Trip · Yuru Camp△ × Yamanashi
Yuru Camp△ in Yamanashi: a 2-day trip from Tokyo you can actually book
Lake Motosu, where Rin and Nadeshiko meet in episode 1; the school near Kai-Tokiwa Station and Shonin-dori in Minobu, which the club walks down after class; Hottarakashi Onsen, where the club stops on the way to its first camp. Three areas of Yamanashi, one night away from Tokyo. This page helps you choose how to get there.
- Duration
- 1 night / 2 days
- From
- Shinjuku, Tokyo
- How
- Rail + taxi, or rental car
- Base
- Shimobe-Onsen (first choice)
- Last checked
- 6 Sep 2026
On this page
The short answer
- Build the two days around Lake Motosu, where Rin and Nadeshiko meet in episode 1.
- Want the episode 8 stops in Minobu — Shonin-dori and Eishodo’s manju? Rent a car.
- You can do it without a car, but you must book taxis ahead on both days.
Three areas
- Lake Motosu: Where episode 1 happens: the shore Rin camps on alone, and the bench Nadeshiko is asleep on when Rin finds her. The centrepiece of this trip.
- Minobu: The everyday side of the series: the school the club belongs to, and the station town the club walks through after class.
- Yamanashi City: The club’s first camp trip in episodes 4 and 5: Yamanashishi Station, where the club meets up, Fuefukigawa Fruit Park, where it eats its sweets over the Kofu basin, and Hottarakashi Onsen on the way.
Who this is for
- First or second trip to Japan, based in Tokyo, wanting one short trip out of the city.
- You watched Yuru Camp△ and want to stand where Lake Motosu meets Mt. Fuji.
- No tent needed. You stay in a ryokan or hotel, with camping as an option.
The two days, at a glance
The rail and car plans visit the same three areas in a different order.
By rail + taxi
Day 1
Shinjuku → Yamanashi City → Shimobe-Onsen- Shinjuku
- Yamanashi City: hot spring, fruit park, cafe
- Shimobe-Onsen
Day 2
Shimobe-Onsen → Lake Motosu → Kai-Tokiwa → Kofu → Shinjuku- Shimobe-Onsen
- Lake Motosu: Koan and the Observation Park
- School model site, Kai-Tokiwa
- Kofu
- Shinjuku
By rental car
Day 1
Shinjuku → Kofu → Minobu → Kai-Tokiwa → Shimobe-Onsen- Shinjuku → Kofu (pick up the car)
- Minobu: station front, Shonin-dori, Eishodo
- School model site, Kai-Tokiwa
- Shimobe-Onsen
Day 2
Lake Motosu → Yamanashi City → Kofu → Shinjuku- Lake Motosu: Koan and the Observation Park
- Yamanashi City: cafe, fruit park, hot spring
- Kofu (return the car)
- Shinjuku
Which plan fits you
| Your situation | Pick | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| You can legally drive in Japan | Rental car | All three areas, and you can stay anywhere. |
| You do not or cannot drive | Rail + taxi | You still get Lake Motosu and the Yamanashi City side. The two taxi rides to and from the lake must be booked ahead, on any day of the week. |
| On a budget, travelling on a weekend or public holiday | Rail + town bus | The weekend-only bus is ¥800 each way to Koan-so Iriguchi, but a 14:36 return gets you back to Tokyo later. No service 29 Dec–3 Jan. |
| Travelling with older people or small children | Rental car, relaxed pattern | Buses and taxis are few, and waiting around is tiring. |
Places and how to reach them
- Station
- Place in the anime
- JR line
- Taxi, bus or car
- Walk
Every place in the two plans. The map is schematic, but the walking, taxi and bus routes are the ones you will actually use.
Lake Motosu: Where episode 1 happens: the shore Rin camps on alone, and the bench Nadeshiko is asleep on when Rin finds her. The centrepiece of this trip.
Minobu: The everyday side of the series: the school the club belongs to, and the station town the club walks through after class.
Yamanashi City: The club’s first camp trip in episodes 4 and 5: Yamanashishi Station, where the club meets up, Fuefukigawa Fruit Park, where it eats its sweets over the Kofu basin, and Hottarakashi Onsen on the way.
- In the series
- Episode 1. Rin rides up the Motosu road to camp here alone, and finds Nadeshiko asleep on a bench short of the Koan reception — the meeting the whole series starts from. The lakeside itself is open only to campers who have checked in, so standing where they sat means booking first. Most people keep it for the end of the trip.
- Hours and conditions
- Reception 7:30–20:00, gate opens 8:00. Only guests who have booked and checked in for camping or day camping may enter the lakeside campground. Day camping ends at 17:00. Take all rubbish home.
- By rail
- Pre-booked taxi. A town bus runs on Sat/Sun/holidays only, twice a day; no service 29 Dec–3 Jan.
