For many people, an RV is the ideal combination of leisure and travel. While sleeping, cooking and roaming on your own wheels is popular in Europe and the U.S., less can be said for other parts of the world. Kenji Araki, president of NutsRV, is working to bring innovation to this market in Japan, building the culture from the ground up. After starting out in Japan’s custom car scene, Araki first encountered an RV at an exhibition in Germany nearly three decades ago. He saw their potential in Japan, where they were rare at the time. “Japan has long life expectancies and high amounts of savings. This creates huge market potential,” Araki said. While the concept of a “second life” after retirement is common in Japan, Araki emphasizes that RVs appeal to people of all ages. “They are a tool that adds excitement and color to life,” he said.
Founded in 1990, NutsRV worked with all forms of custom cars before entering the RV industry. The company has acquired vehicle know-how from around the world, as well as developing patented technologies at its Kyushu base. NutsRV transforms high-quality base vehicles from Japanese and Italian manufacturers into stylish, functional mobile homes, from the compact “Joly Bee” to the spacious “Border Banks.” With production facilities in Kitakyushu, China and the Philippines, the company now produces over 1,200 campervans annually and plans to triple production by 2030. “In every country, more and more people are looking for quality leisure time for themselves,” Araki said. By personally traveling to trade shows worldwide, Araki aims to partner with the best suppliers globally. “From Italy and Belgium to Germany and Taiwan, we source RV parts from all over the world,” he said.
NutsRV produces over 1,200 bespoke vehicles per year.
Corporate responsibility is also a central pillar of NutsRV’s mission. The company stocks a fleet of RV disaster response vehicles, deployed in times of emergency for local governments. Following similar initiatives in New Zealand and the U.S., NutsRV provided vehicles for relief efforts after the Noto Peninsula earthquake. Araki now has ambitious goals for the broader industry. As chairman of the Japan RV Association, he works to strengthen ties among stakeholders, as well as hosting over 15 events per year for fans. “We also have partnered with major convenience stores and open spaces, and now offer over 600 ‘RV Park’ rest locations across Japan,” he said. “As demand grows, our goal as an association is to produce 30,000 RVs by 2030,” Araki said.
