As hotel prices in Japan continue to rise, cost-conscious travellers are looking for more affordable ways to stay, including use of overnight ferries and buses, as well as camper vans.
A survey by Tokyo Shoko Research shows that the country’s lack of room supply is driving even the 15 main budget hotel brands to become pricier. In March, the average unit price had increased 12.6 per cent year-on-year to reach 16,679 yen (US$109).
With hotel prices climbing, travellers turn to ferries, buses, and camper vans for affordable overnight stays
In response, there is growing demand to travel overnight, and companies are adapting by launching new products.
Jumbo Ferry’s overnight route linking Takamatsu in Shikoku to Kobe, introduced to leverage interest in Expo 2025 in nearby Osaka, served over 800 passengers during the six-month event.
Kochi Ekimae Kanko will launch Japan’s first overnight bus service – featuring lie-flat seats – in November, following a successful trial on its 13-hour service between Tokyo and Kochi, in Shikoku. Each 180-cm long flatbed is equipped with safety rails and expected to cost around 10,000 yen.
Meanwhile, with campervan usage also rising, road-side service providers are also eyeing a share of the market.
In July, convenience store chain Lawson launched a pilot programme allowing overnight car camping, with access to toilets and electricity, in the car parks of seven of its stores in Chiba Prefecture for 3,000 yen per night.
The number of michi no eki roadside areas, which provide parking, restrooms, tourist information, eateries and shops – and often viewpoints and hot springs – is also increasing. As of January, there were 1,230 such facilities, up from 1,160 in 2019.
AloJapan.com