight. But what about the other, harder locations to get to? And this is where we struggled, what is the most remote Snow Peak Campfield location in the world?

Hokkaido is remote compared to Tokyo, and Tokachi Poroshiri is on the less-populated side of the island. However, stepping off the plane it's a short 20 minute drive through flat farmland to get there. Shirakawa Kogen is nestled in the mountains, but because it's in such a popular region there are regular buses that can get you up there with ease.

Remote-ness is a hard qualifier, what actually makes something remote? Is it the distance from a major city or how difficult it actually is to reach? My point of view is that it's a blend of the two. Being remote should feel away, but it should also encompass a feeling of journey and adventure to arrive there. It should take work, and the work should be worth it.

Snow Peak's Okuhita Campfield sits in the center of that matrix, and was well worth the effort to get there.

Getting To Snow Peak Okuhita

But, just how do you actually find yourself pulling in to the parking lot? It takes some time. As part of this tour of Japan, we had found ourselves at Snow Peak's HQ1 Campfield for Snow Peak Way Premium in Niigata, needing to make our way to Kyushu and Fukuoka. As we've talked about in this series, domestic flights in Japan are a fantastic way to travel.

They are efficient (most flights are under two hours), they are cheap (most are around $100), and they are easy to access with great amenities (checked bags are often free, and you can show up 30 minutes before departure). 

While I love the Shinkansen, it would have cost almost twice as much and taken 7 hours, compared to our $100 90 minute flight. Driving would have been a great way to see a lot of the country, but without stops it's nearly 16 hours of travel time. Taking to the skies was a no brainer.

We then went in to the city a bit to pick up our rental car. Driving in Japan is not a challenge, even in cities. The on-board GPS is set to english by the staff and is very good. Modern maps on your phone (like Google Maps and Apple Maps) are also incredibly good at providing accurate directions. And to get to Okuhita, you will need a car. There is no public transit that will get you up to the near top of Mt. Shaka, and taking a Taxi would cost hundreds of dollars even from the somewhat nearby city of Hita.

From Downtown Fukuoka, we stayed on the expressway for a little while before jumping off to mountain roads. These mountain roads start two lane, but will get down to single lane before too long. It's in here that you feel that remoteness creep in. Many buildings are abandoned, and signage becomes a bit more decrepit. 

After an hour and a half of driving, you'll find yourself staring at small signage pointing you in the right direction. Our GPS differed from these directions a bit, but we figured we should trust the experts and went from sign to sign like a "connect-the-dots" drawing. 

It wasn't a challenge to arrive, at least not in the sense of us needing to stop and ask for directions. But it was an adventure, winding through the narrow roads, seeing the unique development and abandonment of rural Japan, and remembering how many lives are lived even in these off-the-beaten-path spaces.

The Okuhita Claim To Fame, Elevation

Almost like a collectable, there's unique things about each Snow Peak campfield location. Some may prioritize food, or wellness. Others may focus on local tourism and agriculture. But they are unified in their desire to welcome people to all sorts of outdoor spaces. Okuhita celebrates its unique position as the tallest Campfield in the world.

At 950 meters in elevation (3,117 feet), it might be surprising to hear it towers above all other locations. However, thanks to Japan's climate, what is a relatively low elevation still is bombarded with snow each winter, and sprawling views of distant mountain ranges on clear days. For me, we experienced hat elevation in relative manners as well. Our local Mt. Summit, Mt. Hood, towers above everything else around it, and driving atop the pass pulls you upward in a way that feels like a contstant climb.

Okuhita meanwhile is greeting with a nonstop unjulation of the road. As you drive, you pass through canyons, atop ridgelines, through valleys, climbs and falls. This non-stop variance separates you from where you actually are in the world. And by the time you arrive at Okuhita you quickly forget that you're sitting at 3,000'. You feel that remoteness.

The Limited Gear

In the past as we've talked about tracking down harder to find pieces while traveling in Japan, but missing from that assortment is something that we've only recently started to notice. Hyper-local T-Shirts specific to each Campfield local. Now, not every Campfield has them, and some that do are rather straight forward like the HQ1 "HEADQUARTERS" T-Shirt. But something we picked up on (and picked up) during our travels of Shikoku and Kyushu were a much more fun take on the designs.

At Okuhita, their T-Shirt leans in to the elevation, but even more interesting is that they have an archive of every color edition they've released over the years since first opening. Wandering in to their showroom area you'll find more than a dozen different color options, all now discontinued, but highlighting the consistency of their logo and message.

Outside of that, you'll see the more common items. Eco Cups, Stickers, etc. We did however manage to find a couple bottles of the Takibi Whiskey and Highball Classes though. Perhaps their remoteness helped keep it in stock.

The Camp Store

Outside of the Limited Items. The Camp Store is well stocked with everything you need (and don't) if you're buying gear while traveling. Like most locations nowadays, there is also a healthy selection of outlet gear. Discontinued or limited items offered at up to 50% off retail. With current conversion rates it can make for a good bargain, provided you're willing to go through the leg work of getting it back home.

More impressive though was the layout of the store itself. Snow Peak's Okuhita does not have a cafe or restaurant. This sets it apart, and changes how the space comes to live. Yet even with that missing, there are aspects of what it could look like, with seating and tables neatly arraigned next to the massive panoramic windows overlooking the Campfield and surrounding mountains. 

And with that, it feels very much like the mountain lodge that it should. Wood paneling, a worn-in but not worn feel, the only thing missing is a central fireplace where you can sip a warm drink before hitting the snow again.

Campsites, But No Cabinsites

If you're staying, and checked in at the front desk, its time to get back in to your car and drive down to your site. A small access road is rather obfuscated from view if you're just passing by. But once you see it it's hard to miss in the future.

The path winds its way down the hill. And while there are a few different paths to take, most of them dead end at their specific grounds. As you work your way down, you'll find different sites as well, getting a little larger and more built out. Up top free sites are prevalent - spaces that you could simply set up anywhere your tent will fit. Beyond that you will see the car sites, where you can be parked next to your tent, have a defined space, and are close to some facilities like bathrooms and a communal space.

Despite the steep grounds and mountainous terrain, the entire site is very well manicured with ground graded flat for everywhere a tent might live.

What you won't find though are Jyubako Tiny Homes. The small cabins are surprisingly absent from this location, and it's a first for us that came as so shocking we actually didn't realize it until we were long gone from the space and putting together our notes for this article. It's possible the difficult roads prohibited their transport, or the copious amounts of snow meant that finding stable homes for them was a non-starter. Either way, this alone makes Okuhita unfortunately rather difficult for an international traveler to stay at.

Final Thoughts

There's always a bit of melancholy when summarizing a location like Okuhita. I went through it with Tokachi Poroshiri and Shirakawa Kogen as well. These spaces are beautiful, the people welcoming and fluent in English, it's a place I want to spend time and hope that many others do as well.

Yet, the location as it stands is difficult from many to justify. If coming from a major hub like Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka you will spend nearly a full day (sunrise to sunset) simply getting there. And without Jyubako Tiny Cabins you're left with needing to procure your own equipment or pay for Snow Peak's Hands-Free program.

And because of this, the remoteness that brought so much interest early on becomes the biggest blocker for people to enjoy it.