Gifu Prefecture · Chubu
道の駅 平成
At a roadside station named for the same word as a Japanese era, enjoy log-grown shiitake mushrooms and a free footbath in one stop.
Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph
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Eat, shop, play, take in the view or rest. Choose from the station’s strengths to suit your day.
Kobushi Café serves this rice bowl made with the area's log-grown shiitake mushrooms.
A signature souvenir of sliced, fried, seasoned shiitake mushrooms. Fresh and dried log-grown shiitake are sold too.
Free, 9:00–16:30. Warm your feet after a long drive.
Both are on the station grounds, so everyone in the car can step outside for a short change of pace.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism lists these within a 10–15-minute drive. They are options for a half-day outing.
Taketo Saegusa sees this as a place to eat shiitake, buy shiitake, and restore tired feet at the footbath in one visit. As the shops are separate, choosing a meal first and then going to the sales area helps a family keep moving. You can extend the trip to Takazawa Kannon or Kaminoho Onsen Hohoemi no Yu, but the footbath and lawn are enough for a break on their own.
Michi-no-Eki Heisei stands on Gifu Prefectural Route 58, the Seki–Kanayama Line (Heisei Kobushi Kaido), in Shimonoho, Seki City. Its name plays on the local place name 平成 and the Heisei era; it was registered in April 1996. Local log-grown shiitake mushrooms connect the food and shopping: Kobushi Café's shiitake cutlet rice bowl, Heisei Shiitake Snack, and fresh or dried log-grown mushrooms. The station also has the free Heisei Ashiyuji footbath, a natural-grass putting golf course, and a lawn, making it easy to stretch your legs during a drive. It is about 10 minutes by car from Tomika-Seki IC on the Tokai-Kanjo Expressway. Stop for a meal, shopping, and a break on a drive toward or from Gero.
Local log-grown shiitake mushrooms are at the heart of this station. Kobushi Café serves a rice bowl topped with thick shiitake fried like cutlets. The shop stocks Heisei Shiitake Snack, Heisei Shiitake Tea, and fresh and dried log-grown shiitake. You can take home the same local flavor you had for lunch, giving the stop a clear focus.
The free Heisei Ashiyuji footbath is open 9:00–16:30, where you can warm your feet after a long drive. A natural-grass putting golf course and lawn offer room to move as well as eat and shop. Choose just the footbath for a short stop, or add time on the grass if your schedule allows.
The separate shops include Kobushi Café; Heisei Bakery and its large melon pan, a sweet bread with a crisp cookie-like top; Reiwa Dango Shop with dango rice-flour dumplings, gohei-mochi grilled rice cakes, and soft-serve ice cream; a fried-chicken shop; and Aji no Suishagoya, where local women make soba noodles by hand. Deciding first between a rice bowl, soba, or a snack makes the choice easier than trying every shop.
The local place name 平成 is read Henari, while the station name is pronounced Heisei, like the Japanese era. After the era changed in 1989, the former Mugi Town developed its Japan Heisei Village concept; materials from that time are displayed in the indoor gallery. The story gives children and fellow travelers something to talk about as they look around.
Spend your time at the station or add somewhere nearby. These ideas help you plan around your companions and the weather.
Try the local log-grown shiitake in Kobushi Café's shiitake cutlet rice bowl. After paying, choose Heisei Shiitake Snack or dried log-grown shiitake in the sales area. Taking home the flavor you have just eaten makes even a brief stop memorable.
Park → Kobushi Café → Furusato Corner (sales area) → depart.
Serving hours and sellouts vary by shop. If you are stopping for a meal, follow that day's notices at the shop.
Heisei Ashiyuji is free and open 9:00–16:30. Even when you do not need a meal, warming your feet before setting out can make the rest of the drive feel easier. A few minutes on the lawn offer another change of pace.
Park → toilets → Heisei Ashiyuji footbath → lawn → depart.
The footbath closes at 16:30 and is closed for the New Year holiday (December 30–January 1). Bring a towel if you can.
Start with dango dumplings or soft-serve ice cream at Reiwa Dango Shop, or a large melon pan at Heisei Bakery. Then let the children move around on the natural-grass putting golf course or lawn. The indoor gallery offers an option when it rains.
Park → snack → lawn and putting golf → gallery → depart.
The large melon pan is described as limited in quantity and may sell out, depending on when you arrive.
You can harvest shiitake at the mushroom garden. Gifu Prefecture's tourism guide says visitors can grill and eat what they pick on site and receive 250 g to take home. The experience takes place at the station and is less dependent on the weather.
