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Shizuoka Prefecture · Chubu

Michi-no-Eki Okuoi Otogi no Sato

道の駅 奥大井音戯の郷

Walk through this roadside station with a stethoscope. Beside Senzu Station, within earshot of steam locomotive whistles, listen to the sounds of Okuoi.

Updated Michi-no-Eki JournalRead in Japanese

Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph

Location
Kawanehon Town, Haibara District
Road
Shizuoka Prefectural Route 77 | Kawane–Sumatakyo Line
Hours
10:00–16:30
These are the Otogi Museum's opening hours. Last admission to the museum is at 16:00; the last workshop check-in is at 15:00. The lounge (free rest area) and museum shop are also open 10:00–16:30. Parking and toilets are available 24 hours. The entrance shop Kodama no Kai (谺の会) has seasonal hours. Hours may change during events, so check the latest official information shortly before visiting.
Parking
Cars: 85 / Large vehicles: 3
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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.

See first
Borrow a stethoscope and explore the museum

Stethoscope rental is included in admission for adults and elementary and junior high school students. Preschool children enter free; a stethoscope costs ¥100 only if they use one.

For a hands-on activity
Make a sound-making object or kaleidoscope at the Otogi Workshop

Activities cost ¥400–¥2,200 and take 5–60 minutes. Last check-in is 15:00; the activity fee is separate from museum admission.

To shop
Kodama no Kai at the entrance and the museum shop

Kodama no Kai sells log-grown shiitake, country-style konnyaku and folk crafts. The museum shop focuses on sound-themed goods and cardboard crafts.

To rest
Second-floor lounge (free rest area)

Seats overlook Senzu Station and the courtyard. Eating and drinking are allowed; please take your rubbish away.

To step outside
Oigawa Railway Senzu Station

About three minutes on foot. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) lists Nagashima Dam at about 15 minutes by car and the Yume no Tsuribashi suspension bridge in Sumatakyo at about 30 minutes by car.

Before you go
Tuesday closures and the operating calendar

The museum generally closes Tuesdays (the following day instead if Tuesday is a public holiday). Temporary closures do not appear on the calendar, so check the latest official updates.

Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph
Natsuki's stopover notes

An hour of sound on a rainy day

Natsuki Makabe sees this as a place to spend time with sound, rather than a stop centered on meals and shopping. There is no permanent restaurant, and shopping centers on Kodama no Kai at the entrance and the museum shop. Instead, the stethoscope exhibits and theater can fill about an hour; add a workshop for another 30 minutes to an hour. If children tire of the exhibits, they can play the courtyard sound instruments while adults look toward Senzu Station from the second-floor lounge. With 24-hour parking and toilets, the station is also a convenient starting point for a day heading to Sumatakyo or Nagashima Dam. Check the Tuesday closure and the 16:00 last admission before you go.

Highlights

Michi-no-Eki Okuoi Otogi no Sato is a roadside station on Shizuoka Prefectural Route 77, the Kawane–Sumatakyo Line, immediately beside Oigawa Railway's Senzu Station. Its centerpiece is an interactive museum devoted to playing with sound: borrow a stethoscope to explore, watch the 280-inch Otogi Theater, or make your own sound-making object at the Otogi Workshop. At the entrance is Kodama no Kai (谺の会), a shop for local specialties; inside are a museum shop and a free lounge overlooking Senzu Station. The museum opens 10:00–16:30 and generally closes Tuesdays and over New Year. The parking area and toilets are available 24 hours, making this a useful stop before heading deeper into Okuoi or a destination on a rainy day.

  • #Interactive sound museum
  • #Stethoscopes
  • #Otogi Workshop
  • #Oigawa Railway Senzu Station
  • #Steam locomotive whistles
  • #Shizuoka Prefectural Route 77, Kawane–Sumatakyo Line
  • #Kawanehon Town, Haibara District
Why I like it

Reasons to stop here

01

The heart of the station: an interactive sound museum explored with a stethoscope

The station centers on an interactive museum themed around playing with sound. Touch a borrowed stethoscope to the exhibits to hear them: Forest Greetings plays the calls of birds found in Okuoi, including varied tits and ruddy kingfishers; the Sound Map plays 10 sounds, including a steam locomotive and deer, when you touch points on a map of Kawanehon Town; and Water Harmony lets you listen underwater. Upstairs is an original music box sounded by 40 pipes; the exhibition building itself was designed as its resonating box. Allow about one hour for a standard visit: about 35 minutes for two theater screenings and 20–30 minutes to explore the museum.

