Sebastian our Wholesale assistant, recently travelled to Japan for a holiday and as part of his trip he arranged to stay at the campsite in Niigata HQ 1. Here’s a flavour of his trip.
On a recent holiday in Japan I was interested to find out more about Snow Peak, Japan being the country where the company originates from. My trip was in April, springtime in Japan, and after some time in Tokyo I travelled on the famous Shinkansen ‘bullet’ train to the Niigata Prefecture, north of Tokyo, heading to Sanjo where the Snow Peak Headquarters are, including the central hub for gear research and development.
Next to this, there is a Snow Peak Campfield and the Snow Peak Field Suite Spa Headquarters, making it a tranquil resort complex offering eating, sleeping and bathing in a beautiful country setting. Designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates, the renowned architecture of the complex connects the buildings to the landscape and seamlessly translates human activity from indoors to outdoors. The stunning firewood roof takes inspiration from the ridgelines of the surrounding mountains, and truly brings nature into the structure.
Snow Peak run 10 campsites across Japan, and more are on their way. Facilitated by a colleague in Japan, I’d pre-booked my pitch, chosen am Amenity Dome M tent and equipment, including a Takibi Fire & Grill L, Ofuton sleeping bag, and Inflatable Mattress 2.5 - there was a wide range of tents and sleeping systems to chose from.
On arrival I received a warm welcome and introduction to the site and all my gear was all waiting for me as I checked in. After setting up my camp, I explored and took in the expanse of the site, all the variety of camping setups and the architecture that surrounded me. As the sun set that evening, I chatted to one of our Japanese colleagues around the Takibi. Enjoying this simple moment, Japan's inherent tranquillity and connection to nature really struck a chord within me. The scenery would be even more stunning with the arrival of the cherry blossom season.
There was plenty to do during my stay. I enjoyed the Japanese onsens (hot baths) and saunas and had dinner in the traditional restaurant, they change their menu every week and I had a dinner platter with katsu curry, miso soup, mixed vegetables and egg pudding, I also tried their delicious strawberries which were in season.
Exploring the local area, I also enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere of the farmer's market in front of the Field spa suite entrance, where locals showcased their produce from recent harvests – including homemade ice cream, Fresh sashimi, home-brewed beverages, jewellery and miscellaneous made from local materials.
I visited the Snow Peak archive museum which houses around 200 vintage Snow Peak products, many donated by users, including some of the first tents we made. It immerses you in Snow Peak, explaining the evolution of the Snow Peak experience and how our products were developed – with a very interesting free tour.
As day two unfolded, I crossed paths with some fellow campers from Thailand, and in the evening spent time sharing stories over a steaming hotpot they had prepared and kindly invited me to join them. It was a testament to the communal spirit fostered by Snow Peak's campfield.
“My journey with Snow Peak in Niigata transcended mere camping—it was a soulful immersion into the essence of community, culture, and the true beauty of nature.”
If you are interested in finding out more about Snow Peak in Japan, you can see more at these sites (they are in Japanese but can be translated using a web browser translation service). If you would like any more information we can help facilitate this with our teams in Japan.
Snow Peak Japan campsites: https://www.snowpeak.co.jp/locations/
Snow Peak Field Spa Headquarters: https://www.snowpeak.co.jp/fieldsuitespa/hq/..
