Tamagawa Camping Ground, which is located in the northernmost part of Yamaguchi prefecture near the prefectural border with Shimane prefecture, is a self-service camping area that allows you to enjoy the great outdoors at the very reasonable price of JPY1000 per night (2 days).

The camping area is well-equipped with facilities for cooking, as well as water toilets. While it’s also only a 1-minute walk to Tamagawa Onsen (hot spring) with its 1-day bathing options, a 3-minute walk to Segoe beach, it’s also right nearby Yutori Park Tamagawa Roadside Station. 

This is the beautiful, well-maintained lawn at the camping area – the perfect environment for erecting a tent.

Actually, there’s also a walking trail that leads to that hill in the background, and you can climb up to the ridge.

Beyond the ridge awaits hidden sea views almost unknown to outsiders! 

The way up is quite steep, but you can reach the top in around 20 minutes on foot! At the top you’ll find a cozy lawn area, as well as an observation deck.

This is the amazing view from the observation deck! Below you can see the beautiful coastline of northern Yamaguchi prefecture. 

The trail doesn’t end here – there’s a way that leads down to the water’s edge. 

After descending down another steep hill, a beautiful beach awaits! It’s connected to Segoe Beach, but it’s not the same sandy beach you can reach easily on foot from the camping area. It’s a quiet beach known as ‘inner Segoe Beach’.

As it can only be reached by those willing to venture down the steep hill road, you’d probably monopolize it even in midsummer!

Further on, if you take a close look at the cliff at the end of the beach, you’ll find that there is a 20-meter long cave cut into it! I don’t know if it was created by nature, but if you go through the tunnel… 

There’s another beautiful beach stretching out before you! Let’s call it the ‘inner, inner Segoe Beach’! 

By the way, our explorations are still not over! Behind this beach there is a way that leads to a forest. 

I started to feel a bit like I should return to the camping area, but as I was curious about what lay ahead, my feet just took me by themselves… 

I continued to walk the endless hilly road for over 30 minutes…. However, midway I got to see beautiful seaside scenery like this!

Beyond the quiet cove surrounded by rock walls, you can see three boulders in the offing. Let’s name them the “Three Stones”!

Along the walking trail there are places where you need to use a rope or handrail like this in order to be able to climb up the route.

It’s almost like nature’s very own obstacle course, and it aroused my spirit of adventure!

If you keep walking along the trail, you’ll be up for a surprise! Actually, I discovered that one of the “Three Stones” I saw in the offing is hollow!!

The moment I saw this, all my fatigue from walking just vanished! It’s really surprising that right behind the camping area you can find a shoreline like this, filled with highlights!

On the way back, you can take a shortcut midway via the roadway, if you prefer. An then head back to the Tamagawa camping area and rinse off your perspiration in the nearby hot springs!

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Tamagawa Camping Ground

Location: 1740-1 Shimotama, Hagi city, Yamaguchi prefecture
Basic fees: 1 tent (4-5 people) JPY1000
Parking: Free
http://hagishi.com/search/detail.php?d=1100208 (Japanese)

Setouchi Finder Photo-writer: Hironobu Matsuoka