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Nagano Prefecture · Kanto

Michi-no-Eki Nozawa Onsen

道の駅 野沢温泉

Pick up Nozawana greens and house-made tofu, then organize your trip before heading into the hot spring town.

Updated Michi-no-Eki JournalRead in Japanese

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Location
Nozawa Onsen Village, Shimotakai District
Road
National Route 117
Hours
9:00–17:00
Hours vary by facility: shop 9:00–17:00, restaurant 11:00–17:00 (last order 16:30), farm produce market 9:00–16:00, and so on.
Parking
Cars: 36 / Large vehicles: 7
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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.

If you’re shopping
Nozawana and village products

Look first for Nozawana pickles and processed products, rice, wild vegetables, mushrooms, and seasonal vegetables.

If you’re eating
A meal with house-made tofu

The restaurant opens at 11:00. If lunch is your aim, eating before entering the hot spring town makes the rest of the day easier.

If you’re with children
A short kids’ play break

The free indoor play area and baby corner offer a place to rest on snowy or rainy days.

If you’re exploring nearby
Public baths, morning market, and mountain activities

The hot spring town is about 15 minutes away by car. Add the morning market, gondola, or Lake Hokuryu for a half-day outing.

If you’re driving
Regroup on National Route 117

The stop lets you combine toilets, shopping, and a meal while traveling toward the Toyota-Iiyama Interchange or Sakae Village.

Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph
Chiho’s stopover notes

Before rushing into the hot spring town, sort out food and parking here.

Chiho Kuramochi looks beyond the hot spring town when planning Nozawa Onsen. On National Route 117, take care of the toilets, produce market, tofu, bread, lunch, and a break for the children first. Then you can focus on walking among the public baths and morning market, with time to pick up Nozawana and tofu on the way home. This station makes it easier to connect meals and shopping with the hot springs and mountains.

Highlights

Michi-no-Eki Nozawa Onsen is a roadside stop in the Mushiu district on National Route 117 where you can browse the food of Nozawa Onsen Village at an easy pace. The farm produce market carries seasonal Nozawana, a local leafy green often pickled, wild vegetables, nemagaridake bamboo shoots, mushrooms, rice, and more. The shop offers Nozawana products made by village businesses, bread, café items, and house-made tofu and yuba (tofu skin). The restaurant serves Nozawana pickles and rice grown in the village. With a kids’ play area, baby corner, outdoor toilets, and indoor toilets, it is a practical rest stop before or after the hot spring town or ski resort.

  • #Nozawana greens
  • #Handmade tofu
  • #Yuba (tofu skin)
  • #Farm produce market
  • #Bakery
  • #Kids’ play area
  • #National Route 117
Why I like it

Reasons to stop here

01

Take home more of the village’s food than Nozawana alone

The farm produce market changes with the seasons, selling Nozawana greens, wild vegetables, asparagus, nemagaridake bamboo shoots, fruit, rice, mushrooms, and processed foods. The shop stocks Nozawana products from village businesses, sake, jam, bread, and original souvenirs, so even a short stop can yield something distinctive from Nozawa Onsen Village.

02

House-made tofu and a restaurant make this a lunch stop

The station’s soybean project extends from a field behind the building to processing on site. It sells firm momen tofu, soft oboro tofu, and fresh yuba (tofu skin). The restaurant serves a champuru stir-fry set made with its tofu, noodles, rice bowls, and children’s meals, along with Nozawana pickles and rice grown in the village.

03

Sort out parking and toilets before entering the hot spring town

Parking arrangements in the center of the hot spring town change with the season and events. This stop on the national route has spaces for 36 cars and 7 large vehicles. Use it for toilets, shopping, a snack, or a break for the children, then focus on the public bathhouses, called sotoyu, or the morning market in town.

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.

A short stop while traveling between Iiyama and Sakae Village

A 30-minute shopping and toilet break on National Route 117

After parking, use the toilets first, then visit the farm produce market and shop. Browse Nozawana products, bread, tofu, and yuba, and choose a snack for the car or something for a meal at home. Even a brief stay can feel particular to this station.

