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Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph

Gunma Prefecture · Kanto

Roadside Station Kawaba Denen Plaza (道の駅川場田園プラザ)

道の駅川場田園プラザ

Eat, shop, play, and stroll. A short drive from Numata Interchange, this roadside station becomes a village square where you can spend the whole day.

Updated 2026-09-30Michi-no-Eki Journal Read in Japanese

Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph

Location

Kawaba Village, Tone District

Road

Prefectural Route 64 | Hirakawa–Yokozuka Line

Hours

09:00–17:00

The official site lists general hours of 9:00–17:00 (checked September 26, 2026). Hours and regular closing days vary by shop. Examples: Farmers Market, weekdays 9:00–17:00 and weekends/public holidays 8:30–17:00 (open daily); Denen Plaza Bakery, 9:00–17:00 (closed Wednesdays); Restaurant Hotaka, 11:00–20:30 (last order 20:00; open daily); Pizzeria Raccolto, 10:00–16:00 (open daily); and Kawabanchi, 9:00–17:00 (open daily). Substitute closing days may occur in some months.

Parking

Cars: 850 / Large vehicles: 5

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How to enjoy

Choose how to enjoy your visit

Eat, shop, play, take in the view or rest. Choose from the station’s strengths to suit your day.

First stop on arrival

Follow the aromas to the Farmers Market and food shops

Check out the vegetables, bread, meat dishes, and sweets first; then it is easier to decide whether to eat or shop.

With children

Visit the lawn and Play Zone before or after eating

Short switches between food and outdoor play may work better than a long sit-down meal. Check the day's notices for seasonal activities such as grass sledding.

For a meal

Choose among bread, sanzoku-yaki, soba, and soft-serve ice cream

Popular shops can get busy at peak times. Leave room to combine a light meal with something sweet. Sanzoku-yaki here is boiled ham and sausages finished on a hot griddle; soba is buckwheat noodles.

To add a hot spring

Head to Kawaba Denen Onsen Rakuraku no Yu

A soak after eating and playing makes for a fuller half-day in Kawaba. Onsen is a Japanese hot spring bath.

Planning by season

Blueberries in summer; road conditions and opening hours in winter

Blueberry Park opened on July 4, 2026. An official July 27 notice said berry picking had almost ended, though visitors could still enter the park.

Highlights

Kawaba Denen Plaza feels like a roadside station where you can decide to spend the day, rather than just stop for a break. Browse vegetables at the Farmers Market, follow the aromas from the bakery and meat workshop, and let children run across the lawn or in the Play Zone. It is easy to reach from Numata Interchange, yet the mountain air and village food feel unmistakably local. Guide Misato Kawai sees its greatest strength in how easily families can switch between eating, playing, and resting before children get bored.

#Gunma Prefecture
#Kawaba Village
#Near Numata Interchange
#Farmers Market
#Bakery
#Sanzoku-yaki grilled meat
#Families with children
#Lawn
#Play Zone
#Near hot springs

Practical information

Registration number: 群馬-06
Prefecture: Gunma Prefecture
Municipality: Kawaba Village, Tone District
Road: Prefectural Route 64 | Hirakawa–Yokozuka Line
Telephone: 0278-52-3711
Station stamp: Available

Address

385 Hagimuro, Kawaba Village, Tone District, Gunma Prefecture 378-0111 (〒378-0111 群馬県利根郡川場村大字萩室385)

Facilities

Farmers Market
Bakery
Café
Soft-serve ice cream shop
Soba restaurant
Noodle shop
Restaurant
Pizzeria
Local products center
Meat workshop
Pottery class
Play Zone

2 more facilities listed.

External links

Visit the official website (Japanese)Background information (Japanese)www.denenplaza.co.jp (Japanese guide)denenplaza.co.jp (Japanese guide)denenplaza.co.jp (Japanese guide)www.kawabakankou.gunma.jp (Japanese guide)www.kanto-michinoeki.jp (Japanese guide)

Why I like it

Reasons to stop here

A roadside station where you can spend the whole day

The produce market, bakery, meat workshop, restaurants, lawn, and play area are all in one area. Allow time to eat, walk around, and shop again instead of leaving after a break; that is when the station comes into its own.

Food choices for different tastes in the family

Someone can shop for vegetables, another can pick out bread, another can sit down to a filling meat dish, and everyone can finish with soft-serve ice cream, all on the same grounds. It is especially useful when your group cannot agree on one meal.

An easy starting point for outdoor activities around Kawaba

Beyond the on-site Play Zone, the location makes it easy to add hot springs, a flower temple, a ski resort, or nature walks. Starting at the roadside station helps make a day in Kawaba Village easier to plan.

Route idea

Ways to plan your stop

Spend your time at the station or add somewhere nearby. These ideas help you plan around your companions and the weather.

Drives from the Kan-Etsu Expressway toward Oze or Kawaba

Stop for a lunch worth looking forward to from Numata Interchange

Close enough to the interchange to make an easy stop, this station deserves more than a quick break. Vegetables, bread, meat dishes, and sweets can make lunch here a highlight of the drive.

Drive from the Numata Interchange area toward Kawaba Village. Allow extra time to enter the parking areas on busy days.

This is a popular station; on holiday lunchtimes, leave yourself options beyond one particular restaurant.

Families with preschool and elementary school children

Children can play while adults shop

The spacious grounds and outdoor play options make it easy to change pace before or after waiting for food or shopping. Misato Kawai especially recommends it when family members have different priorities.

Make short trips between the Farmers Market, food outlets, and Play Zone.

Adjust outdoor time for strong summer sun and winter cold.

