Suzuka Nishikawa, second from the right, enjoys conversation with fellow vanlifers in Toba City, Mie Prefecture.
April 3, 2024 1:00 (Japan time)
Recently, the alternative lifestyle of driving around the country, sleeping in your car in between sightseeing spots and outdoor activities, has become popular. More and more people are embracing “van life” as a form of modern nomadism.
Suzuka Nishikawa (26), who travels around Japan by converting a small truck into a trailer house, is one such person.
In mid-February, Nishikawa met up with fellow vanlifers in Toba City, Mie Prefecture. She sat on a chair next to her friend's large car and chatted with her friends while watching the sunset over the harbor.
“I can easily meet up with friends whenever I want, and it’s fun to spend time with great views,” she said.
Nishikawa, who is from Osaka, became interested in traveling abroad after being influenced by people who traveled around the world during his university days. She didn't get a job after her graduation because she wanted a job related to her travel. Ms. Nishikawa was planning her overseas trip on a working holiday, where she could study abroad while working abroad.
However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she decided to change her goals and travel around Japan. She learned about van life on a video site, bought a used van, and started traveling from Hokkaido in 2021.
“This lifestyle is fun because it's like walking around in my own room,'' says Nishikawa.
The term “vanlife” is thought to have been coined in 2011, when Foster Huntington quit her fashion job in New York, moved into a camper, and posted about her new lifestyle on social media.
A wide range of people enjoy living in small mobile homes. Some people sleep in their van almost every day, while others enjoy the lifestyle only on weekends. Campers equipped with beds and kitchens are said to be popular.
Ikuma Nakagawa, 45, is a public relations manager for Yokohama-based Car Stay Co., Ltd., which provides information on spots where you can park your van and sleep in it. According to Nakagawa, van life has become popular due to the increased use of remote work and camper vans during the coronavirus pandemic.
Some people are exploring their future lifestyle while living the van life.
Jiro Nakanishi (25) from Kanagawa Prefecture and his wife (25) from Vietnam are currently living in a van and looking for a permanent place.
The two met in college and continued their long-distance relationship after graduation. They decided to get married and have a different lifestyle so they could live where they wanted with the people they loved.
The couple bought a used van for long-term travel, spent about 600,000 yen to remodel it, and set out on a two-year journey from Hokkaido to Kyushu last April. Pay taxes and register your car in Kanagawa Prefecture, where you are registered as a resident.
“The laid-back countryside suits us better than the city. By living in different places, you get to know what the place is like and whether you can adapt to it.'' '' said Nakanishi.
Yoshiko Yuki (44), associate professor of cultural anthropology at Toyo University, said, “Thanks to advances in information technology and changes in lifestyle, more and more people are finding happiness not in material possessions or money, but in the way they live and their social relationships.'' and talk. University. “It's interesting that they seem to be starting to think more like hunter-gatherers than farmers.”