Reserve → park → harvest shiitake at the mushroom garden → sales area → footbath → depart.
Advance booking is required for harvesting. Confirm dates, booking method, and fees directly with the official operator.
Gifu Prefectural Route 58, the Seki–Kanayama Line, leads toward Gero. After eating and shopping at the station, continue to Takazawa Kannon, Yataki Woody Land, or Kaminoho Onsen Hohoemi no Yu, a hot-spring bath, to turn the break into a longer outing.
Tomika-Seki IC → station (food and shopping) → Takazawa Kannon or Yataki Woody Land → Kaminoho Onsen Hohoemi no Yu → return trip.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism lists these as 10–15 minutes away by car. Weather and road conditions can change travel times on mountain roads; check each facility's hours in advance.
The official station site, Seki City, and Gifu Prefecture's official tourism site all give 9:00–17:00.
Free. Closed December 30–January 1.
Serving times vary by shop and items can sell out. Follow that day's notices at each shop.
Confirm operating dates and booking details with the official operator.
Stars show the editorial recommendation for each age group on a five-point scale. Read the reasons alongside each rating.
Suitable for an indoor rest and a short shopping stop.
The national Michi-no-Eki association lists a baby changing bed and accessible toilets. A break at the free rest area can help you keep the visit comfortably short.
A short snack stop and time on the lawn can work well.
Pause for soft-serve ice cream at Reiwa Dango Shop or a snack from the bakery, then spend a little time on the lawn.
The natural-grass putting golf course and footbath can fill a longer stop.
There is space to move around on the station grounds, making this a useful break during a long day in the car. The footbath is free and open 9:00–16:30.
The shiitake harvest experience and the station's name give you more to explore.
The reserved shiitake harvest and the link between the place name and Japanese era can make memorable talking points. The indoor gallery is also useful on a rainy day.
A convenient stop before or after a stretch of mountain road.
Check signs on site for its location and conditions of use.
There is room to move around on the station grounds. On a rainy day, you can use the exhibition gallery and free rest area instead.
Serving times and sellouts vary by shop. Keep a backup plan rather than relying on one shop for the family's meal.
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 outdoor events and breaks. Adjust your plans to the weather and crowds.
The site of the harvest experience, which requires a reservation. Operating dates change with the season.
Displays materials from the period of the Japan Heisei Village concept. It is also a place to spend time when it rains.
A natural-grass course. Check its hours and reception arrangements against the station's opening hours.
Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.
The official station guide consistently centers log-grown shiitake: Kobushi Café's shiitake cutlet rice bowl, Heisei Shiitake Snack in the shop, and fresh and dried mushrooms. Choosing both a meal and a purchase made from the same ingredient gives even a short visit a clear character.
The free Heisei Ashiyuji footbath is open 9:00–16:30. It closes before the rest of the station at 17:00, so on a late-afternoon visit, go there before shopping.
Kobushi Café, Aji no Suishagoya soba, Reiwa Dango Shop, the fried-chicken shop, and Heisei Bakery are separate. Choosing a rice bowl, soba, or a snack when you park can keep a family visit moving more easily than deciding after looking at every shop.
Heisei Shiitake Snack, dried log-grown shiitake, and Heisei Shiitake Tea are longer-keeping souvenirs; fresh shiitake, Kaminoho yuzu, and other local produce are ingredients to use at home. Choose according to how you will use them.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism lists Takazawa Kannon and Yataki Woody Land at about 10 minutes by car, and Kaminoho Onsen Hohoemi no Yu at about 15 minutes. The station alone offers a worthwhile rest, so add these stops when you have half a day.
The station closes December 30–January 1, plus one regular cleaning day in January and one in June. Cleaning dates vary by year, so check official notices before making plans for those months.
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.
A chance to make the station's specialty your meal. If you arrive around lunchtime, Kobushi Café can be the main stop.
An alternative if a rice bowl feels too heavy or your companions want different things.
Snacks can fit a short family stop more easily than a full meal. The melon pan is limited in quantity.
Even without a meal, you can take home the shiitake at the heart of the station. The shelves make it easy to choose items for your own kitchen and for gifts.
What is available changes by season. Choose ingredients to use after you get home and the stop carries over to your table.
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At a roadside station named for the same word as a Japanese era, enjoy log-grown shiitake mushrooms and a free footbath in one stop.
Send your travel companions a possible stop.
