A roadside station (道の駅, Michi no eki) is a government-designated rest area found along roads and highways in Japan.
In addition to providing places for travelers to rest, they are intended to promote local tourism and trade. Shops may sell local produce, snacks, souvenirs, and other goods. All roadside stations provide 24-hour access to parking, public toilets, directional and tourism information, and other facilities.[1]
As of August 2024, there are 1221 roadside stations across Japan: 128 in Hokkaido, 175 in the Tōhoku region, 188 in the Kantō region, 84 in the Hokuriku region, 136 in the Chūbu region, 158 in the Kansai (Kinki) region, 108 in the Chūgoku region, 91 in Shikoku, and 153 across both Kyushu and Okinawa.[2]
History
editThe concept for roadside stations came from a January 1990 symposium held by the Ministry of Construction's Chugoku Regional Construction Bureau:[3] one of the participants suggested that roads could have stations in the same way that railways do.[4] Experiments began in October of 1991 in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture, and Gifu Prefecture, and the system for roadside stations was officially established on February 23, 1993.[5] The first registrations were in April of 1993, resulting in 103 initial roadside stations.[3]
On April 1, 2014, the Order on Road Sign, Road Line, and Road Surface Marking was revised to include road signs with directional markers for roadside stations.[6]
On January 30, 2015, a system for "priority roadside stations" was established.[7] The purpose of the system is to provide priority support to roadside stations that are deemed excellent in order to assist with regional revitalization. Priority roadside stations are divided into 3 categories:
- National Model Roadside Stations: roadside stations which continuously demonstrate outstanding regional revitalization abilities;
- Priority Roadside Stations: roadside stations that have excellent plans for regional revitalization, and are expected to be effective in the future with the assistance of priority support;
- Priority Roadside Station Candidates: roadside stations with the potential to become priority roadside stations.
Initially, 6 stations were designated National Model Roadside Stations, 35 were designated Priority Roadside Stations, and 49 were designated Priority Roadside Station Candidates.
| Year | Total Number of Roadside Stations | Registrations (Deregistrations) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 115 | 115 (0)[notes 1] | |
| 1994 | 175 | 60 (0) | +60 |
| 1995 | 233 | 58 (0) | +58 |
| 1996 | 313 | 80 (0) | +80 |
| 1997 | 390 | 77 (0) | +77 |
| 1998 | 470 | 80 (0) | +80 |
| 1999 | 551 | 81 (0) | +81 |
| 2000 | 610 | 59 (0) | +59 |
| 2001 | 649 | 49 (0) | +49 |
| 2002 | 701 | 52 (0) | +52 |
| 2003 | 743 | 42 (0) | +42 |
| 2004 | 785 | 43 (1) | +42 |
| 2005 | 830 | 45 (0) | +45 |
| 2006 | 845 | 15 (0) | +15 |
| 2007 | 868 | 23 (0) | +23 |
| 2008 | 887 | 42 (0) | +42 |
| 2009 | 917 | 30 (0) | +30 |
| 2010 | 952 | 35 (0) | +35 |
| 2011 | 977 | 25 (0) | +25 |
| 2012 | 996 | 19 (0) | +19 |
| 2013 | 1,014 | 19 (1) | +18 |
| 2014 | 1,040 | 26 (0) | +26 |
| 2015 | 1,079 | 39 (0) | +39 |
| 2016 | 1,107 | 67 (0) | +67 |
| 2017 | 1,134 | 36 (0) | +36 |
| 2018 | 1,145 | 11 (0) | +11 |
| 2019 | 1,160 | 15 (0) | +15 |
| 2020 | 1,180 | 20 (0) | +20 |
| 2021 | 1,193 | 13 (0) | +13 |
| 2022 | 1,198 | 7 (2) | +5 |
| 2023 | 1,209 | 11 (0) | +11 |
| 2024 | 1,221 | 12 (0) | +12 |
Notes
edit- ^ In addition to the initial 103 roadside stations, 12 more stations were registered in the first year
References
edit- ^ "道の駅について" [About Roadside Stations] (PDF) (in Japanese). Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. September 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "道の駅とは？" [What is a roadside station?]. Michi-no-eki official website (in Japanese).
- ^ a b "Roles and Charms of Michi-no-Eki, and Prospects for a Global Brand" (PDF). Highlighting Japan. No. 183 JAPAN’S ROADSIDE STATION: MICHI-NO-EKI. Government of Japan. August 2023. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 31, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
- ^ "Handbook on Michi-no-Eki for International cooperation" (PDF). Civil Engineering Research Institute. September 2021. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
A citizen participant said, 'It would be good to have stations on roads, like railways have.'
- ^ a b "道の駅案内" [Roadside Station Information] (in Japanese). Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
- ^ "道路標識、区画線及び道路標示に関する命令の一部を改正する命令の概要" [Summary of the Order Partially Revising the Order on Road Sign, Road Line, and Road Surface Marking] (PDF) (in Japanese). Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "重点「道の駅」の選定について" [On the Selection of Priority "Roadside Stations"] (PDF) (in Japanese). Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
External links
edit- (in Japanese) National Michi-no-Eki Association website
- (in English) Japan Road Bureau website
- Flickr photos 道の駅 (Michi-no-eki)
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