Lake Motosu Observation Park
- In the series
- Nadeshiko came to Lake Motosu for one thing: the Mt. Fuji printed on the ¥1,000 note. This is the quick way to that view — a viewpoint over the lake and the mountain a few steps up from the car park, and an easy walk from Koan or the Koan-so-Iriguchi bus stop. The note’s own angle is higher up: for that you climb on from here to the separate Nakanokura Pass viewpoint, about 30 minutes each way on a trail.
- Hours and conditions
- —
- By rail
- A few minutes on foot from Koan or the Koan-so-Iriguchi bus stop.
School model site (former Shimobe elementary/junior high) and Kai-Tokiwa Station
- In the series
- Motosu High School stands here in the series. In episode 2 Nadeshiko joins the outdoor club and they try pitching a tent on the sports ground, and she and Rin meet again. The prefecture’s guide notes that the buildings and their interiors are not themselves model sites — what you come for is the setting: a closed school on a low hill, and the road down to Kai-Tokiwa Station that the club uses to get to and from school.
- Hours and conditions
- The grounds are closed except during events. View and photograph from outside the fence. Under 10 minutes on foot from Kai-Tokiwa Station.
- By rail
- Walk from the station.
Minobu Station front and Shonin-dori
- In the series
- Episode 8. The club gets off here on the way home from school, heading for an outdoor shop, and Nadeshiko takes the town in as a retro one. That is this street: roughly 600 m of tiled roofs and namako-wall houses running straight out from the station. The shop they were after, Caribou, has no real counterpart, so there is nothing to look for.
- Hours and conditions
- Minobu Station ticket office: 6:30–21:45, with breaks during the day.
- By rail
- Not included in the 2-day rail plan.
- In the series
- Episode 8. The club stops here on the way home from school, and Nadeshiko orders ten of the Minobu manju. The shop is just ahead on the right as you leave the Minobu Station gate, so the detour costs you about a minute.
- Hours and conditions
- 8:30–15:00, closed Wednesdays, closes early when sold out. The use-by period is four days from manufacture.
- By rail
- Not included in the 2-day rail plan.
- In the series
- Episodes 4 and 5. The club stops here on the way to its first camp, and talks about the baths opening early enough to watch the sunrise from the water — which the real ones do. In the series they appear as Hottokeya Onsen and Achichi-no-Yu; the real site has two baths, Atchi-no-Yu and Kotchi-no-Yu, both looking over the Kofu basin toward Mt. Fuji. The fried soft-boiled egg the club eats is sold at the stand outside.
- Hours and conditions
- Opens one hour before sunrise, closes 22:00, last entry 21:30. Adults ¥900, children ¥400. Cash only. Free parking for 280 cars. Whether Mt. Fuji is visible depends on the weather.
- By rail
- Taxi from Yamanashishi Station, about 10 min, about ¥2,400 one way.
- In the series
- Episode 4. The club walks up here from Yamanashishi Station on the way to its first camp, about 3 km. In the series it is called Fuefuki Park. The half-dome of glass is Kudamono Hiroba, where the club eats its sweets, looking out over the Kofu basin with Mt. Fuji behind it. The night view from here is the one Nadeshiko photographs in episode 5.
- Hours and conditions
- Main parking areas and outdoor toilets are open 24 hours; check individual parking areas for closures. Fruit Square opens 9:00–17:00, until 18:00 on Sat/Sun/holidays from April to October.
- By rail
- City bus (¥200) or taxi from Yamanashishi Station, about 7 min.
- In the series
- One thing to be clear about: the sweets the club eats in episode 4 are Orchard Cafe’s, according to Yamanashi Prefecture’s own location guide — but the table they sit at is inside the glass dome at Fuefukigawa Fruit Park, not here. Orchard Cafe’s own website now lists only one branch in Yamanashi City: this one, at Machi-no-Eki Yamanashi, a minute from Yamanashishi Station; there is no branch in the park. So you cannot sit where the club sat, but you can eat the same shop’s fruit parfait outside Yamanashishi Station, where the club met up.
- Hours and conditions
- Opening hours are listed differently: Orchard Cafe’s own website gives 09:00–19:00, and the Yamanashi City Tourism Association gives 10:00–17:00 (last order 16:30). Both say the cafe follows Machi-no-Eki Yamanashi. Closed Wednesdays (the next weekday if Wednesday is a public holiday) and over New Year. Check before you go.
- By rail
- In front of the station.
