The view from route 292
22/02/2026 / Last updated : 22/02/2026 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Route 292, the highest point on a national road in Japan　日本国道最高地点

Oct. 29th. 2025 Michi no eki Kawaba　　道の駅川場田園プラザ Michi no eki Shirasawa has only the onsen and a  leafy parking area to recommend it. The facilities are minimal, no washlet, no heated seat and no flower arrangement. There are rubbish bins only for cans and pet bottles. So, after leaving and driving for perhaps 10 minutes, we pull in at michi no eki Kawaba which has an abundance of rubbish bins. Not to mention the 7 car parks, maybe 4 with their own toilets. There are a number of fancy restaurants quite expensive plus a pond with resident geese. We have stayed here in the past and, on reflection, should have […]
18/01/2026 / Last updated : 20/01/2026 d.d Tohoku region

Sukawa Highland, Lake and Onsen　　須川高原

Oct. 22nd. 2025 The parking adjacent to the main road at michi no eki Misato was not really an issue, but we were woken at 6.00 am with a bear sighting announcement. Quite how near this sighting occurred we are unsure. This announcement is repeated at intervals until we get up on a cold, damp morning. Oyasu Gorge　　小安峡 Our aim for the day is Kirikoma Sanso an onsen hotel at Sukawa Kogen (highland). A famous onsen area. On our way, we stop at Oyasu Gorge. This is a small but impressive spectacle. The access is down numerous concrete steps then along a path deep in a narrow steep-sided gorge. A […]
Tamagawa onsen
07/01/2026 / Last updated : 07/01/2026 d.d Tohoku region

Tamagawa onsen　　玉川温泉

October 21st. 2025 Morning in Iwaki michi no eki　　道の駅岩城 Michi no eki Iwaki is not a bad place for an overnight stay. The toilets are spacious and reasonable, if a little the worse for wear. It is possible to park close to these facilities, lucky as it was a wet night. Rubbish bins are provided too. The main attraction is the onsen. Not fancy but large and functional, a good place for a bath after 3 night on the highway. ＊Minato no yu onsen ; 650 yen / adult Hachimantai Oonuma　　八幡平　大沼 We set off for Hachimantai. This proves to be another long drive but the weather is cold and wet […]
09/10/2025 / Last updated : 09/10/2025 d.d Koshin and Tokai region

Tanukiko & Hottarakashi onsen　　田貫湖、ほったらかし温泉

May 28th. 2025 Michi no eki Narusawa Wake in michi no eki Narusawa after a wet night. The morning is bright and clear and Fujisan stark and majestic against a blue, blue sky. Beautiful, apart from the buildings, water tanks, cables and netting. Narusawa is ok for an overnight, but not I suspect at weekends. The toilets are reasonable though really, for such a large and popular spot, one has come to expect something a lot better. Wandering around we discover a large grassy expanse with children’s play areas and clear Fuji views that are already beginning to cloud over. Lake Tanuki　　田貫湖 We leave heading for Tanukiko. This lake promises […]
Shirasaki coast
11/08/2024 / Last updated : 11/08/2024 d.d Japan road trip tips

Ryujin onsen　龍神温泉

April 5th. 2024 Shirasaki Kaigan (coast) to Ryujin Skyline Shirasaki Kaigan Kaiyo Koen is a strange michi no eki. Large carpark, dubious campsite and a stark toilet that is adequate at best. There is a michi no eki building that has a restaurant, a few vegetables for sale and an information desk. The most notable feature was the strong gale that rocked us all night long. I slept like a baby. The morning is still very windy as we walk round the headland to the viewing point. It all looked much more interesting in the glow of sunset. The large, abandoned building was almost certainly a swimming pool. A notice […]
Fukiya
21/07/2023 / Last updated : 21/07/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Fukiya, Red Iron Oxide Village 　　吹屋

April 20th. 2023 Michi no eki Kayou Waking in a still misty michi no eki Kayou we slowly discover it’s secrets. The facilities are reasonable as the place has few overnighters but it does become a little overrun in the morning rush. We are surprised to discover a hidden Lawsons, open from 9am to 6pm. There is a shop selling Bonsai and other plants. The bonsai are elementary but are selling for less than the usual price of the ceramic pot containing them. It also boasts a non-functioning water wheel and a picnic area on a grassy knoll that was closed off. I had the impression the place had seen […]
24/06/2023 / Last updated : 27/06/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Climbing Mount Tsukuba　筑波山

April 11th. 2023 Michi no eki Hakko no Sato Kozaki Hakko no Sato Kozaki is a reasonable place to stay. It is large with a lot of overnight visitors, but the facilities are large enough to cope and the rubbish bins are emptied regularly. Very busy and rather noisy in the morning due to the convenience store. There is a vegetable stall with exceptionally cheap produce sadly of no use to us. There is also a shop selling all manner of fermented things. Heavy on the miso. Climbing Mt. Tsukuba On leaving we drive to Mt. Tsukuba (877m) where from the shrine, we opt to take the Shirakumobashi course. There […]
10/05/2023 / Last updated : 16/05/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Yusumizugaura and Sotodomari, stone wall scenery in Ehime　遊子水荷浦、外泊

2023 spring trip. March 25th. & 26th. Houyo Strait　　豊予海峡 From Saganoseki, Kyushu to Misaki Port, Shikoku by Kokudo Kyushi ferry. This is a 70-minute, drive on/drive off, trip across the Houyo Strait. This strait is famous for its strong current and the resulting delicious fish. The current I can vouch for, the changes in the surface of the sea are very apparent. The fish, not so much. Once in Shikoku, we head for Tsushima Yasuragi no Sato for the night. This michi no eki is good on this very wet night, being flat and with a covered walkway to approach the facilities. But the bath and the restaurant have closed […]