【Car Camping】Ibaraki Prefecture – Lake Kasumigaura offers a mukuro (charcoal) kotatsu & bed kit for comfort! Freshly grilled eel and deep-fried skewers as well

I revisited Lake Kasumigaura, which I liked during a previous visit. This time, I tried car camping at an RV park where I could spend time right in front of Lake Kasumigaura. It was a very satisfying trip with tests of my homemade gear and freshly grilled domestic eel and mukuro kotatsu unique to the area.

When it comes to Lake Kasumigaura, winter is the season for eel! I headed to a store near Kitauura to buy some

I want to enjoy local gourmet food while camping in my car, utilizing the homemade charcoal kotatsu set and bed kit I created. First, I made my way to an eel shop near Kitauura where you can take out grilled eel.

Since eels are caught in Kitauura and Lake Kasumigaura, for this camping trip, I decided to focus solely on eels and came to Shinozuka Shoten. Inside, there are live pools with koi swimming and stacked eel baskets, showcasing a sight that you don't often see.

At Shinozuka Shoten, they have a system where they prepare and grill the eel after receiving an order, allowing you to see the cooking process right in front of you. I chose farmed eel from Kyushu instead of wild eel, but I was told that wild options are also available. Eel is often eaten on the Day of the Ox in midsummer, but actually, winter is its peak season. Excited by the taste of freshly grilled eel, I hurried to my accommodation.

Shinozuka Shoten
Location: 2575-1 Ofunatsu, Kashima City, Ibaraki Prefecture
Phone: 0299-83-0512

Enjoying freshly grilled eel at the RV park in Kasumigaura

Instead of a campsite, I will stay at an RV park. This place is perfect for the concept this time, with Kasumigaura stretching out right in front of me. I've equipped my JA22 Jimny with a self-made sleeping kit, making it easier to utilize the RV park where camping cars are mainstream.

Namegata RV Park Mulberry
Location: 1351 Shimanami, Namie City, Ibaraki Prefecture

Since it has become colder, I also brought a charcoal kotatsu in addition to the bed kit. I disassembled the bed kit temporarily to create space, and after setting up the kotatsu, I somehow managed to enjoy both the bed and the kotatsu even in the cramped space of the Jimny. I really feel like I can go anywhere, and the thought of future camping makes me excited.

Cheers with the eel I just purchased. The taste of freshly prepared and grilled eel is exceptional, and the fluffy texture and fat were the best! It was my first time eating such fresh eel, and it became a very good experience. I have binchotan charcoal at home, so I'm also motivated to try grilling it myself next time.

Kasukigawa, as the sun sets, is truly beautiful. It has a scale like the sea, but I like the quietness since there are no waves. Kasugagawa, the second largest lake in Japan, provides a moment to ponder while gazing at the view.

The camp meal at night, the skewered fried food is the best.

For dinner, I wanted to have something fried, so I chose skewered fried food. I might be able to make fried food easier outdoors than at home since I don’t have to worry about oil splatters.

I started cooking on the warm kotatsu placed inside the car. It’s surprisingly easy since all I have to do is cut and skewer. I had prepared the batter (wheat flour coating) and breadcrumbs in zipper bags, so there’s less to clean up, making it suitable for camping.

Since the oil is warmed up, I’ll start frying. In cold weather, food tends to get cold easily, so skewered fried food, which is easy to manage temperature-wise and enjoy hot, is suitable for winter.

I made my favorite tartar sauce, so I'll enjoy it together! It's crispy when fried and not greasy, making it very well done. However, I thought I wouldn't be able to finish it by myself, and just then, I was invited by a neighboring camper who came for fishing, so we decided to have a party together.

A party with the neighboring camper

They are on a fishing trip with their dog in a large camper, and I was very envious to have such a cute companion by their side. One of my new life goals has become to do car camping with a pet someday.

It seems that catfish can also be caught at Kasumigaura, and today I was able to enjoy the catfish we caught. Surprisingly, it was not fishy at all, had a nice texture, and was very delicious. The writer's skewered fried foods were also well received, and I had a very enjoyable time.

Car camping with new discoveries was a great success.

Last month's car camping didn’t feel cold, so I slept with the same gear, but I woke up feeling cold in single-digit temperatures. The lack of insulation wasn’t just in the sleeping bag; it was also in the bed part, and I felt a chill from the bottom. Since it’s not a tent, I thought it would be warm underneath, but it seems that cold weather measures must be thoroughly taken even when car camping.

It started as a simple idea to car camp in front of the beautiful Lake Kasumigaura, but there were local gourmet experiences and unexpected interactions, leading to many discoveries and joys. The tests of my homemade car camping gear were perfect, making for a very fulfilling time. I want to continue traveling to gain new discoveries.

Coverage/Text by Kazuma Tanaka

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