⛩ Yamaguchi / Shimane · 2 days
Hagi & Tsuwano Drive: A Samurai Castle Town, the Abu Hills and the Little Kyoto of San’in
A 2-day Hagi and Tsuwano drive: the samurai castle town, the Abu hills and Tsuwano’s onsen and shrine, with 6 michi-no-eki in driving order.
Hagi and Tsuwano are two small castle towns that the main San’in and Sanyo routes miss, and driving between them is the best way to see both. Hagi sits on the Sea of Japan, where the samurai who led the Meiji Restoration grew up in the narrow lanes below the old castle, and the castle district is part of Japan’s UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Meiji industrial sites. Michi-no-Eki Hagi Oukan, named for the old Hagi Oukan road that once ran from Hagi to Yamaguchi, is the natural first stop: a museum, a cafe, EV charging and 57 car bays, close to the town.
From the coast the road climbs inland over the hills, past Hapinesu Fukue and the small mountain station Uri Bou no Sato Katamata, and drops into Shimane at Tsuwano. Tsuwano is called the Little Kyoto of San’in for its stone-walled samurai quarter, the carp swimming in the roadside canals and the long stairway of red torii at Taikodani Inari Shrine. The last three stops stay in the Tsuwano and Yoshika hills — Nagomi no Sato with its hot spring, Shirukuuei Nichihara with the biggest parking on the route, and Kakinokimura, another onsen station — so you finish with a bath in the mountains rather than back on the highway. Six michi-no-eki, in driving order, from the sea to the Chugoku mountains.
The stops, in driving order
- 1 Michi-no-Eki Hagi Oukan 道の駅 萩往還 · Yamaguchi
Michi-no-Eki Hagi Oukan (道の駅 萩往還) is a government-designated roadside station in 萩市, Yamaguchi, 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 restaurant, a cafe, a local-products shop, EV charging and a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 57 cars and 7 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 Chugoku road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Hagi Shiimaato, Hapinesu Fukue and Hagi ・ Sansan San Ken.
Nearby: 🏛石井茶碗美術館 (4.9 km) · 📸平安古橋 (5 km)
- 2 Michi-no-Eki Hapinesu Fukue 道の駅 ハピネスふくえ · Yamaguchi
Michi-no-Eki Hapinesu Fukue (道の駅 ハピネスふくえ) is a government-designated roadside station in 萩市, Yamaguchi, 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 local-products shop, EV charging, a tourist-information desk and a park. There is free parking for about 40 cars and 3 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 8:30–17:00（売店）、 11:00–14:00（レストラン）. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Chugoku road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Hagi Shiimaato, Hagi Oukan and Abu Machi.
Nearby: 📸Hagi Reverberating Furnace (5.9 km) · 🏛Hagi Ceramic Art Museum (6.2 km)
- 3 Michi-no-Eki Uri Bou No Sato Katamata 道の駅 うり坊の郷katamata · Yamaguchi
Michi-no-Eki Uri Bou No Sato Katamata (道の駅 うり坊の郷katamata) is a government-designated roadside station in 萩市, Yamaguchi, 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, EV charging, a tourist-information desk and an accessible restroom. There is free parking for about 27 cars and 2 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 8:00–17:00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Chugoku road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Tsuwano Onsen Nagomino Sato, Ganjou Shuu Onsen and Hapinesu Fukue.
Nearby: ⛰Mt. Tokusagamine (7.6 km) · 🏛萩市立須佐歴史民俗資料館 (15.5 km)
- 4 Michi-no-Eki Tsuwano Onsen Nagomino Sato 道の駅 津和野温泉なごみの里 · Shimane
Michi-no-Eki Tsuwano Onsen Nagomino Sato (道の駅 津和野温泉なごみの里) is a government-designated roadside station in 鹿足郡津和野町, Shimane, Japan, registered in 2000 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 93 cars and 11 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 物販コーナー9：00–21：00 レストラン「あかね雲」11：00–17：00（最終入店 16：15 ラストオーダー 16：30） 温泉「あさぎりの湯」10：00–21：00（最終入店 20：15） テイクアウト10：00–17：00 ※木曜日は、温泉・テイクアウト・レストラン定休日 物販コーナー9：00–18：00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Chugoku road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Ganjou Shuu Onsen, Kakinokimura and Uri Bou No Sato Katamata.