Rail or rental car
| Compare | Rental car | Rail (+ walking, bus, taxi) |
|---|---|---|
| Places you reach | All three areas | Yamanashi City + Lake Motosu (including the Observation Park) + the school model site. You miss the episode 8 stops in Minobu. |
| Getting to Lake Motosu | Your own car | Pre-booked taxi, two rides, any day of the week |
| Where you can stay | Shimobe-Onsen, Koan, Lake Shoji or Fruit Park: your choice | Shimobe-Onsen, within walking distance of the station |
| What you need | A licence valid in Japan, an ETC card, English navigation or mobile data | Limited express reservations and taxi bookings |
| Where people get caught out | Licence format, mountain roads, winter road surfaces | Getting the taxis booked, and the sparse Minobu Line: miss one train and the day changes |
| Transport cost per person, roughly | ¥8,000 express return + car, fuel and tolls split between you | ¥8,000 express return + local fares + four taxi rides (two each day). The park-to-station and Day 2 taxi fares are not yet confirmed. |
Where to stay, in one paragraph
Where you stay shapes most of the trip. Both plans stay at Shimobe Hotel, a minute from Shimobe-Onsen Station and thirty minutes by road from the lake. Koan lets you sleep at the episode 1 location. The Fruit Park hotel and the Kofu Station hotels work if you change the plan.
Before you leave Tokyo
A few things that catch out people who arrive expecting Tokyo.
Leave big suitcases at Shinjuku Station
If you start and finish at Shinjuku, leave the large case in a locker there and carry one night in a small bag. On this trip you switch between trains, buses and taxis, and there may not be room for a big suitcase on any of them.
Where to leave it, what it costs and the late-return trap are in the luggage guide
Mobile data and offline maps
You will rely on your phone for maps, timetables and calling taxis. Activate an eSIM before arrival and download offline maps. We have not yet checked coverage on the mountain roads ourselves.
Cash
Cards work around Kofu Station, but small shops, taxis and the campground in the hills may need cash. About ¥20,000 per person is a comfortable amount. Shimobe-Onsen, Kai-Tokiwa and Minobu stations do not take IC cards.
Booking a taxi
If you take the rail plan, both days depend on taxis you book ahead, not ones you hail on the street. Taxi company names, the GO app and backup phone numbers are on the rail and taxi plan.
There is a bus to Fruit Park
A city bus runs from Yamanashishi Station to the park in about 7 minutes for ¥200, but only a few times a day, and its times do not work with the standard rail plan. The departure times are on the rail plan page.
Clothing
Lake Motosu is high and colder than Tokyo. Nearby Kawaguchiko (860 m) averages −0.4°C in January and 22.5°C in August. Bring a layer even in summer. In winter, roads can ice over; drivers need winter tyres or chains.
Rules worth knowing before you go
- The Koan lakeside is for guests who have booked camping or day camping. We have not been able to confirm whether you can make a short visit without a booking.
- Take all rubbish home with you.
- The nearest supermarket to Koan is about 25 km away, so buy what you need down in the valley.
- The school model site is closed except during events. Look and photograph from outside the grounds.
- No photography on level crossings, tracks or roads, even for a shot that matches the anime.
- Do not photograph other campers or their tents. Go through reception and keep quiet.
Questions people ask
Can I do this without a tent or sleeping bag?
Yes. The main plan stays in a ryokan or hotel. Koan also has cabins, so you can sleep by the lake without gear. Koan does not rent tents, tarps or barbecue sets, but a partner rental service delivers to the site.
By rail, what changes between weekdays and weekends?
Almost nothing, because both use pre-booked taxis to the lake. The only difference is that you get back to Shinjuku a few minutes earlier at weekends and on holidays. Weekend taxi demand is higher, so book early.
Can I do it as a day trip?
The Yamanashi City side alone works as a day trip. To include Lake Motosu, you need to stay overnight.
Is it worth it if I have not seen the series?
Yes. The lake and Mt. Fuji, the hot spring and the fruit stand are worth the trip on their own. The school model site and the area around Kai-Tokiwa Station mean more the better you know the series.
When is the best season?
Mt. Fuji shows most clearly in the crisp air of autumn and winter. Winter also brings cold and icy roads: Kawaguchiko averages −0.4°C in January, and Route 300 can be closed after heavy rain.
Choose your plan
Official links and check date
Official links for bookings, maps and current information; recheck the details for your travel date.
Checked: Train and bus times 20 Sep 2026; facilities and fares 20 Sep 2026; lodging 6 Sep 2026
- Yamanashi Prefecture tourism: Yuru Camp△ model locations, episode by episode (Japanese only)
- JR TOKYO Wide Pass
- JAPAN RAIL PASS: valid trains
- Minobu Town: town bus (Japanese only)
- Yamanashi City: access to Fruit Park (Japanese only)
- Yamanashi City: local transport and taxi companies (Japanese only)
- GO taxi app: service area (Japanese only)
- Koan: access (Japanese only)
- Hottarakashi Onsen (official, Japanese only)
- Fuefukigawa Fruit Park: parking (Japanese only)
- Fruit Park: Fruit Square hours (Japanese only)
- Machi-no-Eki Yamanashi / Orchard Cafe (Japanese only)
- Eishodo (Minobu manju, Japanese only)