♨ Gunma · 2 days
Gunma Onsen Highlands: Kusatsu, Agatsuma & the Minakami Valleys
A hot-spring highland drive from Kusatsu — one of Japan’s top-ranked onsen — across the Agatsuma valley to Minakami and the Kawaba farm village, linking 8 michi-no-eki two hours from Tokyo.
Gunma has more famous hot springs than any prefecture within easy reach of Tokyo, and this drive strings the best of the northern highlands together: Kusatsu, routinely voted Japan’s number-one onsen, the dam-and-gorge country of the Agatsuma valley, and the mountain resort town of Minakami up near the Niigata border.
By car you can move between spa towns that are awkward to link by train, stopping at highland michi-no-eki that double as farm markets for Joshu beef, konjac and mountain vegetables. The finale is Kawaba Denen Plaza — regularly voted the most popular michi-no-eki in all of Japan, with its own bakery, brewery and Mt Hotaka view.
The stops, in driving order
- 1 Michi-no-Eki Kusatsu Undou Chaya Kouen 道の駅 草津運動茶屋公園 · Gunma
Michi-no-Eki Kusatsu Undou Chaya Kouen (道の駅 草津運動茶屋公園) is a government-designated roadside station in 吾妻郡草津町, Gunma, 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, EV charging, free Wi-Fi and a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 99 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 Kuni, Hachi Tsu Ba Furusato Kan and Agatsuma Kyou.
Nearby: 🏛片岡鶴太郎美術館 (1.1 km) · 🏛Old Ooshi Station (4.4 km)
- 2 Michi-no-Eki Hachi Tsu Ba Furusato Kan 道の駅 八ッ場ふるさと館 · Gunma
Michi-no-Eki Hachi Tsu Ba Furusato Kan (道の駅 八ッ場ふるさと館) is a government-designated roadside station in 吾妻郡長野原町, Gunma, Japan, registered in 2013 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 a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 177 cars and 9 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 7:00–18:00（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 Agatsuma Kyou, Kuni and Kusatsu Undou Chaya Kouen.
Nearby: 🌄樽沢トンネル (3.9 km) · 🏛Old Ooshi Station (6.9 km)
- 3 Michi-no-Eki Agatsuma Kyou 道の駅 あがつま峡 · Gunma
Michi-no-Eki Agatsuma Kyou (道の駅 あがつま峡) is a government-designated roadside station in 吾妻郡東吾妻町, Gunma, Japan, registered in 2014 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 cafe, a local-products shop, EV charging and free Wi-Fi. There is free parking for about 80 cars and 11 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–18:00（7–8月は19:00まで、12–3月は17:00まで）. 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 Hachi Tsu Ba Furusato Kan, Ryousen Takeyama and Kuni.
Nearby: 🌄樽沢トンネル (1.4 km) · ⛰Mt. Iwabitsu (5.6 km)
- 4 Michi-no-Eki Takumino Sato 道の駅 たくみの里 · Gunma
Michi-no-Eki Takumino Sato (道の駅 たくみの里) is a government-designated roadside station in 利根郡みなかみ町, Gunma, 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 restaurant, a local-products shop, EV charging, free Wi-Fi and a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 160 cars and 14 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 Tsukiyono Yaze Shinsui Kouen, Nakayama Bonchi and Minakami Mizu Kikou Kan.
Nearby: 📸群馬サイクルスポーツセンター (3.5 km) · 🏛猿ヶ京関所資料館 (3.8 km)
- 5 Michi-no-Eki Nakayama Bonchi 道の駅 中山盆地 · Gunma
Michi-no-Eki Nakayama Bonchi (道の駅 中山盆地) is a government-designated roadside station in 吾妻郡高山村, Gunma, Japan, registered in 2013 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 EV charging. There is free parking for about 152 cars and 6 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 直売所 9:00–18:00（4月–10月）9:30–17:30(11月–3月) 日帰り温泉 9:00–21:00 レストラン 11:00–15：30. 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 Onoko, Tsukiyono Yaze Shinsui Kouen and Takumino Sato.
Nearby: 🏯Lockheart castle (3.2 km) · ⛰Mount Komochi (5.1 km)
- 6 Michi-no-Eki Minakami Mizu Kikou Kan 道の駅 みなかみ水紀行館 · Gunma
Michi-no-Eki Minakami Mizu Kikou Kan (道の駅 みなかみ水紀行館) is a government-designated roadside station in 利根郡みなかみ町, Gunma, 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 cafe, a local-products shop, EV charging, free Wi-Fi and a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 70 cars and 9 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 Tsukiyono Yaze Shinsui Kouen, Takumino Sato and Kawaba Den'En Puraza.
Nearby: 🏛みなかみ町水上歴史民俗資料館 (0.7 km) · 📸水上温泉 (1.2 km)
- 7 Michi-no-Eki Kawaba Den'En Puraza 道の駅 川場田園プラザ · Gunma
Michi-no-Eki Kawaba Den'En Puraza (道の駅 川場田園プラザ) is a government-designated roadside station in 利根郡川場村, Gunma, 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, a tourist-information desk and a gas station. There is free parking for about 850 cars and 5 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–20:30（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 Shirasawa, Aguriimu Shouwa and Tsukiyono Yaze Shinsui Kouen.
Nearby: 🌄展望台 (0.2 km) · 🏛川場村歴史民俗資料館 (0.7 km)
- 8 Michi-no-Eki Shirasawa 道の駅 白沢 · Gunma
Michi-no-Eki Shirasawa (道の駅 白沢) is a government-designated roadside station in 沼田市, Gunma, Japan, registered in 1997 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 local-products shop, EV charging and a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 200 cars and 5 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 10:00–21:00(休館日：4、6、9、12月の第2火曜日). 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 Kawaba Den'En Puraza, Aguriimu Shouwa and Tsukiyono Yaze Shinsui Kouen.
Nearby: 🌄貝野瀬ビューポイント (2.9 km) · 🌄展望台 (3 km)
Make this route yours — load all 8 stops into the planner, reorder or remove stops, then open the finished trip in Google Maps.
Customize this route →Route tips
- Kusatsu’s yubatake (hot-water field) in the town centre is the icon of Japanese onsen — walk it before driving on.
- Kawaba Denen Plaza is consistently ranked among Japan’s best michi-no-eki — arrive hungry, and go early on weekends.
- Gunma is konjac country and Joshu Wagyu country — both are highland-station specialities.
- In winter this is snow-onsen territory; roads are cleared but studless tires are essential above Kusatsu and Minakami.
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?
FAQ — Gunma onsen highlands
How many days do you need for the Gunma onsen highlands route?
2 days is a comfortable pace: roughly 100 km of driving with 8 michi-no-eki stops along the way. You can compress it, but the stops are the point.
Where does the route start and end?
It starts at Kusatsu and ends at Minakami / Kawaba. Load all 8 stops into the free MichiStops route planner to reorder, add or remove stops, then open the finished trip in Google Maps.
When is the best season to drive this route?
Year-round; foliage October, snow onsen in winter.
Do I need to rent a car?
Yes — michi-no-eki are roadside stations, realistically reachable only by rental car or campervan. Most visitors can drive in Japan with a 1949-convention International Driving Permit; check the license rules for your country before booking. License rules by country →
Can I sleep overnight at the michi-no-eki on this route?
Resting overnight in your vehicle is tolerated at most michi-no-eki, but tents, awnings and open-air cooking are not allowed. Read the overnight-stay guide for the etiquette. Overnight-stay guide →