National Route 117 → parking → toilets → farm produce market → shop → departure.

The farm produce market generally runs 9:00–16:00 and closes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during part of the year. If shopping is your priority, avoid arriving too late in the afternoon.

A day when you want a meal before or after visiting the public baths or morning market

Have lunch here before entering the hot spring town

The restaurant has house-made tofu, set meals, noodles, and children’s dishes. Eat before dealing with parking and restaurant choices in the town center. Afterward, choose souvenirs in the shop and head toward the public baths or Oyu Street.

Lunch at the roadside station → Nozawana souvenirs at the shop → hot spring town parking → Oyu and other public baths.

Parking fees and hours in the hot spring town change with the season. Bring a towel and some coins if you plan to bathe at a public bathhouse.

Families with preschoolers and drives on rainy or snowy days

Give children a break before the mountains or hot springs

The kids’ play area is generally open 10:00–16:00 in the building with the tofu and yuba workshop. Together with the restaurant’s children’s udon or curry and the baby corner, it offers a chance to settle before entering the hot spring town or ski resort.

Park → toilets and baby corner → kids’ play area → snack or lunch → hot spring town.

The kids’ play area is also listed as closed on the third Wednesday. In winter, check your vehicle’s snow-road equipment and parking arrangements in the hot spring town.

A Sunday morning from May through October for Nozawa-style shopping

Combine the morning market and produce market for a half-day food outing

Browse Nozawana pickles and local goods early at the Oyu Street morning market, then return to the roadside station for the farm produce market, tofu, bread, and restaurant. This combines the bustle of the hot spring town with shopping beside the national route.

Hot spring town parking → Oyu Street morning market → brief walk past the public baths → farm produce market and lunch at the roadside station.

The morning market runs only on certain dates and hours. Town parking can be busy on event days, so allow extra travel time.

Green-season scenery and light outdoor activities

On a fine day, continue to the mountains or Lake Hokuryu

Pick up drinks and a snack at the roadside station, then head to the Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort gondola or Lake Hokuryu for a half-day of food, shopping, and nature. If you want to finish at a town public bath, put the sweaty activities first.

Roadside station → Nagasaka Gondola or Lake Hokuryu → public bath in the hot spring town → roadside station shopping on the way back.

Mountain operations, the gondola, and lake activities vary with the season and weather. In rain, switch to a shorter visit centered on the station and public baths.

Hours

Opening hours

Shop
9:00〜17:00

Closed on the third Wednesday each month. Sells café items, bread, and souvenirs. On Tuesdays only, soft-serve ice cream is listed until 16:00.

Restaurant
11:00〜17:00 / L.O.16:30

Set meals, noodles, rice bowls, and children’s dishes. Closed on the third Wednesday each month.

Farm produce market
9:00〜16:00

Closes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during part of the year; daily opening is advertised from July through November.

Kids’ play area
10:00〜16:00

Closed on the third Wednesday each month. Free indoor space for a break.

Handmade tofu and yuba
Subject to in-store availability

Firm momen tofu, soft oboro tofu, fresh yuba, and more. Stock may sell out or depend on production.

Family

Visiting with children

Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph

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

Up to age 1
★★★★☆

Works well for a short stop at the baby corner and indoors.

This is not an outdoor play destination. Prioritize feeding, changing, and carrying your baby, and use it as a place to regroup before entering the hot spring town.

Ages 2–3
★★★★☆

The kids’ play area, bread, and soft-serve offer easy changes of pace.

Rather than a long walk around the produce market, break the stop into toilets, a little play, and a light bite.

Ages 4–6
★★★★☆

The kids’ play area and children’s menu offer a break before baths or mountain activities.

Many public baths have hot water. On a child-focused day, you could eat at the station and keep your walk in town short.

Elementary school age
★★★★☆

The morning market, public baths, gondola, and Lake Hokuryu give the trip more to do.

Shopping and eating here work best as a starting point for nearby nature and hot springs, rather than a long stay at the station alone.

