Outdoor activities in Japan - statistics & facts

In recent years, the outdoor business-related market was on a growing course but contracted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In spite of this, terms relating to mainstream outdoor activities such as camping were buzzing in Japanese society, as activities outside of confined spaces were deemed safer than indoor leisure activities and hence became more attractive to people.

Who is engaging in outdoor activities?

Urbanization is highly advanced in Japan, as the share of the urban population surpasses 90 percent. The majority of people live in the city and contact with nature is not self-evident. Despite this remoteness to nature, about half of the adult population has engaged in camping before, and likewise, roughly one in two adult Japanese had experiences with mountain climbing or hiking. Men tend to manifest a higher desire for most outdoor activities than women. Next to the gender disparity regarding outdoor practitioners, an age group disparity is on the rise, with outdoor experiencing a revival among younger generations. More young people are interested in and intend to engage in representative outdoor activities such as camping. The fact that interest in outdoor and outdoor equipment is growing is also shown by the leaping market size of the sales revenue at businesses in certain segments of the outdoor market.

New trends: solo camping, glamping, and workcation

Solo camping and glamping are two neologisms that recently came to prominence in the Japanese outdoor scene. As can be inferred by the name, solo camping generally refers to camping done by oneself. Motivations for solo camping are manifold. The desire to spend some quality time alone, away from hectic city life, the sense of freedom it provides, or the feeling of connectivity to nature are a few examples. Glamping is a composite word stemming from glamorous and camping. Glamping strives to provide amenities usually absent from standard camping, while at the same time offering all the benefits that camping brings with itself. Glamping has moved into the center of attention as it caters to the needs of people who want to enjoy nature without its hardships, and as a means of stress relief for high-end workers. “Workcation” is another trendy composite term, the amalgam of work and vacation, which goes well with glamping and fits into the current zeitgeist. Another indicator that camping is on an upward trend is the steady growth of the total sales value of camping vehicles in Japan in recent years.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.