Our golden time 2017 was spent on the delightful Iki island, my new favourite place in Japan. It really was heavenly with clear skies, blue seas, ample wildlife and lush mountains and rice paddies.

We needed to keep the costs down on our holiday at a traditional time of higher rates. So, we decided to brave the tent we found in our apartment when we moved in and camp for the week. As it turns out, camping for six nights is basically unheard of in Japan, so yet again, we were destined to stand out. Nevertheless, we were reasonably comfortable, had gorgeous ocean views from our tent, and paid a mere £2.10 or 300 yen a night for the pleasure.

In Japan, housing does not seem luxurious compared to western standards. There are no log fires, centre heating, double glazing and plush carpets to be found. Yet,when it comes to camping, man do these guys go all out. Most stayed for only one night, but almost everyone brought three storey house tents with swimming pools attached. I swear it was like being at the Quidditch world cup! We had tents connected to tents: large shade patches; many tables; shelves for spices; portable street lamps; and barbeques galore! It really was rather impressive. We, on the other hand, hand a small two man tent, one chair, and a big pink case we used as a table…

Our first camping experience in Japan will not be our last. It was fabulous to get close to nature and find a cost effective way of exploring more of our current home country!