02

Beside Oigawa Railway's Senzu Station, where steam whistles become part of the soundscape

Otogi no Sato is next to Oigawa Railway's Senzu Station, about a three-minute walk away. The steam locomotive whistle heard here was selected among Japan's 100 Soundscapes under the name “Steam Locomotive Whistle Echoing in the Foothills of the Southern Alps”; it is central to the museum's sound theme. The second-floor lounge is a free rest area overlooking Senzu Station and the courtyard. You may eat and drink there, but take your rubbish with you. The 280-inch Otogi Theater screens two works: a puppet show of the local giant Dairabocchi folktale and aerial footage of Kawanehon Town.

03

Make sound-making objects at the workshop and shop for local specialties at Kodama no Kai

At the Otogi Workshop, you can make a wooden Otogi Patapata (¥600; from 20 minutes), a small unglazed clay ocarina (¥900; from 30 minutes), egg maracas (¥500; from 30 minutes), a mini chime (¥500; from 30 minutes), a kaleidoscope (¥1,050; from 20 minutes), and more. The cardboard Oigawa Railway steam locomotive craft “hacomo Oigawa Railway SL” (¥600) is an Otogi no Sato original. At the entrance, the local specialty shop Kodama no Kai (谺の会) sells log-grown shiitake mushrooms, handmade country-style konnyaku (a firm jelly made from konjac), folk crafts and other local goods.

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.

Unpredictable weather or a day you want to spend indoors

Spend a rainy or hot day indoors

Most exhibits are indoors and a standard visit takes about one hour. Watch the puppet show and aerial footage in the theater (two screenings totaling about 35 minutes), explore the exhibits with a stethoscope, then rest in the second-floor lounge overlooking Senzu Station. This plan lets you spend your visit largely indoors. Add a sound-making workshop for another 30 minutes to an hour.

Parking → borrow a stethoscope at reception → Otogi Theater → museum exhibits → lounge.

The official site says some exhibits, Wind Walkway and Call Vision, are being adjusted because of equipment faults.

Days exploring Sumatakyo or Nagashima Dam

Use the station as a starting point for Okuoi

Otogi no Sato also provides tourist information at the gateway to Okuoi. Parking for 85 standard vehicles and three large vehicles, plus toilets, is available 24 hours. Pick up information and take a break before heading into the mountains. MLIT lists Nagashima Dam at about 15 minutes by car and the Yume no Tsuribashi suspension bridge in Sumatakyo at about 30 minutes by car (about 60 minutes on foot).

Parking → tourist information and information corner → museum or lounge → toward Sumatakyo or Nagashima Dam.

Long-term parking is prohibited. Do not park in the “authorized vehicles only” area near the steam locomotive turntable.

A day riding Oigawa Railway's steam train or rack railway

Park and plan your visit around the railway

Senzu Station is about three minutes away on foot. You can explore the museum while waiting for a train or watch Senzu Station from the lounge. The steam locomotive whistle heard here was selected among Japan's 100 Soundscapes, and you can also hear a steam train on the museum's Sound Map.

Parking → Otogi no Sato → three-minute walk to Senzu Station → train → return for shopping.

Museum closure days and train timetables are separate. Check both before deciding your order of activities.

Families with children or anyone wanting a hands-on activity

Build a workshop session into your visit

Book the Otogi Workshop by telephone (0547-58-2021) or through its official reservation form. Patapata (¥600; from 20 minutes) and clay candles (¥600; from 20 minutes) are shorter activities; naruko clappers (¥600; from 40 minutes) and tile room nameplates (¥500; from 40 minutes) take longer. Present a child-rearing support passport when paying for ¥100 off each qualifying workshop activity or product priced at ¥500 or more including tax.

Call or use the reservation form → arrive → reception → Otogi Workshop → museum exhibits → museum shop.

The official site says workshop activities are suspended September 25 (Friday)–October 26 (Monday), 2026. Check before traveling specifically for an activity.

Hours

Opening hours

Otogi Museum
10:00-16:30

Last admission is 16:00. Allow about one hour for a standard visit.

Otogi Workshop
10:00–16:30 (last check-in 15:00)

Book by phone or the official reservation form. Activities are suspended September 25–October 26, 2026.

Lounge (free rest area)
10:00-16:30

Overlooks Senzu Station and the courtyard. Eating and drinking are allowed; take your rubbish with you. It may also close on some days when the museum is open.

Museum shop
10:00-16:30

Sound-themed goods, souvenirs, cardboard crafts and roadside-station merchandise.

Kodama no Kai local specialty shop
Varies by season

At the entrance to Otogi no Sato. Call 090-4182-6773 directly; Otogi no Sato cannot transfer calls.

Limited-time café
10:00-15:30

August 27–late November 2026, on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and selected operating Wednesdays. It may be closed or finish early on some days.

Parking and toilets
24 hours

85 standard-car spaces, three large-vehicle spaces and three accessible spaces. Long-term parking is prohibited.

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.

Age 1 and under
★★★☆☆

A baby changing bed and 24-hour toilets make a short stop possible.

