TOKYO (TR) – As hotel accommodation rates rise, a major convenience store chain will experiment with the renting out of parking lots at some of its outlets for car camping, reports NHK (July 8).
On July 14, convenience store chain Lawson will begin the trial by renting parking spaces at six stores in Chiba Prefecture, including in Minamiboso and Kamogawa cities, for patrons to sleep inside their vehicles.
The fee will be between 2,500 and 3,000 yen per space. Parking will be available from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. the following day. Reservations will be available in advance.
Patrons will be able to use the convenience store’s toilets. They will also be able to put a certain amount of food waste in a special garbage bag that the store will dispose.
According to the company, this is the first time that a convenience store’s parking lot has been rented out for such a purpose.
The service will be developed to meet the standards of the Japan RV Association, an industry group for car camping.
In the past, customers have taken naps in convenience store parking lots. Because the size and usage of parking lots differ from store to store, there are no unified rules. As a result, customers are sometimes warned individually if they stay there for an extended period of time. A representative of the company said, “We want to utilize our nationwide store network to increase the options for [persons] to sleep in their cars.”
The experiment will extend until at least June of next year. Lawson will consider expanding the program in the future based on usage.
Demand for lodging on the rise
Lawson is launching the experiment due to an increase in demand for lodging nationwide.
From October to December last year, the average room rate at 12 domestic hotel brands, including major business hotels, was double the annual average for 2021, according to credit research company Tokyo Shoko Research.
The research firm cites the increase in foreign tourists as one of the key reasons for the increase in demand.
