Ibaraki Prefecture · Kanto
道の駅 常陸大宮
At Kawa Plaza beside the clear Kuji River, enjoy Hitachi Aki soba, Mizuho beef, ayu, egoma and a riverside plaza in one stop.
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Eat, shop, play, take in the view or rest. Choose from the station’s strengths to suit your day.
These bring together the flavors of the river and surrounding hills. Arrive early for limited-quantity dishes.
The farm shop has plenty to explore, with foods to enjoy again at home.
An easy treat for children and adults during a stop.
There is room to play without leaving the station. In summer, put safety by the water first.
A nearby choice when you want more time with the Kuji River.
Fuka Kitami sees Kawa Plaza as a place to take a proper breath before rushing on to Okukuji. Eat soba. Buy rice and egoma oil. Let the children run to the play equipment while adults pause to look at the Kuji River. Different ways of resting fit together on the same grounds.
A bag from the farm shop and the ease of a riverside pause: Kawa Plaza lets you take both home.
Michi-no-Eki Hitachiomiya, a Japanese roadside station known as Kawa Plaza, offers more than a rest stop on National Route 118 toward Okukuji. Facing the clear Kuji River, its farm shop brings together produce from about 270 registered growers, including around 180 kinds of vegetables, as well as rice and fruit. Dining choices run from handmade Hitachi Aki soba (buckwheat noodles) and ayu sweetfish tempura with chilled noodles to Mizuho beef and gelato made with local ingredients. Editor Fuka Kitami recommends it as a place to eat, shop and enjoy the river before Okukuji. Younger children can use the inclusive play equipment and lawn; school-age children can explore the river and Tatsunokuchi Waterside Park; adults can add Santa no Yu hot springs or Nishishio-go’s rotating kabuki stage. Choose your outing to suit the season and your group. For navigation, the station address is 茨城県常陸大宮市岩崎717-1 (717-1 Iwasaki, Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki).
Beyond eating and shopping indoors, step out toward the waterside plaza facing the Kuji River. Kawa Plaza combines the convenience of a roadside stop with space to relax by the water.
Handmade Hitachi Aki soba at Restaurant Hitachitei is limited in quantity. There are also ayu tempura with chilled noodles, Mizuho beef steak, Japanese pork set meals, food court dishes and gelato, making this a useful meal stop before or after Okukuji.
According to Ibaraki’s tourism guide, about 270 growers are registered and roughly 180 kinds of vegetables, mainly from nearby, are offered. Look too for freshly milled rice, egoma oil and locally processed foods to take home.
The city’s family information lists play equipment, including inclusive equipment, in the grounds. Children can play at the station itself or continue to nearby Tatsunokuchi Waterside Park, making it a useful stop through elementary school age.
Spend your time at the station or add somewhere nearby. These ideas help you plan around your companions and the weather.
Eat Hitachi Aki soba or ayu tempura with chilled noodles, browse vegetables and rice at the farm shop, then step outside to the river. Food and scenery are close together, making this a refreshing break on a long drive.
Parking → Restaurant Hitachitei → farm shop → waterside plaza.
Handmade soba and Mizuho beef are limited in quantity. Arriving before the lunch rush gives you a better chance.
The grounds, play equipment, gelato, meals and restrooms are close together, so you can stay without adding much travel. If you visit the waterside plaza, keep a safe distance from the water and make it a short stop.
Farm shop → snack or gelato → plaza.
The risks of playing near the river change with the season, weather and water level. Check conditions and put safety first.
Continue beyond the station’s waterside plaza to Tatsunokuchi Waterside Park. It has a fitness play area, hydrangea garden, cherry blossom embankment, lookout and salmon exhibition hall, offering a closer look at the Kuji River’s natural setting.
Station → Tatsunokuchi Waterside Park → return to the station for souvenirs.
Check closures at Furusato-kan, including Mondays. Watch for heat and rain outdoors.
After eating and shopping at the roadside station, visit Santa no Yu. Its alkaline simple hot spring has indoor and open-air baths, a relaxed finish to a drive toward Okukuji.
Station → Santa no Yu → homeward journey.
Check official opening hours, closure days and crowding. Allow time to rest after bathing before driving.
Nishishio-go’s rotating stage is a rural kabuki stage whose performances are generally held once every three years. It is not an everyday attraction, but in a performance year the station makes a useful food and rest stop.