The national Michi-no-Eki association lists a baby changing bed. Preschool children enter free. Strollers are not available to borrow, so bring your own or a baby carrier.

Ages 2–3
★★★☆☆

Try a short visit to the courtyard sound instruments and museum exhibits.

In the courtyard, children can play the giant pipe instrument Melody Percussion with a racket. Indoors, most exhibits respond when touched with a stethoscope, so you can pause at a few and keep the visit short.

Ages 4–6
★★★★☆

Sound-hunting exhibits and a short workshop activity give the visit a focus.

Moving exhibits include Forest One Shot, with 16 animal calls, and Surprise Dome, where sounds descend from overhead. Workshop Patapata and clay candles take about 20 minutes to make.

Elementary school age
★★★★☆

Explore sound quizzes, the theater and even a workshop activity of about 40 minutes.

Examples include the listening-comparison quiz Sound Treasure Hunt and the approximately eight-minute 3D-sound Doki Doki Studio. The official site says elementary school children cannot enter on their own; an adult must accompany them.

Toilets and infants

MLIT's facility listing gives nine men's fixtures, seven women's fixtures and one accessible fixture. The official site's facility description lists seven toilets across men's, women's and accessible facilities; the counts differ between these sources.

Admission

A preschool child's stethoscope costs ¥100 only if used. Groups of 15 or more receive a discount. With a disability certificate or similar document, admission is half price for the holder and one accompanying person.

Accompanying children and animals

Guide dogs may accompany visitors, but pets may not.

Loans

Strollers are not available to borrow. MLIT's facility listing mentions a ramp.

Time needed

Allow extra time for a workshop activity. Last museum admission is 16:00; last workshop check-in is 15:00.

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

Latest official updates and operating calendar

The official operating calendar lists monthly opening days from April 2026 to March 2027. Temporary closures do not appear on it, so the facility advises checking its latest official updates or calling.

Otogi Workshop

Book by telephone or through the official reservation form. Activities cost ¥400–¥2,200 and take about 5–60 minutes. Workshop activities are suspended September 25 (Friday)–October 26 (Monday), 2026. Some activities may also be unavailable because of stock.

KAWANE BASE 2026 (motorcycle event)

September 25 (Friday)–October 12 (Monday, public holiday), 2026, 9:30–16:30 (last admission 16:00; closed on the museum's closure days). Displays of motorcycles from Japan and abroad, motorcycle footage on a 280-inch screen, and the “Guess the Exhaust Note” sound quiz are among the activities. Museum admission is required: adults ¥500, elementary and junior high school students ¥300, preschool children free.

Puzzle game: “Puzzle-solving Hero! Battle Against the Fearsome Demon King!”

An in-museum activity running from Wednesday, April 1, 2026. Check the official event information for details.

Local feel

Reasons to return

Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.

Avoid Tuesdays and arrive before 16:00

The museum generally closes every Tuesday, or the following day when Tuesday is a public holiday. It also closes December 29–January 1. Opening hours are 10:00–16:30, but last museum admission is 16:00 and last workshop check-in is 15:00. Temporary closures are not shown on the operating calendar; the facility advises checking its latest official updates or calling shortly before your visit.

Source: Otogi no Sato official site: facility guide and roadside station information

Admission is for the Otogi Museum; parking and toilets are available 24 hours

Museum admission is ¥500 for adults from high school age through 64, ¥300 for elementary and junior high school students, and ¥400 for seniors 65 and over (declare eligibility). Preschool children enter free and pay ¥100 only if using a stethoscope. Groups of 15 or more receive a discount; presenting a disability certificate, rehabilitation certificate or similar document halves admission for the holder and one accompanying person. Elementary school children cannot enter alone. The official site says parking (three large-vehicle spaces, 85 small-vehicle spaces and three accessible spaces) and toilets are available 24 hours.

Source: Otogi no Sato official site: facility guide and roadside station information

There is no permanent restaurant inside; plan meals elsewhere

For food and drink, the official site describes the lounge (a free rest area where eating and drinking are allowed, 10:00–16:30) and a limited-time mobile café. There is no permanent restaurant or coffee shop, and the national Michi-no-Eki association does not list restaurant or light-meal facilities here. Senzu Friends Frozen Fruit Shop is scheduled from August 27 to late November 2026, 10:00–15:30 on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and selected operating Wednesdays, but it may be closed or finish early on some days. Plan to eat a full lunch outside the station.

Source: National Michi-no-Eki association facility page; Otogi no Sato official site shop guide and event information

Follow the parking-area rules

The official site strictly prohibits long-term parking and the use of fire, including fireworks and bonfires, in the parking area. It also asks visitors to refrain from camping activities such as cooking and pitching tents. The spaces marked “authorized vehicles only” near the steam locomotive turntable are off-limits to other vehicles. Dedicated spaces are also provided for large vehicles, motorcycles, vehicles used by people with disabilities and electric vehicles.

