🌾 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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?