3 Amazing Tochigi Rest Stops ・ Roadside Food, Souvenirs, Hot Springs, Trendy Shopping, & More!
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CONTENTS
Road trip or not, roadside rest stops are one of the little joys of traveling in Japan, and these 3 are must-sees!
Worth a Visit, With or Without a Car!
If your image of roadside rest areas stops at dirty floors and overpriced junk food, then you've probably never been to one in Japan! Dotted along Japan's rural roads, these spots really deserve the moniker "rest stop," with their sightseeing options, local food specialties, plus plenty of shopping and souvenirs. In Japan, domestic and international travelers alike will make purposeful stops at rest stops, often singling out the country's "Michi-no-Eki," which tend to be particularly well-outfitted. Meaning "roadside station," Michi-no-Eki rest stops are often destinations in and of themselves, so here are just three that are must-sees when traveling through Tochigi Prefecture.
Michi-no-Eki Mashiko: Green Lawns, a Trendy General Store, and Mashiko Art Gallery
Surrounded by grassy fields of green and gold, Michi-no-Eki Mashiko has become a particularly popular Tochigi rest stop in recent years, with its roof shaped like rolling hills, and the tranquil greenery surrounding the building in every direction. There's nothing better than buying a locally-made drink or bite to eat inside, and then taking it outside to enjoy while sitting on the deck or picnicking in the grass.
Under the high roof, this rest stop is a broad open space selling all kinds of local Tochigi specialties, from the farmer's market offering local produce and freshly-made food, to products made by local artisans and craftsmen. On one side of the building, space is devoted to a little art gallery, often devoted to showing off pieces of famous Mashiko pottery, or other local exhibitions.
Also, the "stationmaster" is a goat.
Michi-no-Eki Mashiko (道の駅ましこ)
2271 Nagatsutsumi Mashiko, Tochigi
Hours: 9:00 – 18:00 (closed second Tuesday of the month)
Official Website (jp)
Michi-no-Eki Kitsuregawa: Foot Baths and Hot Springs to Soak Away Travel Fatigue
Located in the city of Sakura, Michi-no-Eki Kitsuregawa is famous for including a full-on onsen bathhouse on the premises, on top of all the basics you might hope for at a rest stop. The hot springs at Kitsuregawa Onsen are said to be amazing at rejuvenating and beautifying the skin, top-three in Japan, making it the perfect place to relax and freshen up before another long day of picture taking in Tochigi! Even if you're not stopping for a full bath, though, you can still enjoy the steaming water at the rest stop's convenient foot bath!
This Michi-no-Eki has made a concerted effort to recall the retro style of Japan's Taisho period (1912-1926), with the era's unique mix of Japanese and Western design. The main building offers more local souvenirs and Tochigi food options, including a popular local bakery selling "onsen bread" and some impressive produce, like the "onsen eggplant." It's actually the first eggplant to be grown using Japanese onsen water, and locals brag about its delicate texture and sweet flavor.
Michi-no-Eki Kitsuregawa (道の駅 きつれがわ)
4145-10 Kitsuregawa, Sakura, Tochigi
Shop Hours: 9:00 – 18:00 (some food hours vary, closed second & fourth Monday of the month)
Onsen Hours: 10:00 – 21:00 (footbath 11:00 – 16:00)
Official Website (jp)
Michi-no-Eki Mibu: Amusement Parks and Strawberry Surprises
Not just a rest stop, this area off of the highway includes Mibu Highway Park (みぶハイウェーパーク), Tochigi Wanpaku Park (とちぎわんぱく Park), Bandai Museum (おもちゃのバンダイミュージアム), bringing together a normal shopping area with parks and plenty of entertainment. Park in the lot, accessible from the highway or normal roads, and you can easily walk to the kid-focused amusement park or the fantastic toy museum for a little fun and relaxation. For road trippers, it doesn't get much more convenient.
In the shopping area, again packed with local snacks and souvenirs, Tochigi's famous strawberries are the name of the game. Stop by the "fruit parlor" Mib-Town for shaved ice made not from ice and syrup, but from shaved frozen strawberries – topped of course with a generous pour of sweetened condensed milk.
Michi-no-Eki Mibu (道の駅みぶ)
1870-2 Kuniya, Mibu, Shimotsuga District, Tochigi
*Hours vary between sales areas and seasons, please check the website.
Official Website (jp)
Plan Your Trip to Tochigi!
Does all this talk of Tochigi make you want to get out there and explore the area? Well, whether you're planning a road trip where you stop at every rest stop, or hoping to hop around with public transport, there's tons to do in this prefecture north of Tokyo. Find out more about where to go by checking out our articles on Tochigi in summer, Tochigi in autumn, and Tochigi in winter!
