Travel Stories & Guides
Explore curated routes, seasonal highlights, and insider tips for discovering Japan's best michi-no-eki. From coastal food tours to cultural deep-dives, find inspiration for your next road trip.
Takumi no Sato: Japan's Theme Park of Traditional Crafts
I wasn't prepared for what I found. Stepping out of the bus in Minakami Town, I expected a roadside station—maybe a farmers market and a parking lot. Instead, I found myself at the entrance to an enti...
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Nagano's Ski Country: Where Powder Meets Warm Hospitality
The 140-kilometer drive from Tokyo to Nagano's ski country begins before dawn, when the city's neon still glows against winter darkness. By the time you clear the sprawl and hit the Joshin-etsu Expres...
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Shikoku's Sacred Seas to Pacific Shores: Island Route
The 200-kilometer drive from Omishima Island to Cape Muroto traces one of Japan's most rewarding scenic routes, passing through all four prefectures of Shikoku while connecting two dramatically differ...
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7 Unforgettable Coastal Michi-no-Eki Worth Driving 100 Miles For
The Pacific Ocean has carved Japan's eastern edge into one of the world's most varied coastlines—from Hokkaido's volcanic shores through Tohoku's resilient fishing villages, down past Tokyo's industri...
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The Digital Nomad's Highway: Working and Living in Your Car from Tokyo to Tohoku
The laptop screen glows softly in the pre-dawn darkness, my fingers tapping out emails as steam rises from a thermos of coffee. Outside the car window, Mount Bandai emerges from the mist, its silhouet...
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Powder Paradise: Tohoku's Century-Old Skiing Legacy
The first time I heard about Tohoku's skiing heritage, I assumed it was a relatively modern phenomenon—maybe something that took off in the 1970s or 80s when Japan's ski boom reached its peak. I was w...
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The Road to Renewal: A Journey from Fukuoka to Yufuin Onsen
The morning mist still clings to Fukuoka's streets as I load my car, but I'm already imagining the steam rising from an outdoor bath, Mount Yufu's perfect cone reflected in still water. The drive to Y...
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Hidden Treasures of Central Japan's Alpine Routes
The famous highways connecting Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto carry millions of travelers each year, but they miss something essential. Between these well-worn paths, Central Japan's lesser-known roadside st...
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Hokkaido Coastal Seafood Route: A Fresh Catch Journey
Discover 9 exceptional michi-no-eki along Hokkaido's western coast, each offering unique seafood delicacies and stunning ocean views.
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The Volcanic Circle: A Journey Through Hokkaido's Fire and Ice
There's a route through southwestern Hokkaido that traces the story of the earth itself—a journey where mountains born from fire meet serene lakes cradled in ancient calderas, where coastal vistas str...
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Summer Nights in Light: Chasing Japan's Fireworks Season by the Road
There's something about summer in Japan that lives in the pause between daylight and darkness. The air hangs thick and warm, cicadas crescendo in waves, and as twilight deepens, entire communities gat...
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