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Michi-no-Eki JournalMap
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Gifu Prefecture · Chubu

Michi-no-Eki Kirira Sakashita

道の駅 きりら坂下

Eat, make, and take home soba made with 100% local buckwheat flour at this roadside station beside the Kiso River.

Updated Michi-no-Eki JournalRead in Japanese

Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph

Location
Nakatsugawa City
Road
National Route 256
Hours
9:00–17:00
The station overall, shop, and farmers’ market are listed as open 9:00–17:00, until 16:30 in winter. The soba restaurant’s listed hours are approximately 9:30–15:00. The soba-making experience is listed for 10:00–13:30 and requires a reservation. Parking and toilets are available 24 hours. Hours vary by facility; check the official information just before visiting.
Parking
Cars: 78 / 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 thing to see
Soba made with 100% local buckwheat flour

The station’s official website presents this as its signature offering.

If you want to eat
The soba restaurant in the station building

Published facility information gives approximately 9:30–15:00. Follow the restaurant’s same-day notices for serving hours and last orders.

If you want an activity
Soba-making experience (reservation required)

Listed for 10:00–13:30, lasting about one hour. Prices start at ¥4,000 for two servings, including tax; book in advance.

If you want to shop
Farm-direct vegetables, buckwheat flour, and buckwheat grains

The farmers’ market is listed as open 9:00–17:00, until 16:30 in winter. Products vary by season.

If you have little time
24-hour toilets and parking

Parking spaces: 78 regular vehicles, five large vehicles, and three for people with disabilities. You can stop for a rest after the buildings close.

Gakuto’s stopover notes

Eat soba, make it, or take it home: decide before you arrive.

Gakuto Makabe sees this station as a place to choose how you want to enjoy soba. Time a restaurant meal for lunch; reserve the 10:00 or 12:00 class if you want to make it; or buy buckwheat flour and vegetables at the market if neither fits your schedule. Deciding before you arrive helps you plan around Wednesday closures and shorter winter hours. With children, the park, play area, and 24-hour toilets give you other ways to fill waiting time.

Highlights

Michi-no-Eki Kirira Sakashita is a roadside station on National Route 256 in Sakashita, Nakatsugawa, on the right bank of the Kiso River. “Kirira” combines the opening sounds of Kiso, river, and right side, referring to its location. Its hallmarks are soba made with 100% locally produced buckwheat flour and views of the Kiso River and Mount Ena. The building has a farmers’ market, shop, soba restaurant, and soba-making facility. You can eat soba, make it yourself, or buy ingredients to take home. The station also serves as a rest stop on the tourist route from Magome-juku, a historic post town, toward Gero Onsen. It is a convenient place for a meal and shopping when traveling from the Kiso area into Gifu.

  • #Soba noodles
  • #Soba-making experience
  • #Farm-direct vegetables
  • #National Route 256
  • #Kiso River
  • #Nakatsugawa City
Why I like it

Reasons to stop here

01

Soba is more than a meal here

The official website highlights buckwheat flour that is 100% locally produced. The station building has a soba restaurant and a soba-making facility on the second floor. The class has long operated as a community exchange activity using buckwheat from Hananoko Natural Park. Decide whether you want to eat soba, make it, or buy flour to take home; that choice helps set the length of your stop.

02

Book ahead for soba-making

Classes start at 10:00 and 12:00, take about one hour, and cost ¥4,000 for two servings, ¥5,000 for three, or ¥6,000 for four, including tax. Reservations are required. Book a class before building it into your itinerary.

03

A rest stop between the Kiso area and Gifu

The station is a rest stop on the tourist route from Magome-juku toward Gero Onsen. It is on National Route 256, about 20 minutes from the Nakatsugawa Interchange on the Chuo Expressway via National Route 19, or about six minutes on foot from Sakashita Station on the JR Chuo Main Line. It works as a stop whether you travel by car or train.

