If you’ve ever dreamed of hitting the road in Japan with a campervan, your options for overnight stays just got a lot more convenient. The Japan RV Association (JRVA) has teamed up with Lawson convenience stores to launch a year-long experiment, turning convenience store parking lots into fully certified RV parks.
Running from July 14th, 2025, through June 30th, 2026, this pilot project will open RV-friendly overnight spots at six Lawson stores across Chiba Prefecture. Designated RV parks are certified by the JRVA to provide safe, comfortable facilities for travelers to sleep in their vehicles, so they’re not just parking spaces.
The six destinations include the Ichinomiya Torami Store, Onjuku Shinmachi Store, Amatsu Kominato Store, Tomiura Interchange Store, Minamiboso Iwai Kaigan Store, and Futtsu Minato Store.
When you think about it, it’s a clever pairing: convenience stores in Japan are open 24 hours, offering food, drinks, clean bathrooms, and staffed assistance, making them a perfect stop for first-time campervan travelers who might feel unsure about traditional campsites. With car travel growing rapidly in Japan (campervan ownership soared to 165,000 vehicles in 2024), the need for accessible, well-equipped RV parks is more evident than ever.
Reservations for the new convenience store RV park pilot program open on July 8th via the website RV-Park.jp, which lets you browse by location, dates, and vehicle type. If you’re curious about RV travel in Japan or want to learn more about how the JRVA is helping to build a campervan culture, check out their resources at jrva.com or explore our guide to exploring Japan via campervan here.
