Arai Camp features a huge range of lodgings from basic cabins to a gorgeous hotel. Choose from many kinds of themed activities held on an entire mountain top, the Arai Camp area is designed to accommodate the entire family. Older folks can come along too for the mountain air, spa and views of Sado Island and be housed in the luxurious hotel, while the youngsters take off for their adventure type activities. Looks like a neat place. Their website takes a bit of complicated navigating but it is well worth it.
Boy Scouts of America
Bldg. 2000, Yokota Air Force Base, Fussa-shi
Phone: 0425-52-2511 ext.58797 [contact Mr. Jack Daly]
Office of Cub Scouts [ages 6-10] and Boy Scouts [ages 11-18] of America in Japan. They accept children of any nationality. Summer Programs Camp; Children’s Organizations.
English Adventures offers Annual Summer Camps held in August. Nature Education, traditional camp activities, sports and games — all in English! English Adventure’s expert native-English staff bring the fun and learning of American Summer Camp to your child, without leaving Japan. More info here. Dave Paddock is the director of English Adventure, offering camps and outdoor programs for kids, families and organizations. Send comments, questions and suggestions to thisemail.
Geos for Children offers homestays and camps and caters for foreign-speaking kids in countries such as Canada and the US. For info call 0120-91-1313.
International Gymnastics Club (IGC) is run by a team led by founder Lance Lee and his staff, themselves gymnasts and fitness instructors. They feature a wide variety of levels and packages for kids aged 3 to 12. The team help empower kids achieving surprising results in tumbling, vault, balance beam, and uneven parallel bars. The weeklong camps usually run from mid-June through to mid-August. Location: International School of the Sacred Heart in Hiroo. Special weeklong evening classes (5 pm) are available at Nishimachi International School gym through Aug. 5. For details, contact ICG. Phone: 3440-0384, or visit the IGC website.
International Youth Association (Tokyo-based) holds its annual camps during August usually made up of about 100 plus Japanese participants and about 40 foreign participants. Various activities such as climbing Mt Fuji, cooking outdoors and playing games. The camp is open to children from fourth grade primary to third ear middle school. Phone: 03-3359-8421.
KEEP camp in Yamanashi lets kids milk cows and hike and more. Says one of our e-community members: “I sent my kids twice on their own. The camp did make attempts to separate groups and siblings (to avoid bullying), to be fair, and the leaders were well-trained. For more info see their website:http://www.keep.or.jp/indexe.html
Krissman International Tennis School (KITS). Alan Krissman has been courting young players in Tokyo for over two decades. Junior Tennis Camp sessions (ages 5-17) serve out instruction at all levels, held usually in early June to late August. They take place at three locations: St. Mary’s International School in Setagaya, the American Embassy Housing Compound in Roppongi, and the Hanegi courts near Shibuya. Contact KITS at 3325-0924, or check out their bilingual website: http://www.krissmantennis.com.
Nanbo Discovery Camp emphasizes kids communing with nature. They have bilingual counselors, outdoor activities, and academic enrichment to explore the lovely environs of the Minami Boso Peninsula, Chiba. The camp is geared to students entering grades 3 through 7, and is directed by David Green, science teacher at Nishimachi for nearly three decades, and his wife Yoshiko Kimura, 4th-grade teacher at St. Mary’s. Campers can snorkel, go hiking, collect specimens from tide pools, play on the seashore, and learn a great deal about marine biology from David Green. Campers spend nights at the Hakkakuso lodge in Tateyama, and/ in tents at the beach, with cookouts over a campfire. Location: 422-1 Sunomiya, Tateyama, Chiba; Phone: 0470-28-2824. For registration and further details, contact David Green: 1-3-3-202 Okamoto, Setagaya-ku; Phone: 3708-4012; Email: dgreen@gol.com (and if you request, David Green can help you arrange roundtrip transportation to and from Tokyo).
