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Gifu Prefecture · Chubu

Michi-no-Eki Mino Niwaka Chaya

道の駅美濃にわか茶屋

A stop beside the Nagara River for ayu, freshly picked vegetables and a gateway to the town of Mino washi paper.

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

Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph

Location

Mino City

Road

National Route 156

Hours

8:30–18:00

Approximate hours for the produce market. The restaurant, bicycle rentals and showers have different hours.

Parking

Cars: 33 / Large vehicles: 9

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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.

Start here

Freshly picked vegetables and Mino garlic

Fresh produce and garlic grown to help sustain the rural fields are the heart of shopping here.

For a meal

Ayu hitsumabushi or pot-cooked rice

For lunch, check the restaurant first. If it is busy, consider dessert or the produce market.

On a clear day

Cycle to the historic streets

A route can connect Old Mino Bridge, the river-port lighthouse and the Udatsu townscape.

On a rainy day

Focus on washi museums and a meal

The Mino Washi Akari Art Museum and Mino Washi Museum offer more indoor time.

For a quick stop

Restrooms, market and soft-serve

Even while traveling along National Route 156, you can choose a souvenir from Mino.

Natsuki's food and shopping notes

Ayu for lunch, or vegetables and garlic to take home? Choose your focus first.

Natsuki Miyasaka sees Mino Niwaka Chaya as a food stop before exploring the town. Choose ayu for lunch, freshly picked vegetables and Mino garlic for a short visit, or a rental bicycle for a clear-weather half-day. Deciding on one local specialty first gives the station a clear place in a visit that continues to the Udatsu townscape and the Nagara River.

Highlights

Michi-no-Eki Mino Niwaka Chaya, on National Route 156, offers more than a roadside break: it is a starting point for Mino's food and historic streets. At the restaurant, consider ayu hitsumabushi, a rice dish served in stages, or rice cooked in a pot; at the produce market, look for freshly picked vegetables, Mino garlic, washi paper, Japanese sweets and local sake. From there, continue to the Udatsu townscape or Mino Bridge by the Nagara River. A visit can be a 30-minute stop or a half-day detour, depending on whether you focus on food, shopping or a rental bicycle.

#Ayu dishes
#Freshly picked vegetables
#Mino garlic
#Mino washi paper
#Bicycle rental
#Udatsu townscape
#Nagara River

Practical information

Registration number: 岐阜-49
Prefecture: Gifu Prefecture
Municipality: Mino City
Road: National Route 156
Telephone: 0575-33-5022
Closed days: Closed on New Year's Day. Check official notices for individual shops and temporary changes.
Station stamp: Available

Address

2007 Sodai, Mino City, Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県美濃市曽代2007)

Facilities

Restrooms
Multipurpose restroom
Parking
Farm produce market
Restaurant
Light meals and cafe
Information corner
Free rest area
Bicycle rental
Showers
EV charging facilities
Wi-Fi

2 more facilities listed.

External links

Visit the official website (Japanese)Background information (Japanese)www.mino-niwakachaya.com (Japanese guide)www.mino-niwakachaya.com (Japanese guide)www.mino-niwakachaya.com (Japanese guide)www.mino-niwakachaya.com (Japanese guide)www.mino-niwakachaya.com (Japanese guide)www.kankou-gifu.jp (Japanese guide)www.cbr.mlit.go.jp (Japanese guide)minokanko.com (Japanese guide)

Why I like it

Reasons to stop here

Choose an ayu meal or take Mino flavors home from the market

The restaurant centers on ayu, or sweetfish, from the Nagara and Itadori rivers and dishes developed by a long-established local restaurant. Outside mealtimes, freshly picked vegetables, Mino garlic, sweet-simmered ayu and washi souvenirs give even a short stop a local flavor.

Views of the Nagara River make this more than a shopping stop

The station is close to the Nagara River, with views from the restaurant and deck. On a clear day, rent a bicycle and head for Old Mino Bridge, the river-port lighthouse and the Udatsu townscape to combine food, riverside scenery and historic streets in one detour.

