Laid-Back Camp around Lake Hamana

Time alone at a campsite, or a meal shared with a friend: Laid-Back Camp finds pleasure in the small moments of a journey. Around Lake Hamana, you can turn memories of Rin's travels into a detour of your own.

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Rin's journey around Lake Hamana

Based on Afro's manga, Laid-Back Camp follows Rin Shima, who enjoys camping alone, and Nadeshiko Kagamihara, who is discovering the joys of camping. Their everyday lives unfold against the landscapes of Japan's Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures.

In Season 2, Rin visits Lake Hamana. An evening view at Bentenjima, a meeting at Sakume and a shopping stop in Kanzanji become parts of a journey around the lake. These are the three places we will explore here.

Season 2 official website (Japanese) →

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Three places around one lake

The Shinkansen crosses the southern part of Lake Hamana. Sakume, where Rin meets Nadeshiko, is on the northern shore, while Kanzanji lies to the east. Plotting the three places makes the difference clear: each offers its own view of the lake, and each calls for a different journey.

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Stay for the evening at Bentenjima

Bentenjima Seaside Park is where Rin watches the setting sun beside the red tower shaped like a torii gate. It is a chance to return to the lake you glimpsed from the Shinkansen, this time at walking pace.

From Hamamatsu Station, take the JR Tokaido Main Line to Bentenjima Station. Walk along the shore and give the sky and water time to change colour. If you want to recall the mood of the anime, leave some room in the day simply to be here.

The point where the sun sets relative to the gate changes with the season. Whether you are hoping for a view like Rin's or just an evening by the water, allow enough time to arrive before sunset.

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A station beside the water at Sakume

Rin and Nadeshiko meet at Hamanako-Sakume Station in Season 2, episode 3. Unagi Sakume, the restaurant in front of the station, connects to the scene in which they enjoy unaju, grilled eel served over rice in a box. A view and a meal: here, the characters' journey translates easily into a real detour.

To reach the station from the Shinkansen, take the JR Tokaido Main Line from Toyohashi or Hamamatsu to Shinjohara, then change to the Tenryu Hamanako Railroad, also known as the Tenhama Line, for the northern side of the lake. Starting from Bentenjima also means taking a JR train to Shinjohara and changing there. It is not a direct train ride along the shore from one anime location to the next.

At Sakume, enjoy the way the water comes close to the tracks. The photograph is from 2006, so check the railway and restaurant's own information for current facilities and opening arrangements. Check the return timetable before you settle in, too.

Official Hamanako-Sakume station guide and timetable (Japanese) →

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A stop for sweets in Kanzanji

At Kanzanji Onsen, the hot-spring district on the lake's eastern shore, Rin walks through town and buys Japanese sweets. JR Central's guide identifies the real shop Wagashidokoro Shizuka as the counterpart of the anime's shop. The Japanese spelling of its name changes slightly in the story, while the atmosphere of the place carries through.

The same sweets shown in the anime may not always be available. If shopping is the reason for your visit, check the shop's opening days and current selection before you go.

You can reach the Kanzanji area by local bus from Hamamatsu Station. It is a separate destination across the lake from Sakume. A day on the railway can focus on Sakume; a trip from Hamamatsu to the hot-spring district can focus on Kanzanji. Treating them as separate outings makes the travel easier to plan.

Official directions to Kanzanji Onsen (Japanese) →

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Choose your kind of day