Japan takes glamping to new heights: It’s a long way to go, but these posh tents have wine cellars, hot springs and views of Mount Fuji

It’s all going so well, this walk through the Aokigahara Forest at the foot of Mount Fuji, when our guide, Makoto, stops next to an old tree and points to scratches on the bark.

“This shows that there was a black bear recently,” he said. No one else looks concerned, so we move on. Later, when I’m safely back in my tent, I realize that I’m learning much more than just bears during this glamping holiday in Japan.

Glamping? A word that emerged from combining the ideas of camping and glamor to make camping holidays more luxurious has become a trend here. Forget capsule hotels and skyscrapers; instead, visitors can explore Japan’s 34 national parks.

With the value of the yen against the British pound in our favour, Japan has become a relatively cheaper option for the British, and these types of tent holidays reduce those costs even further.

I’m staying at Villa Hanz, one of the first of these new glamping ventures, two hours from Tokyo and accessible by train. It is located in the Fuji Five Lakes region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The nearest lake is Kawaguchiko, where sporty visitors can enjoy many water sports including canoeing, kayaking and paddle boarding.

Villa Hanz aims not only to promote wilderness skills, but also a love of nature. There is a capacity for up to 144 guests, cared for by 50 employees. Through them and their endless patience we learn how to light fires, chop wood and use knives safely.

According to our guide, these core skills are increasingly scarce in the modern world. Most Japanese homes do not have a garden and many children often do not have the opportunity to climb trees or explore nature. I see a young Japanese boy collecting firewood in such fierce competition with his older brother that their mother has to calm him down.

This is soft glamping, with three types of accommodation. I am in the simplest one, the ‘pao’, an igloo-like tent in the forest. Unassuming on the outside, it is deceptively luxurious on the inside. It is equipped with modern and antique furniture and has an attached bathroom with the ubiquitous Japanese toilet that washes and heats. And the futons are comfortable.

Above, one of the igloo-like tents, which Lucy says are ‘deceptively luxurious inside’

The tents are furnished with modern and antique furniture and have an attached bathroom with a Japanese toilet

Another option is a villa, a light and airy wooden house with a barbecue area at the back. At the top of the scale is the main guesthouse, a restored traditional Japanese house that can accommodate up to ten people.

Wherever you stay, breakfast is served in the main building. One morning I meet a woman toasting her bread while admiring the snow-capped Mount Fuji. “It is a privilege to be able to see up close what has been so often depicted in art,” she says.

It’s a shame we’re missing the stargazing tour, but we took too long preparing our barbecue dinner. Baskets of fresh produce can be purchased on site; Unfortunately, we can’t buy cooking expertise, but we are becoming more and more skilled (and faster) during our stay.

At Villa Hanz, guests can fill their bottles from a fountain fed by Mount Fuji, Lucy explains

Lucy (not pictured) enjoying a tour of the Aokigahara Forest

As for drinks, everything is available: it is one of the few glamping places with its own wine cellar. And the water tastes divine too. We fill our bottles from a fountain fed by Mount Fuji. This spring proves popular and brings with it the only queue we encounter here.

This being Japan, there is an onsen, a natural hot spring, where I enjoy the warm water and wonder why I am such a fan of this country. Is it the cleanliness, the tasty food or the friendly people? One day, as I was climbing a steep hill, the guide offered to carry my heavy backpack.

Although I prefer to sleep under canvas, what brings me the most joy is walking in the woods. All vegetation grew on lava emitted when Mount Fuji erupted in 864 AD. But that layer of sediment has created a scary problem. It masks the Earth’s magnetic field and no compass will work in these forests. It’s a completely different world.