04

A place for local activities, too

Local businesses and Gifu Prefectural Sakashita High School have jointly developed specialties such as buckwheat-flour cookies. The station also hosts exhibitions by the Sakashita Satsuki Society, Wild Orchid Society, and Sakashita Chrysanthemum Society. Local activities are part of the place alongside its visitor facilities.

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 day making something with children

Book a soba class and spend much of the day here

Classes start at 10:00 and 12:00, take about one hour, and cost from ¥4,000 for two servings, including tax. Reservations are required. Including time to eat the soba you make, the station can take up nearly half a day. Book through the official website form or by phone.

Reserve → park → make soba on the second floor → shop at the farmers’ market → depart

The class requires a reservation. Check availability and whether it will run on your chosen day in advance.

A day combining Magome-juku and Gero Onsen

Take a lunch break between the Kiso area and Gifu

The station is a rest stop on the tourist route from Magome-juku toward Gero Onsen. It lies on National Route 256, about 20 minutes from the Nakatsugawa Interchange on the Chuo Expressway via National Route 19. On a longer journey, you can combine a meal, shopping, and a toilet stop here.

Nakatsugawa Interchange → National Routes 19 and 256 → Michi-no-Eki Kirira Sakashita → toward Magome-juku or Gero Onsen

The station is closed every Wednesday (or the following day if Wednesday is a public holiday) and over the New Year period. Check closing days before planning a meal stop.

A day without a car

Arrive by train for a short visit

The station is about six minutes on foot from Sakashita Station on the JR Chuo Main Line. You can walk from the train to the farmers’ market and restaurant, making it a possible stop on a rail journey through the Kiso area.

JR Sakashita Station → about six minutes on foot → Michi-no-Eki Kirira Sakashita

Plan around both train service and the station’s opening hours. Check your outbound and return trains first.

Travel at night or outside business hours

Stop briefly for a rest

Parking and toilets are listed as available 24 hours. There are spaces for 78 regular vehicles, five large vehicles, and three vehicles used by people with disabilities, so the station can serve as a rest stop outside shop hours.

Park → use the toilets → depart

The shop, restaurant, and class are unavailable outside their operating hours. Arrive during opening hours if you plan to shop.

Hours

Opening hours

Shop and farmers’ market
9:00-17:00

Some listings give a winter closing time of 16:30.

Soba restaurant
Approximately 9:30–15:00

These are approximate hours from published facility information. Follow the restaurant’s same-day notices for service and last orders.

Soba-making experience
10:00–13:30 (reservation required)

Two sessions start at 10:00 and 12:00 and last about one hour.

Parking and toilets
24 hours

Available for rest stops outside business hours.

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
★★★☆☆

A baby cot and 24-hour toilets are listed, making this a possible short rest stop.

Follow signs on site for facility locations and conditions of use. A shorter stay may be easier.

Ages 2–3
★★★☆☆

A park and children’s play area offer a chance to get out of the car and move around.

The soba class takes about an hour. At this age, a shorter combination of food and outdoor play may suit better.

Ages 4–6
★★★★☆

Children at this age may be ready to try the soba-making experience.

Prices start at ¥4,000 for two servings, so consider booking one set for a parent and child to share.

Elementary school age
★★★★☆

Making, boiling, and eating soba form one connected activity that can be memorable.

Connect the class with the buckwheat fields at Hananoko Natural Park to extend the day beyond the station.

Toilets

A toilet for people with disabilities is also listed. You can stop for a rest after the buildings close.

Facilities for small children

Follow signs on site for its location and conditions of use.

Outdoor play

The size and play equipment have not been confirmed in public information. Check the area on arrival before deciding how long to stay.

Hands-on activity

Two sessions start at 10:00 and 12:00 and last about one hour. Plan ahead rather than relying on a same-day opening.

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

Soba-making facility

The second-floor facility uses buckwheat from Hananoko Natural Park. Availability changes when reservation slots fill.

Station building as exhibition venue

Local groups including the Sakashita Satsuki Society, Wild Orchid Society, and Sakashita Chrysanthemum Society use the building for exhibitions. Check official notices for dates.

Farmers’ market

Local farmers sell vegetables directly here. The selection changes with the seasons.