The name connects Mino Niwaka, washi and the satoyama fields

The “niwaka” in the station's name refers to Nagashi Niwaka, a performance associated with the Mino Festival. Washi products and Mino garlic at the market also offer a glimpse of the papermaking town and its rural fields, making souvenir shopping more rewarding.

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 break on National Route 156

Take Mino flavors home in 30 minutes

After parking, use the restroom, then browse the produce market for freshly picked vegetables, Mino garlic and sweet-simmered ayu. Even without a meal, a small washi item or seasonal vegetable makes the stop distinctly Mino.

Parking → restrooms → produce market → dessert or souvenirs → departure

The selection of vegetables and seasonal goods changes through the morning and on weekends. Come early if the market is your main purpose.

A lunch break before or after Mino Interchange

Make ayu the centerpiece of lunch

At lunchtime, consider the restaurant's ayu hitsumabushi, ayu and maitake pot-cooked rice, or a set meal. Afterward, enjoy the Nagara River view and browse the market for garlic and washi souvenirs, linking dining and shopping in one stop.

Restaurant → deck area → produce market → souvenirs

Menus and hours may change. If you are coming specifically for ayu, check the official restaurant information first.

A clear-weather half-day detour

Explore the river and historic streets by rental bicycle

Rent a standard or electric-assist bicycle and head along the Nagara River toward Old Mino Bridge, the river-port lighthouse and the Udatsu townscape. Cycling connects places you might otherwise visit separately by car through the riverside scenery.

Station → Old Mino Bridge and river-port lighthouse → Udatsu townscape → station

Rental hours are approximately 9:00–17:00. Allow for heat, rain and the needs of children using rental bicycles.

Days when a long outdoor walk is difficult

Switch to washi and sweets on a rainy day

In rain or midsummer heat, focus on the restaurant, market, Mino Washi Akari Art Museum and Mino Washi Museum. Washi displays and papermaking experiences can bring Mino's character into a shorter town visit.

Station → Mino Washi Akari Art Museum or Mino Washi Museum → dessert break

Washi facilities may close on Tuesdays or the day after a public holiday; check their schedules.

Summer and autumn event days

Use the station as a base on fireworks or light-art days

For the Mino Citizens Fireworks Festival or Mino Washi Akari Art Exhibition, use the station for food and shopping, and plan separately for traffic restrictions and parking near the venue. An early break at the station makes the rest of the visit easier.

Early meal and restroom stop at the station → event area → return journey

Events may be postponed, affected by rain or subject to traffic restrictions. Check the latest notices before leaving.

Hours

Opening hours

Produce market and roadside station

8:30〜18:00

Approximate hours shown on the official station site. A Chubu roadside-station listing currently also shows 8:30–18:00; check the latest guidance for changes.

Restaurant

Weekdays 8:30–16:30 / weekends and public holidays 8:30–17:00

Last orders are 16:00 on weekdays and 16:30 on weekends and public holidays, according to the official restaurant page. Menus and operating hours may change.

Bicycle rental

9:00〜17:00

Approximate rental hours. Telephone reservations are available. Standard, children's and electric-assist bicycles are limited in number.

Shower room

9:00〜17:00

Approximate use hours. Fees differ for bicycle-rental customers and other users.

Family

Visiting with children

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

Under 1 year

★★★☆☆

Works well for restrooms, the produce market and a short dessert break.

A short visit to the restaurant or market may work better than a long outdoor walk. Check signs on site for nursing and diaper-changing facilities.

Ages 2–3

★★★☆☆

Soft-serve and the wooden-toy area can make a brief break.

This is not a station for hours of play on large playground equipment. Break up a wait for food with the market or an outdoor view, and keep the visit short.

Ages 4–6

★★★★☆

River views, dessert and washi displays can help keep children engaged.

On a clear day, consider Mino Bridge and the river-port lighthouse; in rain, switch to the Mino Washi Akari Art Museum.

Elementary school age

★★★★☆

Bicycle rental, washi and the historic streets can become a day of discovery.

Children's rental bicycles are limited. Consider heat, traffic and the return time before deciding.

Check restaurant crowds first at lunchtime

If it is busy, leave room to switch to dessert, the produce market or nearby attractions.

