In the middle of an actual forest in the hills above Lake Nojiri in the north of Nagano Prefecture, Calm Forest is a tiny campground (there are only 10 spaces).
If you’re down for a little shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), then this is the place. Each of the spaces is just a clearing among the trees.
On the plus side, it’s a beautiful natural setting and the bathroom and cleaning facilities are immaculate, and all sites are powered. On the minus side, in a larger vehicle, navigating the narrow gaps between the trees can be quite hazardous. Also, since all the sites are powered, it’s a little bit pricier (¥5,000/night) than some other campgrounds in the area.
To access the campground, you are advised to follow the roughly drawn map on the website rather than Google Maps as Google Maps will send you on a more circuitous route. Even so, the access road is very narrow and the sign at the entrance is tiny! The camp manager doesn’t speak much English so it would be handy to have a Japanese speaker in your party.
The campground is open from the last week of April through to the first week of November—both earlier and later than many of the campgrounds in the area.
- 3.4 km from Kurohime Station Kita-Shinano Line
- 4.1 km from Myōkō-Kōgen Station Myōkō Haneuma LineKita-Shinano Line
