GUNMA - Highway service areas around the Kanto region are becoming destinations in their own right, offering travelers everything from freshly harvested vegetables and popular regional restaurant dishes to baths, observation decks and family events during the busy summer vacation season.
One of the largest is EXPASA Ashigara in Shizuoka Prefecture, located at the foot of Mount Fuji along the Tomei Expressway toward Shizuoka and about 90 minutes by car from Tokyo.
Although Ebina Service Area is one of the best-known stops on the Tomei Expressway, Ashigara, about 50 kilometers farther west, is also among the largest service areas in Japan and attracts travelers who prefer to stop after passing traffic congestion closer to Tokyo.
Outside the main building, a row of takeout outlets offers local specialties, including a 700-yen hot dog made with pork from Shizuoka Prefecture.
Another popular choice is a steamed wooden-box meal prepared after each order. The 1,340-yen beef-and-pork double wappa allows travelers to sample both local branded beef and pork in a single meal.
The indoor food court also serves regional specialties. One rice bowl features Fujisan salmon from Shizuoka Prefecture, while another popular dish is warm soba topped with a generous serving of crisp sakura shrimp tempura from Suruga Bay, priced at 1,100 yen.
Ashigara offers more than food. On the second floor is a bathing facility using mineral-rich underground water from Mount Fuji, allowing drivers and passengers to relax during long journeys.
The service area also has an observation deck overlooking Mount Fuji, although the mountain can sometimes be hidden by clouds.
Many visitors use the stop while traveling farther afield. One family from Kawasaki was heading to celebrate their 2-year-old daughter's birthday at an all-inclusive hotel, while another family that had driven about two and a half hours from Gunma Prefecture was traveling to Shizuoka for a glamping holiday featuring campfires, roasted marshmallows and fireworks.
Another family, normally living in the United States, was visiting Japan for the first time in three years and traveling to Aichi Prefecture to meet relatives. Their plans included visiting Ghibli Park and an aquarium where visitors can interact with marine life.
Farther north, Akagi-Kogen Service Area in Gunma Prefecture, on the Kan-Etsu Expressway toward Tokyo, has become known for the bounty of the surrounding agricultural region.
A direct-sales corner is packed with vegetables delivered every morning by local farmers. Five cucumbers sell for 210 yen, while a bag filled with tomatoes costs 310 yen. Shoppers can also find unusual vegetables that are rarely sold in ordinary supermarkets.
The most popular item during the summer season is freshly harvested lettuce.
One local farmer said harvesting begins every day at 3 a.m. The large heads of lettuce, priced at 200 yen each, are brought directly to the service area, sometimes attracting customers almost as soon as they are placed on the shelves.
An elderly couple in their 80s, stopping on their way back to Tokyo, bought a head of lettuce after seeing the farmer deliver the morning harvest and said it appeared fresher than produce normally available in the capital.
Akagi-Kogen is also home to dishes from Shango, a famous Italian restaurant in Takasaki known for attracting long lines at its main location.
At the service area, visitors can enjoy the same dishes without waiting in line.
The signature Shango-style spaghetti, priced at 1,580 yen, is topped with a freshly fried pork cutlet and the restaurant's secret meat sauce. Diners described the sauce as slightly sweet and a good match for the cutlet.
Another popular dish is Vesuvio, priced at 1,390 yen, which combines pasta with a spicy tomato sauce and seafood including shrimp and mussels.
One traveler returning from Niigata chose the dish because she wanted something spicy in the summer heat, describing it as hot enough to leave her lips tingling but addictive.
Travelers stopping at Akagi-Kogen were returning from a variety of summer trips.
A family from Tochigi Prefecture had traveled around the Hokuriku region, including a visit to the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum at the request of their dinosaur-loving son.
A parent and child from Chiba Prefecture had spent two nights and three days at a hotel beside a ski resort in Niigata, where they enjoyed waterslides, swings overlooking the mountains and other outdoor activities.
A group of 10 relatives from Yokohama had visited a river area in Gunma Prefecture, where they enjoyed hot springs, playing in the river and catching trout by hand. One child caught five fish, which the family later grilled with salt.
Closer to Tokyo, Pasar Makuhari on the road linking Chiba with the capital is about 40 minutes from central Tokyo and was nearly full shortly after noon on a weekend.
Many drivers said they had stopped simply to buy coffee or take a short break, only to discover a surprisingly large selection of shops, restaurants and attractions.
The spacious circular facility includes a souvenir section filled with products made from Chiba's famous peanuts, including varieties flavored with black sesame and cheese.
The food court also features Chiba specialties, including Takeoka-style soy sauce ramen topped with chopped onions and served in a soup made using braising liquid from roast pork. The dish costs 924 yen.
A group of university students returning to Tokyo ordered a jumbo chicken cutlet curry made with an entire chicken thigh placed over a large serving of rice and covered in curry. Priced at 1,034 yen, the oversized dish surprised the students, who said its size made it particularly good value.
The group had been visiting the Choshi area of Chiba Prefecture, where they went swimming and had a barbecue.
Other travelers had chosen nearby destinations to escape the summer heat. One parent and child from Chiba visited the Chiba Museum of Science and Industry in Ichikawa, where interactive exhibits kept their 3-year-old son entertained.
Another couple had tried a flying trapeze activity, saying instructors carefully explained the timing of each movement and made it possible for beginners to perform tricks.
Pasar Makuhari also hosts events that attract local residents specifically to the service area.
One popular summer event is a corn-husking challenge that begins at 5 p.m. Participants pay 500 yen and have 45 seconds to remove the husks from as many ears of corn as possible, keeping everything they successfully peel.
With each ear normally costing about 230 yen, anyone who manages three or more comes out ahead.
One mother from Funabashi took on the challenge after her daughter jokingly asked her to bring home 100 ears. She managed three in her first attempt before deciding to try again.
Her mother then stepped in and peeled six, twice as many.
The best performance that day came from a local father who had visited specifically for the event and managed to husk eight ears in 45 seconds, bringing the effective price to less than 100 yen per ear.
From farm-fresh produce and famous local dishes to baths, family activities and unusual events, Japan's highway service areas are increasingly giving travelers reasons to make the roadside stop itself part of their summer vacation.
Source: FNN