Decide on bicycle rental according to age and heat

Children's bicycles and rear-child-seat models are available, but check quantities and rental hours.

Consider washi facilities on rainy days

They may close on Tuesdays or the day after a public holiday, so check their schedules before leaving.

Plan event parking and traffic restrictions separately

For fireworks and the light-art event, check venue notices as well as information around the station.

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

Flea market on the third Sunday of each month

The official site lists the third Sunday. It may move to the fourth Sunday when another event takes place, so check close to your visit if shopping is your goal.

Corn Festival

This popular early-summer event draws visitors for freshly picked corn. An event was held in June 2026.

Mino Citizens Fireworks Festival

A summer event on the Nagara River below Shimowatari Bridge. The station is nearby, but follow venue guidance for traffic restrictions and parking.

Mino Washi Akari Art Exhibition

In autumn, illuminated washi works line the Udatsu townscape. It pairs well with washi souvenirs or a meal at the station.

Local feel

Reasons to return

Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.

An early visit gives you the best chance to shop for freshly picked vegetables

The official produce information highlights freshly picked vegetables delivered daily. Visitor feedback also points to vegetables and seasonal goods as reasons to stop. Afternoon stock is harder to predict, so come early if the market is your main goal.

Source: Official produce information and a summary of visitor feedback

Ayu dishes give this station a clear lunchtime draw

The restaurant features sweet-simmered ayu, ayu and maitake pot-cooked rice, and ayu hitsumabushi. Do not assume ayu is only a summer option; seasonal dishes and set meals give you other lunch choices.

Source: Official restaurant information

Mino garlic connects shopping with the rural fields

The official site explains that garlic is supported as a crop less vulnerable to wildlife damage. Black and dried garlic can be souvenirs that also support Mino's fields.

Source: Official garlic information

Bicycle rental connects Mino's sights

Standard, children's and electric-assist bicycles are available for trips toward Old Mino Bridge and the historic streets. On a clear day, cycling can link the sights with riverside scenery more naturally than driving from place to place.

Source: Official bicycle rental information

Washi facilities make rainy or very hot days easier to plan

When a long walk through the Udatsu townscape is difficult, consider the Mino Washi Akari Art Museum or Mino Washi Museum for more indoor time. Check closing days first.

Source: Summary of official Gifu tourism and Mino City information

Plan for crowds at the early-summer corn event and autumn light-art exhibition

Newspaper coverage described a busy Corn Festival in June 2026, while the Akari Art Exhibition draws people to the historic streets in autumn. On event days, shop at the station early.

Source: Summary of Gifu Shimbun and the official Mino Washi Akari Art Exhibition site

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 produce market's hours are approximately 8:30–18:00. The restaurant is listed as closing at 16:30 on weekdays and 17:00 on weekends and public holidays, with last orders at 16:00 and 16:30 respectively. Avoid arriving late if you plan to eat.
Ayu dishes, seasonal soft-serve, vegetables and corn depend on current offerings and arrivals. Check official notices or social media if you want a particular item.
Bicycle rental hours are approximately 9:00–17:00, with standard, children's and electric-assist bicycles. Consider availability, weather and return time first.
For fireworks or the Akari Art Exhibition, plan beyond the station's parking lot; follow venue notices about traffic restrictions, postponements and temporary arrangements.
Shops in the Udatsu townscape have different hours. Leave some flexibility for a town walk before or after your meal.
Washi facilities may close on Tuesdays or the day after a public holiday. Check opening hours before using them as a rainy-day alternative.

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
Ayu hitsumabushi set, sweetfish over rice served in stages
Check the restaurant's current offerings
Meal
Ayu and maitake mushroom kamameshi set, rice cooked in a pot
Varies by season and availability
Local set meal
Mino Domannaka set meal
Check for menu updates
Produce market
Freshly picked vegetables
Arrivals depend on the season and the day's harvest
Take-home food
Mino black garlic and dried garlic
Subject to stock at the market
Souvenirs
Mino washi paper, Japanese sweets and sweet-simmered ayu
Varies by product
Dessert
Minoji milk soft-serve ice cream
Seasonal soft-serve may also be available