🏖 Chiba · 1–2 days
Boso Peninsula Loop: Tokyo’s Easiest Coastal Road Trip
The easiest coastal road trip from Tokyo: across the Aqua-Line to the Boso Peninsula’s beaches, flower fields and 9 michi-no-eki — doable in a weekend.
Cross the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line and you’re on the Boso Peninsula in under an hour from the city — yet it feels like deep countryside. Chiba has more michi-no-eki than almost any prefecture near Tokyo, and the southern loop strings the best of them along the coast road.
Highlights run from Kyonan’s fish markets to Tomiura’s loquat everything (the town grows Japan’s most prized biwa), the lighthouse at Nojimazaki on the peninsula’s southern tip, and the surf towns of the east coast. Because winters are mild, flower fields at Shirahama and Chikura bloom in January — this is Tokyo’s classic off-season drive.
The stops, in driving order
- 1 Michi-no-Eki Yasuda Shougakkou 道の駅 保田小学校 · Chiba
Michi-no-Eki Yasuda Shougakkou (道の駅 保田小学校) is a government-designated roadside station in 安房郡鋸南町, Chiba, Japan, registered in 2015 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a hot-spring (onsen) bath, a restaurant, a cafe, a local-products shop and lodging. There is free parking for about 197 cars and 5 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9：00–17：00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kanto road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Kyonan, Tomi Raku Sato Tomiyama and Ootsuno Sato.
- 2 Michi-no-Eki Kyonan 道の駅 きょなん · Chiba
Michi-no-Eki Kyonan (道の駅 きょなん) is a government-designated roadside station in 安房郡鋸南町, Chiba, Japan, registered in 1996 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a restaurant, a cafe, a local-products shop, free Wi-Fi and a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 71 cars and 4 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00 ~ 17:00〔施設により異なる〕. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kanto road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Yasuda Shougakkou, Tomi Raku Sato Tomiyama and Ootsuno Sato.
- 3 Michi-no-Eki Tomi Raku Sato Tomiyama 道の駅 富楽里とみやま · Chiba
Michi-no-Eki Tomi Raku Sato Tomiyama (道の駅 富楽里とみやま) is a government-designated roadside station in 南房総市, Chiba, Japan, registered in 2002 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a restaurant, a cafe, a local-products shop, EV charging and free Wi-Fi. There is free parking for about 424 cars and 20 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–18:00（施設により異なる）※土日祝日 8：30–18：00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kanto road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Kyonan, Ootsuno Sato and Yasuda Shougakkou.
- 4 Michi-no-Eki Ootsuno Sato 道の駅 おおつの里 · Chiba
Michi-no-Eki Ootsuno Sato (道の駅 おおつの里) is a government-designated roadside station in 南房総市, Chiba, Japan, registered in 2003 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a cafe, a local-products shop, free Wi-Fi, a tourist-information desk and hands-on experiences. There is free parking for about 20 cars and 6 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 12月–6月 9:30–17:00 7月–11月 9：30–16：00 （5月中旬–10月末日売店閉鎖）. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kanto road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Tomiura, Miyoshi Mura and Tomi Raku Sato Tomiyama.
- 5 Michi-no-Eki Tomiura 道の駅 とみうら · Chiba
Michi-no-Eki Tomiura (道の駅 とみうら) is a government-designated roadside station in 南房総市, Chiba, Japan, registered in 1993 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a cafe, a local-products shop, EV charging, free Wi-Fi and a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 80 cars and 10 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:15–17:00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kanto road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Ootsuno Sato, Miyoshi Mura and Tomi Raku Sato Tomiyama.
- 6 Michi-no-Eki Shirahama Nojima Saki 道の駅 白浜野島崎 · Chiba
Michi-no-Eki Shirahama Nojima Saki (道の駅 白浜野島崎) is a government-designated roadside station in 南房総市, Chiba, Japan, registered in 2005 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a local-products shop, a tourist-information desk and an accessible restroom. There is free parking for about 20 cars and 2 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–17:00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kanto road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Nanbou Paradaisu, Chikura ・ Shiokaze Oukoku and Miyoshi Mura.
- 7 Michi-no-Eki Roozumarii Kouen 道の駅 ローズマリー公園 · Chiba
Michi-no-Eki Roozumarii Kouen (道の駅 ローズマリー公園) is a government-designated roadside station in 南房総市, Chiba, Japan, registered in 1998 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a cafe, a local-products shop, free Wi-Fi, a tourist-information desk and a museum or gallery. There is free parking for about 183 cars and 10 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–17:00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kanto road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Wada Ura Wa ・ O !, Miyoshi Mura and Chikura ・ Shiokaze Oukoku.
- 8 Michi-no-Eki Wada Ura Wa ・ O ! 道の駅 和田浦 WA・O！ · Chiba
Michi-no-Eki Wada Ura Wa ・ O ! (道の駅 和田浦 WA・O！) is a government-designated roadside station in 南房総市, Chiba, Japan, registered in 2012 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a restaurant, a cafe, a local-products shop, free Wi-Fi and a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 75 cars and 4 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–18:00（施設により異なる）. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kanto road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Roozumarii Kouen, Kamogawa Ooshanpaaku and Miyoshi Mura.
- 9 Michi-no-Eki Takeyurano Sato Ootaki 道の駅 たけゆらの里おおたき · Chiba
Michi-no-Eki Takeyurano Sato Ootaki (道の駅 たけゆらの里おおたき) is a government-designated roadside station in 夷隅郡大多喜町, Chiba, Japan, one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a restaurant, a cafe, a local-products shop, a tourist-information desk and an accessible restroom. There is free parking for about 113 cars and 5 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–18:00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kanto road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Tsudoino Sato Mutsuzawa, Fureai Paaku・ Kimitsu and Kisarazu Umakutano Sato.
Make this route yours — load all 9 stops into the planner, reorder or remove stops, then open the finished trip in Google Maps.
Customize this route →Route tips
- Leave Tokyo before 8 am on weekends; the Aqua-Line backs up badly by mid-morning.
- Umi-hotaru, the rest stop in the middle of the bay, is worth a stop in itself.
- Yasuda Shougakkou is a converted primary school where you can stay overnight in old classrooms — book ahead.
- The east coast (Katsuura–Ichinomiya) is Japan’s surf capital; even non-surfers should drive it for the beach views.
Before you drive
- Can you drive in Japan? License rules by country
- Renting a car in Japan: the complete guide
- Can you sleep overnight at a michi-no-eki?