Days when you want to unwind after eating

Add a hot spring for a half-day in Kawaba

Adding Kawaba Denen Onsen Rakuraku no Yu or another nearby lodging or bathing facility turns eating and playing into a half-day route with time to rest.

Denen Plaza → Rakuraku no Yu. Check its hours and closing days on the day of your visit.

Family drives from July into the summer holidays

Fit in a short blueberry stop in summer

Blueberry Park adds a seasonal experience to the station's food and play. In 2026 it opened on July 4 and opened areas in stages as the berries ripened. A short visit before or after a meal can suit children's attention spans.

Check which areas are open and the visiting hours, then combine the park with a meal and the Play Zone.

Follow that year's rules, including no taking berries home and no entry outside open areas or hours.

Hours

Opening hours

Roadside station and main facilities

9:00-17:00

Official general hours. The Farmers Market opens at 8:30 on weekends and public holidays. Hours and closing days differ by shop.

Bakery and other shops

9:00-17:00

Closing days differ by shop; the bakery is normally closed on Wednesdays.

Restaurant Hotaka

11:00-20:30

Last order is 20:00. Official shop information lists it as open daily; check official notices for temporary changes.

Family

Visiting with children

Stars show the editorial recommendation for each age group on a five-point scale. Read the reasons alongside each rating.

Age 1 and under

★★★☆☆

The outdoors can feel pleasant, but a long visit depends on the weather. Instead of trying to cover the whole large site, make short stops at the market, bakery, and a shaded resting place.

Ages 2–3

★★★★☆

The lawn and Play Zone offer a change of pace, and waiting for food can become outdoor play. Adults can split tasks between a popular-shop queue and children waiting outside.

Ages 4–6

★★★★★

Children this age can readily enjoy moving between play, food, and another walk. In summer you might add blueberries; in winter there is scope to head toward snow play.

Elementary school children

★★★★★

Extend the visit from snacks and the lawn to nearby hot springs or seasonal outdoor play. The station can serve as a meeting point on days that also include the ski resort or flower temple.

Rest

Ideas for a restful stop

1
After parking, do not try to cover the entire site
It is a large station; choosing one priority—food, shopping, or play—can make the visit less tiring.
2
If it is crowded, switch to shopping and sweets
Even when popular restaurants are busy, the produce market or bakery can still make for a satisfying stop.
3
End the afternoon at the hot spring
Adding Rakuraku no Yu offers a restful close to a mountain village drive.

Event

Make an event part of your visit

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.

Local feel

Reasons to return

Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.

Enjoy the bustle of one of Japan's highly ranked roadside stations

The official site highlights the station's awards and popularity. Expect a lively village square of food, shopping, and outdoor play rather than a quiet rest stop.

Source: Kawaba Denen Plaza official website

Space for children to run can improve the meal too

Food is only part of the draw; getting outside and moving around matters too. Even when you come mainly to eat, a spell of play can help the whole family enjoy the visit.

On holiday lunchtimes, leave options beyond the most popular shops

Restaurants and takeaway counters can draw crowds around lunch. Even if you have your heart set on sanzoku-yaki or a restaurant, the bakery, market, and soft-serve shop give children other options before they tire of waiting.

Source: Trends in Jalan.net, Iko-yo, and travel reviews

Check fixed play equipment and seasonal activities separately

The Play Zone is useful for families, but activities such as grass sledding may be unavailable depending on the season or maintenance. If play is your main reason for coming, check separately whether the climbing equipment and sledding area are open.

Source: Kawaba Denen Plaza Play Zone information

Summer blueberry-picking areas change

Blueberry Park opened on July 4, 2026, and as of July 13 its areas were opening gradually and selectively. Think of berry picking as an activity within the park; do not plan to take the berries home.

Source: Kawaba Denen Plaza official news

In the evening, check each shop's last service time

General hours are 9:00–17:00, but restaurants and takeaway outlets finish at different times. If arriving late in the day, decide on shopping and sweets first, then choose a food outlet that is still serving.

Before your visit

Things to check before setting out

Opening and closure days, individual businesses and facilities for children or dogs can affect your plans.

Hours and closing days vary by shop. If dining is your main purpose, check the official shop pages and the current month's notices before setting out.
This popular station can be crowded at lunchtime on holidays. Leave room to switch from a particular restaurant to the bakery, market, soft-serve shop, or outdoor play.
The Play Zone is especially helpful for families, but some activities, including grass sledding, change with the season or maintenance. Check the notices on site if play is the purpose of your visit.
Blueberry Park's open areas and hours change with the berries' condition in summer. It opened on July 4, 2026; an official July 27 notice said picking had almost ended, though the park remained open for entry.
This is a mountain village station. In summer, consider sun exposure and water; in winter, check for icy roads and conditions toward the ski resort, and adjust outdoor time accordingly.

Food mood

What would you like to eat?

A meal, a sweet treat, market shopping or something to take away: choose a focus for the day instead of trying everything at once.

Look here first

Farmers Market / local vegetables / processed foods

Start here if you want to take a taste of Kawaba home. Browsing seasonal vegetables before choosing a meal is fun too.

Follow the aroma

Denen Plaza Bakery / freshly baked bread

A strong choice before a meal or for the drive home. It also helps to pick up something children can eat easily.

Have a substantial meal

Sanzoku-yaki grilled meat / restaurant / soba noodles

Those wanting a filling meat dish and those preferring a lighter noodle meal can each find a choice at the same station.

Finish with a treat

Soft-serve ice cream / café

A sweet treat after outdoor play can make the Kawaba visit memorable.

Add only in summer

Blueberry Park / picking berries to eat within the park

While open, the park offers a short seasonal experience between food and play. Areas and hours change with the condition of the berries, so follow the notices on site.

Access