Only in Japan: the marvels of Michi no Eki

We’re a family that really enjoys road trips, and ever since our eldest child was a baby we’ve found them the easiest way to get from A to B. Part of this ease and convenience is because of Japan’s Michi-no-eki, or highway rest areas, which come equipped with just about everything you could possibly need when on the go.

Now, you might be thinking “well, just about every country around the world has highway rest stops - what makes Japan’s ones so special or unique?”

First of all, I think the fact that they’re more than just a rest area is key. So many of them feel like destinations worth visiting in and of themselves, instead of just a place to use the restroom or stretch your legs for a bit before carrying on with your journey. For instance, there are michi no eki that have their own ferris wheels, and others have been designed to look like you’ve been transported to the Edo period - and those are just a couple of examples!

This is the Kariya Highway Oasis in Aichi Prefecture, which is basically an amusement park!

Of course, if stopping in to use the restroom is the only thing you need to do at a michi no eki, you’ll still be impressed. Each and every time I’ve visited a bathroom at one of these highway rest stops, I’ve been greeted with ultra-clean facilities, including places to change my children back when they were in diapers. It provides such peace of mind knowing this before you hit the road!

They also often present an opportunity to try some tasty regional cuisine. Sure, you’ll typically have staple dishes like curry rice and ramen at just about every michi no eki from Hokkaido to Okinawa, but there are also unique local specialties which are fun to try. Many coastal michi no eki will have ultra-fresh seafood dishes, places like Yonezawa have awesome beef products (I still dream of a menchi katsu made with Yonezawa beef that I had there!), and Aomori-based michi no eki love featuring their apples - if you visit the Namioka Apple Hill michi no eki, the apple pies there are 100% worth trying.

If you want a souvenir, you’ll also find those in abundance. We collect keychains from our michi no eki visits, and display them on our Christmas tree - they work perfectly as quirky decorations!

Fresh seafood from the Sea of Japan at a michi no eki in Niigata. Pic Credit: yukikei/CC By NC 3.0

Others are home to some truly beautiful nature, like the Nakatsu Roadside Station in Oita Prefecture which is home to the Sanko Cosmos Field. There, visitors can enjoy literally millions of cosmos flowers that bloom from mid October through until early November.

How many other roadside rest areas across the world can boast fields with millions of flowers connected to them? Pic Credit: sk01/CC By SA 3.0

Have you explored many of Japan’s michi no eki? Have any of them stood out to you as being exceptional, and if so, where were they located?