Northstar Camp has both summer and winter camps that are highly recommended by our members. Winter camps have featured snowboarding at Northstar in Nagano Prefecture in the past. Busing from Tokyo is provided. Says an e-community member: “My daughter has been to the camp several times before (for skiing and snowboarding in the winter, and for hiking in the Alps during the summer), and she has had a great time. She has met other homeschoolers there, as well. The staff includes both Japanese and North American counselors. The cost is 29,800 yen including transportation from Shinjuku; the cost is less for people who get there on their own (about 22,800 yen). Incidentally, at other times Northstar is operated as a lodge. So if the camp doesn’t work out, you could always go as a family, rent a room at the lodge, and go skiing/snowboarding/snowshoeing/etc.” For more info, take a look at the Northstar webpage: http://www.north-star.jp/en/index.html
National Children’s Castle offers outdoor camps year-round for elementary and junior high school children.
Also, an overnight camp at the National Children’s Castle for children ages 3 and up and their families..
5-53-1 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku. Phone: 03-3797-5666
Hours: 10am-5pm Closed: Mondays.
National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan
Asahi Seimei Ebisu Bldg. 12F,
1-3-1 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku
Phone: 03-5424-1121
Hours: 9:45am-5:30pm
Closed: Weekends
UNESCO International Children Camp is held every summer. Children ages 10 to 15
of different nationalities gather in the nature.
Okutama Bible Chalet
3-839 Yugimachi, Ohme-shi
Phone: 0428-76-0931 Hours: 9am-5pm Closed: Sundays
Joy Bible Camp is held every year in June. Ages 8 to 14. Offers summer camps and skiing camps during winter to spring.
(The) Right Brain Research Art Center (RBR) Kristin Newton offers activities that allow children and adults to learn how to use the creative power of the right brain hemisphere. RBR has just moved into a fresh, spacious facility in Moto Azabu, and features classes in all sorts of studio arts, as well as calligraphy, etching, jewelry-making, and sculpting. Pace method music instruction, improvisation workshops, and even a Daddy and Me class have been scheduled as past summer activities, many are conducted in both English and Japanese. Location: 1-5-15 Moto Azabu, Minato-ku; Phone: 5484-3719; The RBR facility is right across from the Korean Embassy and a mere 7 minutes from Azabu Juban station.
Sahoro Summer/ Fall Camp Club Med for 1 individual adult/child (3-11 years) 9,899 yen package for 4 days. Camp includes the very popular English immersion camp, the Circus School, as well as nature challenge school, and many hands on activities including bread-making, milking cows, potato picking, fishing, T-shirt designing and making. Dates: Jun 4-Sep 10; Sep 17-Oct 15. Taking advantage of the beauty of Hokkaido’s country landscape, Club Med like all its other facilities elsewhere knows all about organized fun, and offers good value for money in terms of food and accommodation. The only thing is you have to blow your expenses on your airfare to the north country.
Tokyo Baptist Church have conducted in the past music day camps for English-speaking, elementary-age children, usually in mid-August. Location: 9-2 Hachiyamacho, Shibuya-ku; tel: 3461-8425
Tokyo YMCA, Wellness Center offers summer camps and ski camps during winter to spring.
7 Kanda Midoshirocho, Chiyoda-ku. Phone: 03-3293-7015
Hours: 10 am – 9 pm Closed: Sundays and public holidays.
Camps offered by International Schools
Full-day camps are usually offered by a great many international schools, there are just too many to list them all here. Check it out with the international school nearest to your home – try our very comprehensive list of international schools for info to begin with. Some of those that have offered camps in the past include:
The American School in Japan has offered outstanding theme-based programs designed for native speakers, as well as several ESL-based camps in the past. Phone: 0422-34-5300 or access their website:http://www.asij.ac.jp/summer.
Grace International Learning Center runs summer camps for aged 3-8 kids. Location: 2-13-11 Seta, Setagaya-ku; Phone: 5716-3100. Website:http://www.grace-learning.com
Global Kids Academy (GKA) has run in the past full-day camps with two summer sessions for school-age kids. Founded by alumni of Nishimachi International School and ASIJ, GKA痴 strength is in dual language immersion education. Location: Townhouse Moto Azabu, 1-5-24 Moto Azabu, Minato-ku; tel. 5447-1913; Website: http://www.globalkidsacademy.com They have featured in the past creative and challenging field trips, neighborhood scavenger hunts, recorded music CDs with famous singers; trips to Kasai Sea Life Park, and tea ceremonies.
