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Interest
Laid-Back Camp's Real-Life Inspiration Sees Visitors Triple

posted on by Lynzee Loveridge

Yamanashi prefecture's camp sites are booming thanks in part to the popularity of Laid-Back Camp. The area's designated pilgrimage camp sites from the series experienced three times as many visitors so far compared to last year.

The characters in Laid-Back Camp have varying knowledge when it comes to camping. Rin is a experienced solo camper while Nadeshiko is an enthusiastic novice. Over the course of the series, tips like how to a build a campfire depending on the campsite location, offer help to viewers without previous outdoors experience. The show highlights the enjoyment of camping among beautiful scenery alone or growing a friendship over a cup of instant noodles.

The message and images struck a chord with viewers across Japan who have taken inspiration from the show and headed out to Kōan Campground on the shores of Lake Motosu in Minobu-chō, the location Rin camps at in the series' first episode. Inside the campsite's office is a guestbook where visitors from Kyushu, Tohoku, and even Korea and Taiwan have written their thoughts. Visitors wrote, "This was my first time camping, but it was a lot of fun!" and "I really enjoyed how the scenery is exactly like the show!"

The campsite's owner said that the area is very cold in the winter and the site usually has less campers than during the other seasons, however while the Laid-Back Camp was airing, campers at Kōan Campground tripled compared to the previous winter.

A nearby campground on the northwest shore of Lake Motosu had a similar influx of campers this winter. Campsite Suimeisō in Ichikawa Misato's staff said that sometimes they'd have zero campers during the winter, but this year there were campers every weekend.

Prior to Laid-Back Camp, Yamanashi prefecture didn't have a single pilgrimage site on listed on the Anime Tourism 88 website. Meanwhile, the neighboring prefecture of Shizuoka is the site of five different works, including hits like Love Live! Sunshine!!. Yamanashi is embracing its newfound anime popularity by hosting a website identifying the real locations seen in the show.

Local events have also added some camping flavor with cast and staff members making appearances at the Shigen-ko Festival dedicated to the Sengoku-era warlord Takeda Shingen in Kofu and a camping-dōjin combo event at the Ki no Kuno Site in Minami-Alps.

Source: Sankei Shimbun via Hachima Kikō


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