Check the kids’ play area first on rainy or snowy days

Generally 10:00–16:00; closed on the third Wednesday. Check official notices for changes.

Children’s meals are available

Children’s udon, curry, and hamburger steak are listed. Check in-store information for allergens.

Use the toilets before entering the hot spring town

You may need to walk from town-center parking, so a stop here first can help.

In winter, consider parking and road surfaces separately

Ski resort and hot spring town parking operate separately from the roadside station. Allow extra time during the snowy season.

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.

Spaces used for events

Seasonal menus and vendors at the roadside station

Short-term food events, including an oyster festival, bakery offerings, food trucks, and limited set meals, appear on the official website and Instagram. Treat past events as examples of what may be offered, not as current schedules.

Oyu Street morning market

Held mainly on Sunday mornings from May through October, this early event in the hot spring town offers Nozawana pickles, vegetables, wild vegetables, fruit, bread, and coffee.

Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort in the green season

Gondola rides, the Uenotaira Picnic Garden, and trail events depend on mountain operations and weather.

Hot spring town and ski resort in winter

During the snowy season, check ski resort parking, town parking, and road conditions separately. The station can be a place to regroup along the national route.

Local feel

Reasons to return

Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.

What to buy at the produce market changes greatly by season

The selection goes well beyond Nozawana: wild vegetables, asparagus, nemagaridake bamboo shoots, mushrooms, fruit, rice, and cut flowers. Shopping-focused stops also feature in reviews and social posts, so browse before lunch to avoid missing choices.

Source: Official farm produce market guide and social media trends

House-made tofu is a strong part of this station’s character

The tofu and yuba project spans growing soybeans and processing them at the station. Nozawana and rice may define the region, but the restaurant’s champuru set and takeaway tofu add another focus to its food.

Source: Official tofu and restaurant guides

Plan parking differently from the town center

The roadside station’s parking works for a short break, while parking in the hot spring town has conditions that change with season, time, vehicle type, and whether overnight stays are allowed. On a day of public baths or the morning market, shop and use the toilets here first, then spend less time walking in town.

Source: Official access guide and tourism bureau parking guide

Indoor breaks matter for families

The free kids’ play area is listed in the building with the tofu and yuba workshop. Children can tire before or after skiing, public baths, or mountain play; combine the play area with toilets, a snack, and a meal.

Source: Official facility and kids’ play area guides

The morning market is elsewhere, but pairs well with station shopping

The Oyu Street morning market is held mainly on Sunday mornings from May to October, with Nozawana pickles, seasonal vegetables, wild vegetables, fruit, bread, and coffee. Walk through town early, then visit the station’s produce market and restaurant for a different kind of shopping.

Source: Nozawa Onsen tourism guide event information

Mountains and lake suit fine weather; food and baths suit rain

In the green season, the gondola, Uenotaira, and Lake Hokuryu are especially enjoyable in good weather; a change in weather changes the visit. In rain, focus on the station’s food and shopping and the public baths, without forcing in the mountains or lake.

Source: Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort and Shinshu Iiyama Tourism Bureau
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.

  • The shop generally opens 9:00–17:00 and the restaurant 11:00–17:00 (last order 16:30).
  • The farm produce market generally opens 9:00–16:00, with Tuesday and Wednesday closures in part of the year and daily opening advertised from July through November.
  • The kids’ play area generally opens 10:00–16:00 and closes on the third Wednesday of each month.
  • Parking is listed for 36 cars, 7 large vehicles, and 5 priority spaces for people with disabilities and others who need them.
  • Town-center parking is managed separately from the roadside station; conditions vary by season, time, and vehicle type.
  • The restaurant advertises takeaway except for some dishes and accepts several payment methods.
  • Tofu, yuba, and produce market stock vary in store, so arrive earlier if shopping is a main goal.
  • In winter, check road conditions from National Route 117 up to the hot spring town and ski resort, and leave time for a break.
Food

Eating and shopping

Specialities, places to eat, sweets and bakeries can all give you a reason to stop. Check individual menus for current prices and availability.

