TOKYO (The Japan News/ANN) — In spite of the growing popularity of camping, a series of troubling actions by campers, such as leaving behind trash and building bonfires on grass, have forced campsite administrators to halt or even suspend operations.
 “It’s a shame that the poor manners of some users have deprived many others of their enjoyment,” one administrator said.
 The Tokyo metropolitan government decided earlier this month to close two campsites on the island of Kozushima in the Izu Islands through the end of March 2020.
 “We had asked users to mind their manners, but there has not been any noticeable improvement. It was a difficult decision,” a metropolitan government official in charge said with a sigh.
 Locations set for closure include the Nagahama Camp Ground, which opened in 1986, and the Sawajiri Camp Ground, which opened in 2001.
They are open free of charge to the public and have a growing number of visitors amid the recent camping boom. The number of applications for spots in fiscal 2018 reached 2,016, nearly double the number three years earlier.
 However, the number of reports of problematic behavior by campers continued, including boisterous late-night activities or breaking into the buildings on closed hotel sites and setting up tents. The Tokyo metropolitan government has received complaints from some residents saying, “I’m too scared to go near the campsite.”
The government came to the conclusion that the island’s natural environment might be adversely affected by such actions as dumping of refuse and building fires outside designated areas. Another pay campsite on the island remains in operation.
 Oya Alps Land campsite in Inagawa, Hyogo Prefecture, used to be popular because it was free of charge and needed no reservations. In January, however, the site was forced to close temporarily because of problematic behavior of visitors.
 Garbage was left piled around signboards that call for campers to take their trash with them when they leave, and there also were charred remnants from bonfires left on the grass by users who apparently broke off tree branches to use as firewood.
 Said a town official in charge: “We felt there was nothing else we could do. We are considering charging fees, but have yet to decide when to resume operations.”

Burn marks pock grass
The town office of Chippubetsu, Hokkaido, in July reported on its Facebook account about “serious damage” cause by circular burn marks on grassy areas at the municipal Bell Park Chippubetsu Camp Site.
 The site bans campers from placing heated pots, pans and other cookware directly onto the grass. It provides heat shield plates for those who want to put hot cookware on the grass.
 However, circular burn patterns — apparently from hot heated Dutch ovens or other cookware — started to appear conspicuously on the grass last year. When grass is burned and dies, it becomes a hole that has to be repaired with a new piece of sod.
 This summer, more than 100 instances of such damage were seen.
“We prepared 60 heat shield plates, and that should be enough. But … ” said a Chippubetsu official, not hiding the resulting frustration.
 According to the Japan Auto Camping Federation, 8.5 million visitors camped in 2018, up from 7.5 million in 2013. The demographics of campers and types of camping are diversifying. In addition to families, the number of solo and elderly campers is increasing.
“Previously, novice campers were often taken camping by those with experience, and learned proper etiquette from those with knowledge,” said Hiroaki Sakai, the camping federation’s secretariat.
 “However, people nowadays tend to try out camping casually after viewing material on the internet, and don’t pay attention to manners,” Sakai added. “We would like to promote manners in addition to the joy of camping.”