🌾 Ishikawa · 2 days
Noto Peninsula Loop: Rice Terraces & the Sea of Japan
A 2-day drive from Kanazawa around the Noto Peninsula: the Chirihama beach driveway, Shiroyone Senmaida rice terraces, Wajima and the wild outer coast — 9 michi-no-eki stops.
The Noto Peninsula is the Sea of Japan at its most dramatic: a beach you legally drive on (Chirihama Nagisa Driveway), thousand-paddy rice terraces stacked above the sea at Senmaida, and lacquerware towns where the morning market tradition goes back a millennium.
Noto is also recovering from the January 2024 earthquake, and tourism is a direct part of that recovery — roads and roadside stations have reopened, and your visit puts money exactly where it’s needed. A few facilities may still run reduced hours, so check official pages for the outer-coast stops before you set out.
The stops, in driving order
- 1 Michi-no-Eki Takamatsu 道の駅 高松 · Ishikawa
Michi-no-Eki Takamatsu (道の駅 高松) is a government-designated roadside station in かほく市, Ishikawa, 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 local-products shop, EV charging, free Wi-Fi and an accessible restroom. There is free parking for about 292 cars and 17 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00〜18:00 （R3.1.16から）. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Chubu road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Noto Chirihama, Kurikara Genpei No Sato and Uchinada Sansettopaaku.
Nearby: 🏛博物館喜多家資料館 (2.6 km) · 🏖千里浜 (5.6 km)
- 2 Michi-no-Eki Noto Chirihama 道の駅 のと千里浜 · Ishikawa
Michi-no-Eki Noto Chirihama (道の駅 のと千里浜) is a government-designated roadside station in 羽咋市, Ishikawa, 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 and a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 167 cars and 6 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 4月〜11月（9:00–18:00） 12月〜3月（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 Chubu road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Takamatsu, Koro Kaki No Sato Shika and Orihime No Sato Nakanoto.
Nearby: 🏖千里浜 (1.2 km) · 🏛宇宙科学博物館 (2.2 km)
- 3 Michi-no-Eki Koro Kaki No Sato Shika 道の駅 ころ柿の里しか · Ishikawa
Michi-no-Eki Koro Kaki No Sato Shika (道の駅 ころ柿の里しか) is a government-designated roadside station in 羽咋郡志賀町, Ishikawa, 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 hot-spring (onsen) bath, a restaurant, a cafe, a local-products shop and showers. There is free parking for about 166 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 Chubu road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Orihime No Sato Nakanoto, Noto Chirihama and Togi Umi Kaidou.
Nearby: 🏛雨の宮能登王墓の館 (8.9 km) · 🏛宇宙科学博物館 (12.1 km)
- 4 Michi-no-Eki Wa Shima 道の駅 輪島 · Ishikawa
Michi-no-Eki Wa Shima (道の駅 輪島) is a government-designated roadside station in 輪島市, Ishikawa, 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, free Wi-Fi and a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 18 cars and 8 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 10:00–18:00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Chubu road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Senmaida Pokettopaaku, Noto Satoyama Kuukou and Sakura Touge.
Nearby: 🏛輪島漆器資料館 (0.8 km) · ⛰Mt. Hachibuse (5.9 km)
- 5 Michi-no-Eki Senmaida Pokettopaaku 道の駅 千枚田ポケットパーク · Ishikawa
Michi-no-Eki Senmaida Pokettopaaku (道の駅 千枚田ポケットパーク) is a government-designated roadside station in 輪島市, Ishikawa, 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 local-products shop, EV charging, a tourist-information desk and an observation deck. There is free parking for about 49 cars and 5 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 8:30–17:30. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Chubu road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Wa Shima, Sakura Touge and Suzu Shioda Mura.
Nearby: 📸Shiroyone Senmaida Rice Terraces (0.2 km) · ⛰Mt. Hachibuse (5.7 km)
- 6 Michi-no-Eki Suzunari 道の駅 すずなり · Ishikawa
Michi-no-Eki Suzunari (道の駅 すずなり) is a government-designated roadside station in 珠洲市, Ishikawa, 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 local-products shop, EV charging, free Wi-Fi, a tourist-information desk and a park. There is free parking for about 39 cars and 3 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 10:00–17:00 （水曜定休日）. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Chubu road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Noroshi, Suzu Shioda Mura and Senmaida Pokettopaaku.
Nearby: 🏛珠洲市立珠洲焼資料館 (4.5 km) · 📸見附島（軍艦島） (5.4 km)
- 7 Michi-no-Eki Noroshi 道の駅 狼煙 · Ishikawa
Michi-no-Eki Noroshi (道の駅 狼煙) is a government-designated roadside station in 珠洲市, Ishikawa, 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 local-products shop, EV charging, free Wi-Fi, a tourist-information desk and hands-on experiences. There is free parking for about 71 cars and 7 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 8:30–17:00〔季節によって変更になる場合があります〕. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Chubu road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Suzunari, Suzu Shioda Mura and Senmaida Pokettopaaku.
Nearby: 🌄Tsubaki Observatory (5.9 km) · 🗿Cape Dogasaki (6.8 km)
- 8 Michi-no-Eki Anamizu 道の駅 あなみず · Ishikawa
Michi-no-Eki Anamizu (道の駅 あなみず) is a government-designated roadside station in 鳳珠郡穴水町, Ishikawa, 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 cafe, a local-products shop, EV charging, free Wi-Fi and a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 64 cars and 6 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–17:30. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Chubu road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Noto Satoyama Kuukou, Nakajima Roman Touge and Notojima.
Nearby: 📸Site of Anamizu Castle (0.7 km) · 🏛穴水町歴史民俗資料館 (0.9 km)
- 9 Michi-no-Eki Noto Shoku Matsuri Shijou 道の駅 能登食祭市場 · Ishikawa
Michi-no-Eki Noto Shoku Matsuri Shijou (道の駅 能登食祭市場) is a government-designated roadside station in 七尾市, Ishikawa, Japan, registered in 2009 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 199 cars and 15 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 8:30–17:30（店舗により異なる）. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Chubu road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Iori, Notojima and Orihime No Sato Nakanoto.
Nearby: 🏛小野篁波館 (0.6 km) · 🏛七尾市少年科学館 (0.9 km)
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
- Chirihama’s drive-on beach closes in rough weather and high tide — check conditions the morning you go.
- Senmaida’s rice terraces are lit with thousands of solar LEDs on winter evenings (Oct–Mar).
- Fill up in Hakui or Wajima; gas stations get sparse toward the tip at Noroshi.
- End the loop at Wakura Onsen on the calm east coast — one of the Sea of Japan’s classic hot-spring resorts.
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 — Noto Peninsula loop
How many days do you need for the Noto Peninsula loop route?
2 days is a comfortable pace: roughly 230 km of driving with 9 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 Kanazawa and ends at Nanao / Wakura Onsen. Load all 9 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?
April–November.
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 →