  • Meal
    House-made tofu champuru set meal
    ¥1,100, the price listed on the official menu. This recommended restaurant set includes Nozawana pickles and village-grown rice, with free refills advertised for both.
  • Takeaway
    Nozawana pickles and Nozawana products
    Choose pickles, processed foods, and souvenirs, mainly from businesses in the village.
  • Direct sale
    Firm momen tofu, soft oboro tofu, and fresh yuba
    Momen and oboro tofu ¥250 each; fresh yuba ¥450, as listed officially. These handmade products use 100% soybeans grown in Nozawa Onsen Village; check availability in store.
  • Snack
    Fresh bread from the bakery
    Good for a short stop between morning and midday, or a bite before heading into the hot spring town.
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.

Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph
Morning to late morning

Nozawana, wild vegetables, and rice at the farm produce market

If shopping matters most, visit the market first. Wild vegetables, nemagaridake bamboo shoots, mushrooms, fruit, and cut flowers vary with the season and deliveries, so earlier visits tend to offer more choice.

Lunch

House-made tofu set meals and noodles

For a full meal, choose champuru set meals, ramen, soba, or rice bowls. Nozawana pickles with village-grown rice are a distinctive combination here.

The restaurant generally runs 11:00–17:00, with last order at 16:30. On busy days, eating just outside the lunch peak can be easier.

Light break

Bread, soft-serve ice cream, and coffee

Even without a restaurant meal, the bakery and café menu make a short break possible. The listed soft-serve service ends earlier on Tuesdays.

Takeaway

Tofu, yuba, and Nozawana souvenirs

Take firm momen tofu, soft oboro tofu, fresh yuba, Nozawana products, and village produce home. A cooler bag makes shopping easier if you plan to visit the hot spring town or lake afterward.

When it is busy

Keep more than one meal option in mind

If the restaurant is crowded at lunchtime, visit the shop and farm produce market first, or the kids’ play area if you have children, to make the wait easier.

Access

Location and surroundings

Driving directions from your location
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1
Roadside station
Michi-no-Eki Nozawa Onsen

Pick up Nozawana greens and house-made tofu, then organize your trip before heading into the hot spring town.

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2
Hot spring town
Nozawa Onsen public baths and Oyu area

Eat and shop at the roadside station before exploring the heart of Nozawa Onsen.

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3
Morning market
Nozawa Onsen Morning Market

Shop in the hot spring town early, then continue to the roadside station’s produce market on a Sunday morning.

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4
Mountain activities
Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort and Nagasaka Gondola area

On a fine day, pick up a snack at the station before heading for mountain views and outdoor activities.

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5
Nature spot
Lake Hokuryu

After shopping, continue to a quiet lakeside walk or SUP outing on a fine day.

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6
Transport
JR Iiyama Line Kamikuwana Station

A nearby Iiyama Line station that helps you place the Route 117 roadside stop on the map.

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Food outlets and the market on the station grounds share the station pin. Nearby places are separate destinations to combine with your visit.
Nearby

Places to visit nearby

Hot spring town
Nozawa Onsen public baths and Oyu areaJapanese guide
About 15 minutes by carAllow 30 minutes or more to walk around town

Good for a day when you eat and use the toilets at the station, then focus on the public baths and town walk.

Morning market
Nozawa Onsen Morning MarketJapanese guide
About 15 minutes by carOn market days, generally 6:00–7:30

Good for returning to the station after the market and making a half-day food outing of the produce market and restaurant.

Mountain activities
Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort and Nagasaka Gondola areaJapanese guide
About 20 minutes by carVaries with mountain operating conditions

A destination to add for a gondola ride on a fine day, winter skiing, or a mountain event.

Nature spot
Lake HokuryuJapanese guide
About 25 minutes by carAllow 30 minutes or more for a lakeside walk

Good for adding time in nature on a fine day after picking up a snack or drink at the station.

Transport
JR Iiyama Line Kamikuwana StationJapanese guide
About 0.7 kmWithin walking-distance range

A landmark when you want to understand the Iiyama Line area or gauge the distance to public transport.

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