J’s International School targets tots from 2.5 to 6, and their camps focus on various language-related activities, including conversation, reading, writing, cultural traditions, and games. The Summer Fun Program runs in early August, half-day camps featuring crafts, weekly themes. Location: 1-16-2 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku; Phone: 03-3452-2078; Website: http://www.js-international-school.com
International Secondary School has held short summer camps (4-days) for students from grade 6-12 at Lake Shirakabako – a mountain resort three hours from Tokyo. Students took part in outdoor activities including horse riding, hiking, fishing and cycling. They also experienced life in a rural farmyard setting: milking cows, making butter, picking and planting vegetables, and preparing outdoor meals. They also visited local attractions including Lake Suwa geyser and the Suwa Shrine. Phone: 03-5730-1331 or email iss@isstokyo.com Their website is at URL: http://www.isstokyo.com.
Komazawa Park International Preschool/Kindergarten offers summer school for children ages 3 onwards from July too August. Phone / Fax: 03-5707-0979Email: Located in Setagaya-ku.
St. Mary’s International School (summer camps are now co-ed, feature a full-range of studies with activities such as swimming, baseball, drama, karate, science, as well as crafts and games. Directed by Mike Dimuzio. Location: 1-6-19 Seta, Setagaya-ku. Phone: 3709 3411
Summer Camp Adventure features weekly fieldtrips, swimming, drama events, an outdoor BBQ party, and young camp counselors from the states. You can pick and choose from any of the nine weeks the program runs, but some weeks fill quickly and Embassy kids are given priority. Open to ages 3 to 12. Location: 2-1-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku; phone: 3224-6796 The U.S. Embassy Housing Compound, through EWA Children’s Garden.
Apart from the camps listed above, there are hundreds of camps conducted in Japanese. A month or so before, the summer school holidays, check your local public library which will have available many brochures or pamphets for the public that list the upcoming nature camps, academic camps and workshops of all kinds. The following are just some of the camp-organizers of many exciting camp with activities ranging from tree-climbing, forest-treks to hot-air ballooning and alpine hiking:Alps-kodomokai, Chiba Shizen Gakko, Yakusu Shizen Gakko, NPO Nature Challenge School Waku Waku WADA Phone: 047-47-2227, NPO Nature & Science Club in Gifu, Shinrinkabegasanomori, Kodomo-Adventure 2006 organized by Yokohama City edn department, Kodomo-Shizen-Taiken-Mura Phone: 0768-23-1176 /Fax: 0768-22-7669; Summer Camp in Shinshu Phone: 026-226-0391. See article about a “Rivercamp lets kids play, keeps dams at bay”
Autocamps and BBQ & Day-Campsites
There are more than 3,000 campsites in Japan (according to JNTO). For drive-and-stay campsites consult and print out the JNTO listing – 6 pages in English.
The following is a list of day Kanto area day campsites beside a river or waterfall:
*ACN Auto Resort Park Picnic Land in Yamanashi 11am-4pm River, waterfalls, BBQ & daycamp; America-Camp-Mura, Tokyo (River, BBQ and 10am-4pm day-camp);Cottage Forest Village (kotejishinrinmori) in Akiruno, Tokyo (river, BBQ and day camp site); Hadanotokawa-koen in Kanagawa (River, BBQ and 10am-3:30pm day camp); *Kannogawa Campsite in Sagamihara, Kanagawa (river, BBQ and 8am-5pm day camp); Kawasemigawara in Saitama (river, BBQ and day campsite); Nagatoro Autocampjyou in Saitama Phone: 0494-66-0640 (River, BBQ and 9am-4pm day-camp only); Ranzankeikoku BBQ Place in Saitama (river, BBQ and day camp only 8:30am-5 pm);*Seseragi-Campsite in Saitama River and BBQ site 9am-6pm day-camp site Phone: 042-979-0062; *Takinoen-yoroukeikoku-Autocampsite in Chiba (Waterfall and river and 11am-6 pm daycampsite)
EDUCATION IN JAPAN COMMUNITY Blog 
