Fukushima · 2 days
Oku-Aizu & Hinoemata Drive: Nishiaizu to Oze, Fukushima's Tadami Line Back Country
A 2-day Fukushima drive south from Nishiaizu through the Tadami River valley and Showa's weaving village to Hinoemata at the gate of Oze, with 6 michi-no-eki.
Oku-Aizu is the part of Fukushima that most trips skip: a deep valley of rice terraces, mist and the Tadami Line, the single-track railway that reopened across the whole valley in October 2022. Trains run only a few times a day, so the valley is best seen by car. These six michi-no-eki run south from the gate town of Nishiaizu to Hinoemata, the village at the foot of Oze, one station at a time.
The drive starts at Nishiaizu, a restaurant and cafe station with EV charging, free Wi-Fi and a tourist desk, 111 car bays and 9 large bays, open 9:00–19:00 (to 18:00 from December to mid-March); the Aizu 33 Kannon pilgrimage site is just 1.1 km away. About 16 km south, Oku Aizu Kaneyama has a restaurant, a cafe and craft experiences, and the Daiyon Tadami River Bridge viewpoint is 2.4 km from the car park. Karamushi Shoku no Sato Shouwa follows, with a restaurant and a weaving-village experience, then Kirara 289, the only station of the six with an onsen. Day two crosses the mountains to Banya, a small stop with a restaurant and Wi-Fi, and ends at Oze Hinoemata, a restaurant and cafe station 4.1 km from the Aizu-Komagatake trailhead.
The stops, in driving order
- 1 Michi-no-Eki Nishiaizu 道の駅 にしあいづ · Fukushima
Michi-no-Eki Nishiaizu (道の駅 にしあいづ) is a government-designated roadside station in 耶麻郡西会津町, Fukushima, Japan, registered in 2004 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 111 cars and 9 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–19:00 ＜休 1/1＞ 9:00–18:00（12/1–3/15）. 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 Aizu Yanatsu, Oze Kaidou Mishima Yado and Oku Aizu Kaneyama.
Nearby: 📸Aizu Sanju-San Kannon (1.1 km) · 🌄天空の窓 (5.1 km)
- 2 Michi-no-Eki Oku Aizu Kaneyama 道の駅 奥会津かねやま · Fukushima
Michi-no-Eki Oku Aizu Kaneyama (道の駅 奥会津かねやま) is a government-designated roadside station in 大沼郡金山町, Fukushima, Japan, registered in 2013 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 46 cars and 6 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–18:30＜休 12/30–1/2＞. 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 Oze Kaidou Mishima Yado, Nishiaizu and Aizu Yanatsu.
Nearby: 🌄中川田んぼ (0.7 km) · 📸Daiyon Tadami River Bridge (2.4 km)
- 3 Michi-no-Eki Karamushi Shoku No Sato Shouwa 道の駅 からむし織の里しょうわ · Fukushima
Michi-no-Eki Karamushi Shoku No Sato Shouwa (道の駅 からむし織の里しょうわ) is a government-designated roadside station in 大沼郡昭和村, Fukushima, Japan, registered in 2014 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, free Wi-Fi, a tourist-information desk and hands-on experiences. There is free parking for about 57 cars and 5 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–17:00 ＜休 12/29–1/3＞. 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 Kirara 289, Oze Kaidou Mishima Yado and Oku Aizu Kaneyama.
Nearby: ⛰Hakase Yama (8.6 km) · ⛰Mt. Karakura (16 km)
- 4 Michi-no-Eki Kirara 289 道の駅 きらら289 · Fukushima
Michi-no-Eki Kirara 289 (道の駅 きらら289) is a government-designated roadside station in 南会津郡南会津町, Fukushima, Japan, registered in 2012 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 a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 51 cars and 4 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 10:00–20:00（火曜日は10:00–14:00）. 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 Karamushi Shoku No Sato Shouwa, Banya and Tajima.
Nearby: ⛰Mt. Karakura (4.4 km) · ⛰Mt. Daihata (4.4 km)
- 5 Michi-no-Eki Banya 道の駅 番屋 · Fukushima
Michi-no-Eki Banya (道の駅 番屋) is a government-designated roadside station in 南会津郡南会津町, Fukushima, 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 local-products shop, free Wi-Fi, a tourist-information desk and an accessible restroom. There is free parking for about 19 cars and 2 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 8:00–17:00＜休 毎週火曜日、木曜日（冬期のみ）、12/29–1/1＞. 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 Tajima, Yunishi Kawa and Kirara 289.
Nearby: ⛰Mt. Arakai (4.4 km) · ⛰Mt. Oare (6.2 km)
- 6 Michi-no-Eki Oze Hieki 道の駅 尾瀬檜枝岐 · Fukushima
Michi-no-Eki Oze Hieki (道の駅 尾瀬檜枝岐) is a government-designated roadside station in 南会津郡檜枝岐村, Fukushima, Japan, registered in 2017 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 baby room. There is free parking for about 55 cars and 5 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 8:30–17:00〔施設・季節により異なる〕 ＜休 無休＞. 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 Banya, Kirara 289 and Yunishi Kawa.
Nearby: ⛰Mt. Aizu-Komagatake (4.1 km) · ⛰Mt. Chumon (5.3 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 (Fukushima · 3 with onsen / 1 with rooms)
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Kirara 289 道の駅 きらら289 · Minamiaizu, Fukushima · on the route -
Kita No Sato 道の駅 喜多の郷 · Kitakata, Fukushima · ~24 km off the route -
Kunimi Atsukashino Sato 道の駅 国見 あつかしの郷 · Kunimi, Fukushima · ~86 km off the route -
Naraha 道の駅 ならは · Naraha, Fukushima · ~121 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 Fukushima
Route tips
- Rent the car in Koriyama, Aizu-Wakamatsu or Niigata, or take the Banetsu line to Nishiaizu and rent locally. A one-way rental that ends in Minamiaizu or Nikko saves driving the whole valley back north.
- Kirara 289 is the only station of the six with an onsen, so it is the natural place to spend the night after day one; its hours are 10:00–20:00 (Tuesday 10:00–14:00), the latest of the six. Stock up on fuel before leaving Kaneyama, because the valley road has few petrol stations.
- Hours are short in the hills. Banya closes at 17:00 and shuts on Tuesdays and Thursdays in winter, Karamushi Shoku no Sato Shouwa and Oze Hinoemata close at 17:00, and Oku Aizu Kaneyama at 18:30. Reach Banya and Hinoemata by mid-afternoon.
- Large-vehicle room is best at Nishiaizu (9 large bays). Oku Aizu Kaneyama has 6, Karamushi Shoku no Sato Shouwa and Oze Hinoemata 5 each, Kirara 289 4, and Banya only 2 with 19 car bays. EV charging is at Nishiaizu only. Oku-Aizu is heavy snow country, so put studless tyres on from 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 — Oku-Aizu & Hinoemata
How many days do you need for the Oku-Aizu & Hinoemata route?
2 days is a comfortable pace: roughly 110 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 Nishiaizu, Fukushima (Banetsu Expressway Nishiaizu area) and ends at Hinoemata, Minamiaizu, Fukushima (Oze trailhead village). 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?
May to November; green in June, autumn colour from mid-October to early November. Oku-Aizu is deep snow country from December to March, so studless tyres are essential and Hinoemata can be icy or snowbound.
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 →