Mr. Kobayashi will show you around , the Suigen no Mori Camp Land.
When I went inside the clubhouse, I found a spacious and luxurious space with high ceilings. Kobayashi silently stares at the fire burning inside, surrounded by camping chairs placed around a huge, custom-made spatula-shaped fire pit. On the wall opposite the entrance, a large clock, divided into 13-hour periods, spins backwards to remind us of the time.
. "I thought it would be nice to have a clock in the clubhouse, but since we're camping, we shouldn't have to worry about the time. . Then I thought of the one in Vivien's storefront. By the way, I copied it totally without permission (laughs)."
The clubhouse sells original goods from the campground, including camping gear from Mountain Research, books about the mountains selected by Cow Books, and food and beverages that Kobayashi insists are "all delicious. In addition, the campground rents camping goods, so you can rest assured that if you need something you don't have, you won't be short of it.
. The concept of this place is 'a place to think about what not to bring rather than what to bring. So I want people to make full use of the rental facilities. You can come empty-handed if you want, and sometimes it's fun to try using tools you don't normally use. It takes less than two hours from Tokyo, and there is a laundry for guests only, so it would be fun to bring a load of laundry, wash it, and bring it back home after a day of camping (laughs).
With a laugh, Mr. Kobayashi showed us around the clubhouse. . He then showed me around the camp site, the facility's main field.
First, Mr. Kobayashi introduced us to a cabin set up on top of a hill with an open view. Mr. Kobayashi said, "I asked Mr. Takeuchi (Tomokazu) of Tree Heads & Co., who is a promoter of the Tiny House Movement in Japan, to build this cabin for me. All I need is an air mattress and a blanket, and I'm all set! He said. The walls are covered with canvas, and at night the light leaks outside and illuminates the area like a large lantern.
. If the walls of this type of shed were made of wood, the interior would be dark. That's why I had them use a white canvas. The ceiling is also stylish, isn't it? . The low spots are intentionally made so that people can't stand on them. Since we are in the middle of nature, we wanted people to go outside whether they wanted to or not (laughs), so we designed it that way.
The "GREEN GRASS SITE," with its lush green lawn, is a place where you can enjoy the view out of the way, "Isn't it nice? (Laughs)," says Kobayashi, looking pleased with the view. The properly cared for lawn is soft and fluffy, and it feels good just to walk on it. What would happen if I slept here? It is easy to imagine the wonderful dreams that can be had.
The "DOG RUN SITE" can be seen in the back of the photo, where you can enjoy camping with your dog in an enclosure about 1 meter high. This was the idea of Mr. Kobayashi, who owns a dog.
In the foreground is the gravel "OPEN FIRE SITE. The campsites are properly managed, and are much larger than usual, so you can enjoy a campfire at your leisure. There are rocks on the ground, and you can build your own furnace and make a fire wherever you like, with an open fire of course," says Kobayashi.
One of the joys of camping is the food. If you don't want to go through the trouble of preparing and bringing your own food, meal kits are available if you make a reservation in advance. Moreover, the restaurant in Akasaka, Tokyo, is a fully reservation-only restaurant, "top and bottom." collaboration. These are one-pan camping dishes that can be easily prepared by anyone with a cooker. This time, we were served "Paella with Duck, Spinach, and White Beans," "White Wine Braised Chicken Thigh with Bone," and "Spanish-Style Rice Pudding with Squid . Needless to say, all of these dishes are superb, but to be able to enjoy them in a natural setting is the ultimate in luxury.
The campground is adjacent to the Doshi River , and you have immediate access to the river. As you walk along, you can hear the murmuring of the river, reminding you once again that you are in the midst of nature. . This river is always cold because of the melting snow from the mountains and the water merging from the streams. That's why it's so clean," Kobayashi said. Indeed, the water is so clear that you can clearly see the rocks on the bottom. The splashing water mixed with the atmosphere, and the air was so soft and pleasant that I wanted to stay there for a long time.
Here they are trying out a tent sauna where you can jump into the river right after you warm up."
This is the new camp site we are opening," Mr. Kobayashi told us of the spacious, well-lit site. There are two sites of the same size as the one in the photo, and on one of them, with the support of the NORDISK CAMP SUPPLY STORE by ROOT, we plan to set up the biggest tent and tarp from Nordisk on a permanent basis. Only one couple can stay in this one compartment. Yamane of "F/CE.®" and his team plan to create the kind of campsite they want to create here. The other campsite will be divided into two sections so that campers can camp freely and spontaneously.
A bouldering gym has been installed where the stage was originally located in the music hall. Guests can enjoy it for free. We want our guests to come here, but we also want the children who live in this village to come here and play, too. It would be fun to see kids from Doshi who are good at bouldering! he says with a laugh.
The blackboard is painted so you can draw in the route yourself. I can't do it now because I hurt my hand, but I had the same thing installed in the kitchen building of my campsite in Kawakami Village, and I used to draw the routes with chalk whenever I had time. I would draw the routes in my spare time. I guess it was like taking something I used to play with in Nagano and making it bigger and bringing it over here.
So, Mr. Kobayashi gave us a tour of the campground facilities from top to bottom. Returning to the clubhouse again, he told us how he came to produce this facility and his thoughts on it.