Official website notices

Hours, closing days, and class availability may change. Check notices before visiting.

Local feel

Reasons to return

Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.

The name refers to the Kiso River’s right bank

“Kirira” is said to combine the opening sounds of Kiso, river, and right side, referring to the station’s location on the Kiso River’s right bank. Knowing its name makes the riverside location easier to remember.

Source: Wikipedia: Michi-no-Eki Kirira Sakashita

The local buckwheat fields are part of the story

The national Michi-no-Eki association describes a soba-making program using buckwheat from Hananoko Natural Park and says its buckwheat fields have Gifu Prefecture’s largest planted area at a single site. The station’s soba is closely tied to these local fields.

Source: National Michi-no-Eki Association: Kirira Sakashita

The class has set times and prices

Gifu Prefecture’s green tourism information lists two sessions, at 10:00 and 12:00, lasting about one hour. Prices including tax are ¥4,000 for two servings, ¥5,000 for three, and ¥6,000 for four; reservations are required. These details help families plan their visit.

Source: Gifu Prefecture Green Tourism: Soba-making Experience

The operator has changed several times

The station opened in 1998 under the former Sakashita Town and was registered as a Michi-no-Eki in August 1999. Its operator changed after the dissolution of a third-sector company. The restaurant closed in October 2021, and a soba shop opened in November 2022. Older descriptions may therefore differ from current operations.

Source: Wikipedia: Michi-no-Eki Kirira Sakashita
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 station is closed every Wednesday (the following day if Wednesday is a public holiday) and during the New Year period, December 29–January 3. Check the day of the week before planning food or shopping.
  • The soba-making experience requires a reservation. Book the 10:00 or 12:00 session through the official website form or by phone at 0573-70-0050 before planning the rest of your trip.
  • Published opening hours differ by source, and some list a winter closing time of 16:30. Avoid arriving just before closing, or call ahead to confirm.
  • Parking and toilets are listed as available 24 hours. Outside business hours, plan to use the station for a rest stop only.
  • Parking has 78 regular spaces, five large-vehicle spaces, and three spaces for people with disabilities. With only five large-vehicle spaces, consider a less busy time if driving a large vehicle.
  • The station is about 20 minutes from the Nakatsugawa Interchange on the Chuo Expressway via National Route 19, or about six minutes on foot from Sakashita Station on the JR Chuo Main Line. You can visit by car or train.
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.

  • Local flavor
    Soba made with 100% local buckwheat flour
    Served at the station’s soba restaurant. Check the restaurant’s current menu and prices.
  • Take home
    Buckwheat-flour cookies
    A local specialty developed with local businesses and Gifu Prefectural Sakashita High School. Availability varies.
  • For home cooking
    Buckwheat flour and grains
    Freshly milled buckwheat flour and buckwheat grains are sold here. Availability varies.
  • Take home
    Farm-direct vegetables
    Sold directly by local farmers. Shop during the market’s listed hours of 9:00–17:00, until 16:30 in winter.
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.

Stop for lunch

Soba at the restaurant

The restaurant’s listed hours are approximately 9:30–15:00. If your route passes through around lunchtime, plan your meal here.

Make the class your main activity

Soba-making experience (reservation required)

Book the 10:00 or 12:00 session to make the visit an activity in its own right. Allow about one hour for the class.

Buy ingredients to take home

Buckwheat flour, buckwheat grains, and farm-direct vegetables

Even if you miss restaurant hours, you can take home buckwheat products to use later.

Add a local souvenir

Buckwheat-flour cookies and other specialties

Products developed with local businesses and Sakashita High School make a souvenir with a local story.

When the timing does not work

24-hour toilets and parking

If you arrive on the regular Wednesday closing day or after the buildings close, plan on a rest stop only.

Access

Location and surroundings

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Roadside station
Michi-no-Eki Kirira Sakashita

Eat, make, and take home soba made with 100% local buckwheat flour at this roadside station beside the Kiso River.

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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.
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Updated 2026-09-30Explore the nationwide map →