From Hong Kong to Tokushima: Discovering Japan Differently with Hina

Sometimes, the most interesting travel stories begin with an unexpected connection.

We are a campervan company from Hong Kong, based in Japan, with a simple goal: to introduce the beauty of Japan to people from Hong Kong and around the world.

Hina Haruse, however, has been doing something quite similar in her own way.

Born and raised in Tokushima, Hina is a Japanese creator who often introduces Hong Kong to her audience. She enjoys connecting with people from different cultures, discovering the things that make each place unique, and sharing those experiences with others.

When we first came across Hina, we felt there was something special about this connection.

We are from Hong Kong, introducing Japan to the world.

She is from Japan, introducing Hong Kong to the world.

So when Hina had the opportunity to explore her hometown of Tokushima with one of our campervans, we thought it would be the perfect chance to see Japan through her eyes.

Although she grew up in Tokushima and had travelled extensively around the prefecture, this was her first time experiencing her hometown through camping.

She discovered a different side of a place she thought she already knew.

From quiet mountain campsites and clean rivers to cooking outdoors and meeting fellow travellers, Hina found that Tokushima still had many surprises waiting for her.

We sat down with Hina to talk about Hong Kong, Tokushima, camping, and why she thinks a campervan can offer visitors a very different way to experience Japan.

01｜You are from Tokushima, but you often introduce Hong Kong. What do you like about Hong Kong?

Hina:

When I communicate with people from Hong Kong, I always feel very welcome.

I like communicating with people from other countries who have different cultures.

My Hong Kong friends have introduced me to so many things about Hong Kong, and I also enjoy learning about the differences between Hong Kong culture and Japanese culture.

I really like interacting with Hong Kong people.

And, of course, I like Hong Kong food! 😆

(So, how did you learn to speak Cantonese?)

My Hong Kong friends teach me Cantonese.

I have learned a little bit, but I still can't really speak it!

02｜This time, you explored your hometown with our campervan. Did you discover anything new?

Hina:

I've never been camping in my hometown before.

My mom loves travelling, so I've travelled a lot around Tokushima. But I had never experienced Tokushima through camping.

This was my first time experiencing the nature of Tokushima in this way, and I discovered that Tokushima is much deeper than I thought.

There are so many clean rivers and forests. It is such a natural environment.

I also found that many people in Tokushima love camping.

I met many foreigners from different countries who come here to camp and also to do Ohenro.

(Ohenro is the traditional pilgrimage around the 88 temples of Shikoku.)

Some people travel from one destination to another, staying at campsites along the way and enjoying the nature and camping experience.

I think it is a very special way to travel around Japan.

(It is actually quite similar to what many people do on the Kumano Kodo in Wakayama, where travellers hike between different temples and stay close to nature along the way.)

Yes, exactly.

I think travelling this way allows people to experience a different side of Japan.

03｜What was your favourite moment of the trip?

Hina:

I really liked the cooking part. 🤤

There were very few people at the campsite, so I could really enjoy the nature and the quiet atmosphere.

Camping food also feels different from normal cooking.

Somehow, it tastes so much better when you are eating outside, surrounded by nature.

Even with a very simple cooking method, it can create a special feeling.

The food itself might be simple, but the experience makes it feel special and exciting.

(Was the campsite not very crowded?)

The first campsite was a little crowded.

But the second one was in the middle of the mountains, and there were only two of us there.

It was so quiet.

04｜You have tried traditional camping before. What did you think was different this time?

Hina:

I felt that this time was much easier.

We didn't have to prepare and set up a tent, which saved us a lot of time.

We arrived at the campsite quite late, so we didn't have much time.

For beginners, I think it was much easier to set everything up and start cooking.

People who go camping in the traditional way need much more time to prepare everything.

With the campervan, it was so easy to experience camping.

I enjoyed everything.

When I opened the campervan, everything was already prepared.

I didn't have to stress about anything.

05｜Would you recommend exploring Japan or Tokushima by campervan?

Hina:

Yes, definitely.

When people from other countries come to Japan, they often stay in hotels.

But when they stay in hotels, they don't always have the opportunity to communicate with local people or experience local nature.

With a campervan, you stay at campsites, so you have more opportunities to experience the real Japanese environment.

I think it is a very special experience for tourists.

Especially when you travel to the countryside, a campervan can be one of the best ways to explore Japan.

Seeing Japan Through Different Eyes

What we found most interesting about this trip was not simply that Hina enjoyed camping.

It was the way she rediscovered somewhere she already knew.

For someone who grew up in Tokushima and had travelled around the prefecture many times, it would be easy to think that there was nothing new left to discover.

But travelling by campervan changed the experience.

The journey became slower.

The destinations became quieter.

A simple meal became memorable.

And a familiar hometown became a place to explore again.

Perhaps that is one of the most special things about travelling by campervan.

You don't always need to travel somewhere completely new to discover something different.

Sometimes, you just need to experience a familiar place in a new way.

From Hong Kong to Japan, and Japan to Hong Kong

There is also something meaningful about Hina's story for us at Sora Campers.

We started this journey from Hong Kong, but chose Japan as the place where we wanted to share our love of travel.

We hope to introduce travellers from Hong Kong and around the world to the landscapes, food, people and everyday beauty of Japan — especially the places beyond the usual tourist routes.

Hina is doing something similar in the opposite direction.

Through her eyes, she introduces Hong Kong to people in Japan and shows them the culture, food and experiences that make Hong Kong unique.

Perhaps that is why we connected so naturally.

She introduces Hong Kong to Japan.We introduce Japan to the world.

And somewhere in between, we meet through our shared love of travel.

For us, that is what travelling is really about.

Not simply visiting another country, but connecting with people, discovering different cultures, and seeing familiar places from a new perspective.

Thank you, Hina, for joining us on this journey and for showing us a different side of Tokushima.

We hope this is only the beginning of many more journeys.

See you on the road. 🌿🚐