Station → Nishishio-go rotating stage area → elsewhere in the city.
Confirm performance dates, parking and transport guidance with the official organizers or preservation group.
Closed on the third Thursday of each month (or the next day if it is a public holiday) and January 1. Check the latest official information.
The official facility guide lists separate hours and last orders for each outlet, with winter hours from December through March.
Check each facility separately for Tatsunokuchi Waterside Park, Santa no Yu, campsites and cultural sites.
Stars show the editorial recommendation for each age group on a five-point scale. Read the reasons alongside each rating.
Short indoor breaks and time in the plaza work well. At the riverside, stick to looking from a safe distance.
Meals, restrooms and shopping are close together, which helps when carrying a baby.
Play equipment and gelato make an easy outing. Keep riverside visits brief and prioritize safety.
The plaza with inclusive play equipment gives children something to do without leaving the station.
Play can extend from the plaza and waterside area to Tatsunokuchi Waterside Park.
The river and park add variety; if weather changes, you can keep the visit centered on the station.
Explore the Kuji River, Tatsunokuchi Waterside Park, the salmon exhibition hall and nearby camping areas.
An outing here can connect outdoor play with the river, food and local culture.
Permanent spaces and dated events are listed separately. Events can change both the atmosphere and crowds; use the official links for details.
Checking event dates.
Check the official events page weekly for craft fairs, seasonal events, changes to opening hours and food events.
Weather, water level and season greatly change riverside conditions. Check current safety information.
Autumn soba, newly harvested rice, egoma and seasonal vegetables depend on harvest and stock; check current availability.
Performances are generally held once every three years, so check the schedule in a performance year.
Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.
Ibaraki’s tourism guide also presents this as a roadside station for enjoying nature. With its on-site plaza and the nearby Kuji River, a visit can go beyond shopping.
Restaurant Hitachitei lists handmade Hitachi Aki soba, ayu tempura with chilled noodles and Mizuho beef steak, bringing river and hill flavors together.
With a reported 270 or so growers and about 180 kinds of vegetables, browsing vegetables, rice and egoma oil may suggest a meal to make at home.
The fitness play area, hydrangea garden, cherry blossom embankment, lookout and salmon exhibition hall make it a place to explore nature beyond the station’s waterside plaza.
With baths, a restaurant and a local-products corner, Santa no Yu makes a final stop after eating and shopping at the station. It suits adult travelers and three-generation groups.
It is not a regular stop on every visit. In a performance year, however, it offers a chance to encounter Hitachiomiya’s local performing culture.
Official videos show the market and nearby park before you visit. Audio and captions are in Japanese.
Opening and closure days, individual businesses and facilities for children or dogs can affect your plans.
Specialities, places to eat, sweets and bakeries can all give you a reason to stop. Check individual menus for current prices and availability.
A meal, a sweet treat, market shopping or something to take away: choose a focus for the day instead of trying everything at once.
Arrive early if the meal is the reason for your stop. These are strong tastes of the gateway to Okukuji.
A good choice when you want the Kuji River setting reflected in your meal.
The farm shop’s strengths carry through to a meal at home.
Easy to fit before or after the play area or riverside. On hot days, it can be a rest break too.
If the restaurant wait is long, split the meal across these options to keep your plans flexible.
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At Kawa Plaza beside the clear Kuji River, enjoy Hitachi Aki soba, Mizuho beef, ayu, egoma and a riverside plaza in one stop.
Go a little farther from Kawa Plaza’s riverside to explore the Kuji River’s natural setting.
After the river and farm shop, end your Hitachiomiya drive with a relaxing hot spring bath.
Stock up at Kawa Plaza before heading to camping by the Naka River and hills.
A rural kabuki tradition comes to life in Hitachiomiya during performance years.
Step outside the station and feel the river air, even with your shopping bag in hand.
Take home rice and egoma that bring Hitachiomiya back to mind after your visit.
A leading choice when the station’s waterside plaza is not enough and you want more river time and outdoor play.
Adults and three-generation groups can round off the station’s food and shopping with a hot spring visit.
Shop for supplies at the station before an overnight outdoor stay or a day in nature.
Most relevant in a performance year. Eat and shop at the station as part of a culture-focused day.
Good for a family break entirely at the station. Keep the waterside visit short and check weather and water levels.
Even without time for a meal or riverside play, choosing rice and egoma oil gives the stop a local flavor.
Send your travel companions a possible stop.
