🍜 Kagawa · 2 days
Western Kagawa: Sanuki Udon, Konpira Shrine & the Chichibugahama Mirror Beach
A 2-day drive west across Kagawa, Japan's smallest prefecture and its udon heartland: the shrine of Konpira-san, the giant coin geoglyph at Kan-onji, the mirror-flat Chichibugahama beach, and 6 michi-no-eki with two onsen among them.
Kagawa is small enough to cross in a morning, which is exactly why people drive it badly — straight down the expressway and out again. Taken slowly on the old roads, the western half is the best of the prefecture: Ayagawa, where Sanuki udon is said to have first been served, the long stone stairway to Konpira-san, and a coast of tidal flats and offshore islands facing the Inland Sea.
The route runs west from Ayagawa through Manno — the closest roadside base to Kotohira — then into Mitoyo, where two of the stops have their own hot springs and rooms, which makes the overnight easy. From there it is a short run to Chichibugahama, the beach that reflects the sky at low tide and has become one of Shikoku's most photographed places, and on to Kan-onji for the Zenigata sand geoglyph and the final coastal stop at Toyohama. Udon shops here keep farmer's hours — many sell out and close by early afternoon, which is the one thing worth planning around.
The stops, in driving order
- 1 Michi-no-Eki Tatsunomiya 道の駅 滝宮 · Kagawa
Michi-no-Eki Tatsunomiya (道の駅 滝宮) is a government-designated roadside station in 綾歌郡綾川町, Kagawa, 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 restaurant, a cafe, a local-products shop, EV charging and free Wi-Fi. There is free parking for about 74 cars and 4 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 Shikoku road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Kounan Raku Yu, Koibito No Seichi Utazu Rinkai Kouen and Sora No Yume Momino Ki Paaku.
Nearby: ⛰Mt.Kurakakeyama (2.5 km) · 📸快天山古墳 (2.7 km)
- 2 Michi-no-Eki Sora No Yume Momino Ki Paaku 道の駅 空の夢もみの木パーク · Kagawa
Michi-no-Eki Sora No Yume Momino Ki Paaku (道の駅 空の夢もみの木パーク) is a government-designated roadside station in 仲多度郡まんのう町, Kagawa, 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 restaurant, a local-products shop, EV charging, a tourist-information desk and an observation deck. There is free parking for about 44 cars and 6 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 8:00–17:30. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Shikoku road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Takaradano Sato Saita, Fureai Paaku Mino and Tatsunomiya.
Nearby: 📸プロペラ (3.3 km) · 🏛Paintings by Maruyama Okyo (3.4 km)
- 3 Michi-no-Eki Takaradano Sato Saita 道の駅 たからだの里さいた · Kagawa
Michi-no-Eki Takaradano Sato Saita (道の駅 たからだの里さいた) is a government-designated roadside station in 三豊市, Kagawa, Japan, registered in 1999 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 199 cars and 3 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 8:00–18:00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Shikoku road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Sora No Yume Momino Ki Paaku, Mino and Kotohiki.
Nearby: 🌄峯の久保展望台 (7.6 km) · 📸プロペラ (8.3 km)
- 4 Michi-no-Eki Fureai Paaku Mino 道の駅 ふれあいパークみの · Kagawa
Michi-no-Eki Fureai Paaku Mino (道の駅 ふれあいパークみの) is a government-designated roadside station in 三豊市, Kagawa, Japan, registered in 1995 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 187 cars and 11 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 10:00–22:00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Shikoku road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Sora No Yume Momino Ki Paaku, Koibito No Seichi Utazu Rinkai Kouen and Kotohiki.
Nearby: 🏛乃木館 (5.5 km) · ⛰Mt. Habu (5.7 km)
- 5 Michi-no-Eki Kotohiki 道の駅 ことひき · Kagawa
Michi-no-Eki Kotohiki (道の駅 ことひき) is a government-designated roadside station in 観音寺市, Kagawa, Japan, registered in 1994 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 100 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 Shikoku road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Toyohama, Fureai Paaku Mino and Takaradano Sato Saita.
Nearby: 📸Zenigata Sand Image (0.4 km) · 📸丸山古墳 (2.1 km)
- 6 Michi-no-Eki Toyohama 道の駅 とよはま · Kagawa
Michi-no-Eki Toyohama (道の駅 とよはま) is a government-designated roadside station in 観音寺市, Kagawa, Japan, registered in 1999 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 56 cars and 7 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 Shikoku road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Kotohiki, Kiri No Mori and Takaradano Sato Saita.
Nearby: 🗿Yokizaki (0.2 km) · ⛰Mt. Yahachi (1.9 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 (Kagawa · 4 with onsen / 4 with rooms)
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Fureai Paaku Mino 道の駅 ふれあいパークみの · Mitoyo, Kagawa · on the route -
Takaradano Sato Saita 道の駅 たからだの里さいた · Mitoyo, Kagawa · on the route -
Kounan Raku Yu 道の駅 香南楽湯 · Takamatsu, Kagawa · ~8 km off the route -
Shouzushima Furusato Mura 道の駅 小豆島ふるさと村 · Shōdoshima-chō, Kagawa · ~38 km off the route -
Shouzushima Oriibu Kouen 道の駅 小豆島オリーブ公園 · Shōdoshima-chō, Kagawa · ~41 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 Kagawa
Route tips
- Treat udon as breakfast and lunch, not dinner: many of the best shops close when the day's dough runs out, often by 14:00.
- Chichibugahama only mirrors on a calm, windless low tide — check the tide table against sunset before committing to the evening there.
- Konpira-san is 785 steps to the main shrine and 1,368 to the inner one; park at the roadside station in Manno or in Kotohira town and go early.
- Two stops on this route — Fureai Park Mino and Takarada-no-sato Saita — have onsen and lodging, so the midpoint overnight needs no detour.
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 — Sanuki udon & Chichibugahama
How many days do you need for the Sanuki udon & Chichibugahama 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 Ayagawa / Takamatsu (about 40 min from Takamatsu Airport) and ends at Toyohama, Kan-onji (Takamatsu Expressway toward Ehime or back east). 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; Chichibugahama's mirror effect needs a calm low tide near sunset, best April to October.
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 →