🗿 Akita · 1 day
Kazuno & Ōyu Drive: Stone Circles, a Meiji Theatre & Lake Towada's South Gate
The south side of Lake Towada in Akita — the Yatate pass, the Nanataki falls and Meiji-era Kōrakukan theatre at Kosaka, the UNESCO World-Heritage Ōyu Stone Circles and the festival town of Kazuno. 4 michi-no-eki.
The Akita approach to Lake Towada runs through old mining country with a surprising amount of history: a preserved Meiji-era playhouse, one of Japan's finest prehistoric stone circles now on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and a summer festival of giant floats. The roads climb from Ōdate through Kosaka to the Towada plateau.
The drive starts at the Yatate Pass, with its rail-bike and hot spring, climbs past the Nanataki falls and the Kōrakukan — a working Meiji-period theatre — at Kosaka, to the Ōyu Stone Circles, 4,000-year-old Jōmon rings listed by UNESCO, and ends at Kazuno, home of the Hanawa-bayashi float festival and the Osarizawa mine.
The stops, in driving order
- 1 Michi-no-Eki Yatate Touge 道の駅 やたて峠 · Akita
Michi-no-Eki Yatate Touge (道の駅 やたて峠) is a government-designated roadside station in 大館市, Akita, 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 65 cars and 5 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 7:00–21:00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Tohoku road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Ikarigaseki, Kosaka Shichi Taki and Hirosaki.
Nearby: 📸大館・小坂鉄道レールバイク (14.5 km) · 🌄佐竹大和本陣跡 (17.6 km)
- 2 Michi-no-Eki Kosaka Shichi Taki 道の駅 こさか七滝 · Akita
Michi-no-Eki Kosaka Shichi Taki (道の駅 こさか七滝) is a government-designated roadside station in 鹿角郡小坂町, Akita, Japan, registered in 2010 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 park. There is free parking for about 35 cars and 4 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–17:00（4/15–10/31）【冬期間は物産施設等が閉鎖】令和7年11月1日(土) – 令和8年4月15日(水)予定 道の駅は年中開放. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Tohoku road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Ooyu, Yatate Touge and Kazuno.
Nearby: 📸小坂七滝 (0.1 km) · 📸雌滝 (5.5 km)
- 3 Michi-no-Eki Ooyu 道の駅 おおゆ · Akita
Michi-no-Eki Ooyu (道の駅 おおゆ) is a government-designated roadside station in 鹿角市, Akita, Japan, registered in 2017 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. There is free parking for about 60 cars and 6 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 Tohoku road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Kosaka Shichi Taki, Kazuno and Yatate Touge.
Nearby: 📸菅江真澄の道 大橋 (0.5 km) · 📸雌滝 (7.5 km)
- 4 Michi-no-Eki Kazuno 道の駅 かづの · Akita
Michi-no-Eki Kazuno (道の駅 かづの) is a government-designated roadside station in 鹿角市, Akita, 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 restaurant, a cafe, a local-products shop, a tourist-information desk and hands-on experiences. There is free parking for about 300 cars and 20 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–18:00 （冬季9:00–17:00）. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Tohoku road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Ooyu, Hinai and Kosaka Shichi Taki.
Nearby: ⛰Mt. Hachimori (8.5 km) · ⛰Mt. Itadokashira (9.4 km)
Make this route yours — load all 4 stops into the planner, reorder or remove stops, then open the finished trip in Google Maps.
Customize this route →Route tips
- The Ōyu Stone Circles (near Ōyu) are part of the 2021 UNESCO Jōmon World Heritage listing; the museum explains them in English.
- Kosaka's Kōrakukan is a working Meiji-era theatre — check the performance schedule.
- Yatate Pass has a rail-bike ride on a former railway and a roadside hot spring.
- This route joins the Towada–Oirase drives from the south — combine them for a two-day loop.
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 — Kazuno & Ōyu
How many days do you need for the Kazuno & Ōyu route?
1 day is a comfortable pace: roughly 40 km of driving with 4 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 Yatate Pass (Ōdate) and ends at Kazuno. Load all 4 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?
May–October (waterfalls & green); autumn colour around Towada.
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 →