I’m trying to find information on wether or not I can camp on specific beaches. Specifically I’m walking to stay at or around Norihama beach. Seeing as I don’t read Japanese it’s hard to find the right search words to find this information even to translate it with google. I would so very much appreciate any help. I have about 10 other people relying on me to find this information.
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[https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/25016/is-free-camping-permitted-in-japan](https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/25016/is-free-camping-permitted-in-japan)
You mean Norihama beach on Izu peninsula Shizuoka? From pdf I found which Izu city published, it seems camping in Norihama beach itself is forbidden.
http://kanko.city.izu.shizuoka.jp/pdf/d4108_1.pdf
On Izu peninsula, it seems there are some camp sites available. Maybe around Norihama beach too. But I’m not sure since I don’t have much local experience in Izu.
You may use these words for search, 乗浜海岸(Norihama beach), キャンプ場(camp site), 西伊豆(western side of Izu).
宇久須キャンプ場(It is public camp site near Norihama.)
https://www.nishiizu-kankou.com/stay/ugusucanp.html
This was my experience from summer 2015. Set up a tent on a beach with “no camping” after about 9pm. Get a good 8 hour sleep. Woken up at at 6:30am by some park/beach official. “Excuse me there is no camping here”. “Oh I’m sorry”. Pack up tent and move on with zero consequences.
You can camp near many beaches, but “on” a beach, that I’ve never seen.
If there is camp fire remains someone has camped there before. Just make sure you are familiar with how high tide gets.
The official rules are often ‘no camping on this beach/in this park’ but in practice, you are fine so long as you do it out of the way i.e. don’t pitch a tent in a park in downtown Tokyo, or on the main beach in Kamakura.
I was hiking last week in west Tokyo and saw several Japanese families camped near a river just off a popular walking trail, despite it definitely *not* being a campsite.
However, the “10 people thing” worries me a bit…I definitely wouldn’t recommend camping in a large group like that if you’re gonna be making noise/partying…that would be annoying for the locals and might get a visit from the police to move you on. Safer in a proper campsite for that.
What season are you planning to go in. That makes a difference on if it’s allowed or not as well.
For an update: my wife and I ended up sleeping in our car near a beach but also near where someone was camping. The police drove by twice early in the morning and never said a word. Thanks everyone for the info
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