Almost three quarters of Japan is covered by forests and mountains, meaning the mostly city-dwelling population of 126 million have both the space and the necessity to just get away from it all. Time is also in short supply for the working population, so long weekends or short vacations are the norm ... and when everyone has same vacation idea at the same time, accommodation is at a premium. This all adds up to a ready marketplace for camping vehicles. Gizmag headed along to the 2015 Camping Car show in Tokyo to check out the latest ways to tackle the great outdoors on wheels.

This picture shows the difference in size between Camping in the USA and Camping in Japan (Photo: Stephen Clemenger/Gizmag.com)

The Japanese Camping Car market has developed into some very different forms to those in Europe and the USA and also Australia, the three other major markets for these kinds of vehicles. There are three basic ways the Japanese Camping Car market has gone, according to Masahiko Yamada from vehicle modification company NUTS – the Micro K-Camper, the Combo and the Cab Conversion.

The Micro K-Camper

The Balocco has room to sleep 2 adults and 2 children (Photo: Stephen Clemenger/Gizmag.com)

The CAMPMASTER from Schtelt - a K-Camper based on the pick-up version of the Suzuki Carry K-truck (Photo: Stephen Clemenger/Gizmag.com)

Starting at the bottom, in terms of size and price, we have the K-Camper. These are based on the chassis or body of the Kei-Truck and are both very small and quite cheap. And just like their Kei-Car counterparts, they conform to a strict set of government rules regarding their size and power output. This isn't necessarily conducive to camping comfort, but with pop-up roofs and clever interior packaging, you can get a quart into a pint pot, as they say.

The Combo

The Hiace Saloon Compo from NUTS (Photo: Stephen Clemenger/Gizmag.com)

The D:POP from Sun-auto is based on the Mitsubishi DELICA D5 (Photo: Stephen Clemenger/Gizmag.com)

Taking a step-up size-wise is the Combo. These vehicles are usually based on large people carriers or family vehicles and look almost totally standard from the outside.Their primary function remains that of a family runabout, but they are designed to be easily converted into an overnight camper for weekend adventures.

The Cab Conversion

This see through display model that shows the tight packaging on a Cab Conversion from NUTS (Photo: Stephen Clemenger/Gizmag.com)

The new Cresson Voyage from NUTS (Photo: Stephen Clemenger/Gizmag.com)

Cab Conversions sit at the high-end of the market and are designed for the dedicated traveler, with virtually everything to accommodate life on the open road. Their size is still relatively small compared to their European Motor home cousins ... and tiny compared to the American RV. Masahiko Yamada believes this type of vehicle will move from niche to the mainstream as the market grows in Japan.

Assorted oddities

Along with one of the highlights from the show, the Honda N-Truck and N-Camp, there were several vehicles on display that did not really fit into any of these categories, like the Triplex Cargo Trailer from Fithworld – a kind of inside out house that you essentially have to have to build once you arrive at your destination.

Fifthworld's Triplex cargo trailer (Photo: Stephen Clemenger/Gizmag.com)

The MiniBig amphibious trailer from Car-Taka (Photo: Stephen Clemenger/Gizmag.com)

Also catching our eye was the MiniBig amphibious trailer, which is sold by a company called car-taka.

This is the view from the front, showing the camping body matches the car body in color but not in style (Photo: Stephen Clemenger/Gizmag.com)

Our final mention goes to the Relax Cabin. While not the only example of Toyota Prius-based camping we've seen, it certainly gets points for style ... and apparently it sleeps four!

The Nissan e-NV200 BBQ - "the biggest and most powerful electric BBQ in the world" (Photo: Stephen Clemenger/Gizmag.com)

Head through to our gallery for more highlights from Japan's 2015 Camping Car show.

Official site: 2015 Camping Car show (Japanese)