Shomaru Kids Auto Camp

Image sourced from campground website. Used for directory listing purposes.

Overview

Shomaru Kids Auto Campground is a family-first camping facility in the Shomaru district of Yokoze Town, on the western edge of Saitama Prefecture's Chichibu region. Renovated from a facility that had been dormant for roughly twenty years, the campground was reborn with a single guiding principle: make children happy.

The centerpiece for young campers is a shallow, gentle river that runs through the property—safe enough for toddlers to splash in under parental supervision. Within the grounds, a vehicle-free kids park houses playground equipment and a sandbox, creating a worry-free zone where children can run, climb, and dig while parents set up camp or relax nearby. Seasonal events add extra excitement: a Halloween gathering in October and a Christmas celebration in December bring themed decorations and activities that give families a reason to return throughout the year.

Camping sites accommodate vehicles for easy unloading, though electrical hookups are not provided, encouraging a more unplugged outdoor experience. The Shomaru area of Chichibu sits at an elevation that keeps summer temperatures as much as five degrees Celsius cooler than central Tokyo, a welcome relief during the humid months of July and August. Winters, by contrast, are brisk and cold, suiting hardy campers who enjoy frosty mornings and campfire warmth.

The broader Chichibu area offers a wealth of attractions. The Ashigakubo Icicles illuminate the valley in winter, Buko Mountain provides moderate hiking, and the Yokoze Matsuri autumn festival showcases elaborate floats. The campground is about ninety minutes from central Tokyo by car via the Kanetsu or Ken-O expressways, and Seibu Railway's Chichibu Line serves nearby Ashigakubo Station.

Shomaru Kids Auto Campground stands out as a destination where the entire experience is calibrated around young families, delivering safe outdoor fun in a cool mountain setting with genuine Chichibu character.

For more campgrounds like this, see our Camping near Tokyo guide.