Nearby: 🏛Mori Ogai Memorial Museum (1.1 km) · 🏯津和野城 (1.1 km)
- 5 Michi-no-Eki Shirukuuei Nichihara 道の駅 シルクウェイにちはら · Shimane
Michi-no-Eki Shirukuuei Nichihara (道の駅 シルクウェイにちはら) is a government-designated roadside station in 鹿足郡津和野町, Shimane, 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 restaurant, a local-products shop, EV charging, showers and a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 170 cars and 18 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 8:00–19:30〔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 Chugoku road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Tsuwano Onsen Nagomino Sato, Kakinokimura and Ganjou Shuu Onsen.
Nearby: 🏛Shisei Kuwabara Museum of Photography (9.5 km) · 🏛Anno Art Museum (9.6 km)
- 6 Michi-no-Eki Kakinokimura 道の駅 かきのきむら · Shimane
Michi-no-Eki Kakinokimura (道の駅 かきのきむら) is a government-designated roadside station in 鹿足郡吉賀町, Shimane, 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 hot-spring (onsen) bath, a restaurant, a local-products shop, EV charging and a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 24 cars and 8 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–18:00、9:00–18:30（7–8月）. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Chugoku road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Ganjou Shuu Onsen, Tsuwano Onsen Nagomino Sato and Muikaichi Onsen.
Nearby: ⛰Mt. Aono (6.8 km) · ⛰Mt. Suzunootani (7.8 km)
Make this route yours — load all 6 stops into the planner, reorder or remove stops, then open the finished trip in Google Maps.
Customize this route →Onsen baths and beds along this route (Yamaguchi / Shimane · 6 with onsen / 2 with rooms)
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Kakinokimura 道の駅 かきのきむら · Yoshika, Shimane · on the route -
Tsuwano Onsen Nagomino Sato 道の駅 津和野温泉なごみの里 · Tsuwano, Shimane · on the route -
Abu Machi 道の駅 阿武町 · Abu, Yamaguchi · ~8 km off the route -
Muikaichi Onsen 道の駅 むいかいち温泉 · Yoshika, Shimane · ~12 km off the route -
Ofuku 道の駅 おふく · Mine, Yamaguchi · ~26 km off the route -
Uenoseki Kaikyou 道の駅 上関海峡 · Kaminoseki, Yamaguchi · ~71 km off the route -
Sazanseto Touwa 道の駅 サザンセトとうわ · Suō-ōshima-chō, Yamaguchi · ~74 km off the route -
Tonbara 道の駅 頓原 · Iinan, Shimane · ~107 km off the route
♨ All 143 michi-no-eki with an onsen bath🛏 All 81 michi-no-eki with rooms on site♨🛏 All 46 michi-no-eki with both onsen and rooms📍 Every michi-no-eki in Yamaguchi📍 Every michi-no-eki in Shimane
Route tips
- Rent at Shin-Yamaguchi Station or in Hagi itself. Hagi’s castle district and the Hagi Oukan station are close together, so give the first morning to the town and start the inland leg after lunch.
- Only two of the six have an onsen: Tsuwano Onsen Nagomi no Sato (baths 10:00–21:00, shop 9:00–21:00, restaurant and takeaway closed Thursdays) and Kakinokimura. Neither has rooms, so book the night in Tsuwano town and walk the old quarter and Taikodani Inari in the evening or early next morning.
- Hours are short on the mountain stops: Uri Bou no Sato Katamata 8:00–17:00 (the shortest on the route), Hapinesu Fukue shop 8:30–17:00 and restaurant 11:00–14:00, Hagi Oukan 9:00–18:00, Kakinokimura 9:00–18:00 (18:30 in July and August). Plan lunch around Fukue and a bath around Nagomi.
- Large-vehicle room is best at Shirukuuei Nichihara (18 large bays, 170 cars, showers) and Tsuwano Nagomi no Sato (11 large bays, Wi-Fi). Katamata has only 2 large bays and Fukue 3. EV charging is at every stop, and the Tsuwano and Yoshika uplands are heavy-snow country — studless tyres December to March.
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 — Hagi & Tsuwano
How many days do you need for the Hagi & Tsuwano route?
2 days is a comfortable pace: roughly 70 km of driving with 6 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 Hagi, Yamaguchi (Shin-Yamaguchi Station or Hagi city centre) and ends at Kakinoki, Yoshika, Shimane (toward Mutsuichi and the Chugoku Expressway). Load all 6 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; autumn colour in November, heavy snow around Tsuwano and Yoshika from December to March.
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 →