Enjoy the starry sky for 1500 yen per night! "Takahara Star Forest Campground" in Yaita City, Tochigi Prefecture is perfect for solo and duo campers who want to spend time quietly

I headed to "Takahara Star Forest Campground" located in Yaita City, Tochigi Prefecture. With a quiet environment and good access, we enjoyed camping with friends after a long time. The thoughtful care of the kind owner and the laughter with friends made for a heartwarming night under the beautiful starry sky.

A campsite for solo and duo campers in a vast area

The site we chose for our duo camp with acquaintances is the "Takahara Star Forest Campground" located in Yaita City, Tochigi Prefecture. As stated on the official website, it caters to solo and duo campers, and on this day, there were only solo and duo campers present, creating a quiet and calm atmosphere.

While there is a mention that "the forest has just been cleared," the grounds are very spacious and the facilities provide a sufficient environment.

Despite the reasonable pricing, the facilities are well-equipped

The management building is equipped with restrooms and water stations, and there is also a shower room (25 minutes for 500 yen) nearby. It is appreciated that all camping sites are available for a reasonable price of 1500 yen, considering the quality of the environment.

After receiving an explanation from the friendly owner, we proceeded to choose our site. By the way, there was a warning issued on this day, possibly due to dryness, which prohibited campfires until it was lifted. Upon checking, this "Forest Fire Warning" was just implemented starting January 1, 2026. We need to be cautious during future camping trips.<

Behind the management building, there is an observation deck that allows for a view of the entire grounds. Perhaps because of the observation deck, there is a feeling akin to that of a park in a tourist area.

Below the observation deck is a cooking area, where you can prepare meals and eat under the roof. It's reassuring to have such facilities even in bad weather.

In addition to the partitioned sites like in the image above, there are also free sites without partitions. Each partitioned space is suitable for solo campers, but it's also possible to use two spaces for a duo. However, on this day, I wanted to park two cars side by side, so I chose a free site.

Enjoying conversations with friends after a long time

Since the location was decided, we quickly started camping! This camping trip mainly centered around stream fishing the next day, and I left the camp meals up to a friend's preference, enjoying conversations that aren't typical of our usual travels. While spending time chatting with friends, there was no feeling of loneliness or overthinking, just a relaxing time flowing by.

I learned from a call from the owner that the forest fire warning had been lifted, and I was overjoyed that we could have a campfire. Their thoughtful gesture of contacting me first warmed my heart.

As night fell, the temperature dropped considerably. During the day, I felt the warm spring weather, but at night, the wind was strong and it got quite chilly. The campsite, located in the mountainous area, felt like it was channeling in the cold air of mid-winter.

Enjoying Tochigi with a starry sky and a perfect breakfast

As the facility name "Star Forest" suggests, when I looked up, countless lights were spreading across the sky. Although it’s not at a particularly high altitude, I was able to see a clear starry sky. Experiencing such emotions and attractions can only be felt on-site, making me realize once again that I want to confirm things with my own eyes, rather than just relying on information from the internet.

In the evening, we decided to wrap up our meal and conversation early and head into the car to prepare for the next day.

In the morning, I was very satisfied with the nabe-yaki tempura udon from Onyx Japan, which has a factory in Utsunomiya. Since I first encountered it at a supermarket in Nikko a few years ago, it's become a personal staple that I enjoy both when camping and at home. After this, we decided to give up on stream fishing due to water shortage, but it turned out to be a very satisfying camping experience where we could fully enjoy the charm of Tochigi. I would like to drive and embark on a journey to encounter more such attractive campsites in the future.

Facility name / Takahara Star Forest Campground
Location / 973 Shimo-Isano, Yaita City, Tochigi Prefecture
Tel / 0287-47-6882
Check-in / 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Check-out / By 10:00 AM

Interview and text / Kazuma Tanaka

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