For more info and updates from Japan, check Japankuru for new articles, and don't forget to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
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NAME:Tochigi's Michi-no-Eki (道の駅)
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Shizuoka Prefecture is sandwiched between eastern and western Japan, giving the prefecture easy access to both Tokyo and Osaka. Not only is it known for beautiful natural attractions, with everything from Mount Fuji to Suruga Bay, Lake Hamanako, and Sumata Pass―Shizuoka's Izu Peninsula is known as a go-to spot for hot springs lovers, with famous onsen like Atami, Ito, Shimoda, Shuzenji, and Dogashima. Shizuoka attracts all kinds of travelers thanks to historic connections with the Tokugawa clan, the Oigawa Railway, fresh eel cuisine, Hamamatsu gyoza, and famously high-quality green tea.
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Kyoto flourished as the capital of Japan between the years 794 and 1100, becoming a center for poilitics and culture, and to this day it's a great place for close encounters with Japanese history. The cobbled streets of Gion, the atmospheric road to Kiyomizudera Temple, Kinkakuji's golden walls and countless historic attractions, even Arashiyama's Togetsukyo Bridge―Kyoto is a place of many attractions. With new charms to experience throughout the seasons, travelers can't stop themselves from returning again and again.
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Nara Prefecture's important history reaches back to 710, a time now called the Nara era, when it was once capital of Japan. Called "Heijo-kyo" during its time as a capital, it's said that nara was once the end of the silk road, leading it to flourish as a uniquely international region and produce important cultural properties of all kinds. To make the most of each season, travelers head to Nara Park, where the Nara deer who wander freely, or climb Mount Yoshino, a famous cherry blossom spot.
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Osaka is known for friendly (and funny) people, but its history is nothing to laugh at, playing a major part in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's 16th century unification of Japan. Thanks to long years of economic activity, it's one of Japan's biggest cities, and Osaka's popular food culture earned it the nickname "The Kitchen of the Nation." To this day Osaka is the model of western Japan, and alongside historic structures like Osaka Castle, it also has major shopping malls like Umeda's Grand Front Osaka and Tennoji's Abeno Harukas. Osaka is a place to eat, eat, eat, with local specialties like takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and kushi-katsu, and for extra fun, it's home to Universal Studios Japan.
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The Chugoku Region (中国地方) consists of five prefectures: Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In Chugoku you’ll find the sand dunes of Tottori, and Hiroshima’s atomic bomb site, plus centers of ancient history like Grand Shrine of Izumo.
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Hiroshima Prefecture has everything, from world heritage sites to beautiful nature and delicious local cuisine, and it's either an hour and a half from Tokyo by plane, or four hours by train. Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island and the Atomic Bomb Dome, two Hiroshima UNESCO sites, are famous around the world, but in Japan it's also famous for food. Seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, especially oysters, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and Setouchi lemons are all popular, and the natural scenery alone is worth seeing.
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On the other side of the Seto Inland Sea opposite Japan’s main island, Shikoku (四国) is a region made up of four prefectures: Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, and Tokushima. The area is famous for its udon (in Kagawa), and the beautiful Dogo Onsen hot springs (in Ehime).
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Kagawa Prefecture is on the northern part of the island of Shikoku, facing Japan's main island and the Seto Inland Sea. It's known for being the smallest prefecture in Japan, by area, but at the same time Kagawa is called the "Udon Prefecture" thanks to its famous sanuki udon. Aside from Kotohiragu Shrine and Ritsurin Garden, the prefecture's small islands are popular, and Kagawa is full of unique destinations, like Angel Road. They say that if you lay eyes on Zenigata Sunae, a huge Kagawa sand painting, you'll never have money troubles ever again.
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Located in the most southwestern part of Japan, Kyushu (九州) is an island of 7 prefectures: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima. The island's unique culture has been influenced by Chinese and Dutch trade, along with missionaries coming in through Nagasaki's port. Modern-day travelers love the lush natural scenery and fresh food, plus the natural hot springs found all throughout the area (thanks to volcanic activity)!
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Fukuoka Prefecture has the highest population on the southern island of Kyushu, with two major cities: Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. Thanks to growing transportation networks, Fukuoka is more accessible than ever, and so are the many local attractions. On top of historical spots like Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, travelers shouldn't miss Fukuoka's food scene, with motsu nabe (offal hotpot), mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and famous Hakata ramen―best eaten from a food stall in the Nakasu area of Hakata. Plus, it's full of all sorts of destinations for travelers, like trendy shopping centers, and the beautiful nature of Itoshima and Yanagawa.
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Kagoshima Prefecture played a major role in Japan's modernization as a backdrop for famous historical figures like samurais Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi, who pushed Japan out of the Edo era and into the Meiji. Because of that, Sengan-en Garden is just one of many historical destinations, and when it comes to attractions Kagoshima has plenty: the active volcano of Sakurajima, popular hot springs Ibusuki Onsen and Kirishima Onsen, World Heritage Site Yakushima Island, even what Japan calls the "island closest to heaven," Amami Oshima. Kagoshima might be found on the very southernmost tip of the southern island of Kyushu, but there's plenty to see.
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The island chain of Okinawa (沖縄) makes up the southernmost tip of Japan, which is why it's also the most tropical area in the country. Thanks to a history of independence and totally distinct political and cultural events, Okinawa has a unique culture, and remnants of the Ryukyu Kingdom are still visible all over the islands. Food, language, traditional dress, it's all a little different! It's also said to be the birthplace of karate.
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