Source: Otogi no Sato official site: facility guide (parking-area rules)

About an hour from Shimada-Kanaya IC by car, or a three-minute walk from Senzu Station

The official access guide estimates about one hour by car from Shin-Tomei Expressway's Shimada-Kanaya IC, or about 1 hour 30 minutes from Tomei Expressway's Sagara-Makinohara IC or Yoshida IC. For the rail route it describes: change from the JR Tokaido Main Line at Kanaya Station to Oigawa Railway; get off at Ieyama Station, transfer to the town bus, get off at Senzu Station, and walk about three minutes. MLIT lists an Oigawa Railway steam locomotive about three minutes away on foot, Nagashima Dam about 15 minutes away by car, and Sumatakyo's Yume no Tsuribashi suspension bridge about 30 minutes away by car (about 60 minutes on foot).

Source: Otogi no Sato official site: access guide; MLIT Chubu Regional Development Bureau roadside station information

The steam train next door inspired the sound theme

The adjacent Oigawa Railway's steam locomotive whistle was selected among Japan's 100 Soundscapes under the name “Steam Locomotive Whistle Echoing in the Foothills of the Southern Alps.” Museum exhibits extend the theme: the Otogi Theater screens the Dairabocchi puppet show and aerial footage of Kawanehon Town, while the Sound Map plays 10 sounds, including a steam locomotive, deer and a trolley train. This roadside station was registered in the 14th round, in April 1998.

Source: MLIT Chubu Regional Development Bureau roadside station information; Otogi no Sato official museum guide; national Michi-no-Eki association

Check the status of exhibits undergoing adjustment

The official museum guide says Wind Walkway, which evokes wind through wind chimes, clay bells and koto strings, and Call Vision, where voice volume moves a character, are undergoing adjustment because of equipment faults. If either is a main reason for your visit, ask ahead whether it is operating.

Source: Otogi no Sato official site: museum guide
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 museum generally closes Tuesdays (the following day if Tuesday is a public holiday) and over New Year. Temporary closures are absent from the operating calendar, so check the latest official updates shortly before visiting.
  • Opening hours are 10:00–16:30, but last museum admission is 16:00 and last workshop check-in is 15:00. An evening arrival is too late for a workshop activity.
  • The official site says workshop activities are suspended September 25 (Friday)–October 26 (Monday), 2026 (information as of September 22, 2026).
  • During KAWANE BASE 2026, September 25 (Friday)–October 12 (Monday, public holiday), 2026, the stated hours are 9:30–16:30, with last admission at 16:00.
  • Parking has 85 standard-car spaces and only three large-vehicle spaces. Long-term parking is prohibited.
  • There is no permanent restaurant inside. Plan a substantial meal outside the station.
  • Preschool children enter free, but using a stethoscope costs ¥100. Elementary school children cannot enter alone.
  • Guide dogs may accompany visitors; pets may not. Two wheelchairs are available to borrow, but strollers are not.
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.

  • Shopping
    Log-grown shiitake and handmade country-style konnyaku (Kodama no Kai local specialty shop)
    Shop at the Otogi no Sato entrance. Hours vary by season (tel. 090-4182-6773).
  • Shopping
    Folk crafts (Kodama no Kai local specialty shop)
    Locally handcrafted goods; selection changes with the season.
  • Shopping
    Souvenirs and sound-themed goods (museum shop)
    10:00–16:30. Rhythm toys such as animal castanets and fruit shakers, plus music-themed accessories.
  • Shopping
    Thomas, Percy and James cardboard crafts (museum shop)
    ¥850 each. The official site says this roadside station is the only Shizuoka Prefecture stockist.
  • Light food
    Fruit ice cream with granola and jelly drinks (limited-time Senzu Friends Frozen Fruit Shop)
    August 27–late November 2026, on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and selected operating Wednesdays, 10:00–15:30. Some days the café does not open.
  • Rest stop
    Eat or drink your own food in the lounge (free rest area)
    10:00–16:30. There is no permanent restaurant inside. Take your rubbish with you.
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
Take home local flavors

Log-grown shiitake and handmade country-style konnyaku (Kodama no Kai)

Buy these at the local specialty shop by the entrance. They are local foods you can use at home even after a short visit.

Hours vary by season. Contact Kodama no Kai directly at 090-4182-6773; calls cannot be transferred from Otogi no Sato.

Have a light bite

Limited-time Senzu Friends Frozen Fruit Shop

Fruit ice cream with granola, jelly drinks and more. It is scheduled from August 27 through late November 2026, 10:00–15:30 on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and selected operating Wednesdays.

The café may be closed on some days or close early. Check official event information for that day's opening.

Bring food and take a break

Second-floor lounge (free rest area)

There is no permanent restaurant inside. You may eat and drink food you bring at seats overlooking Senzu Station and the courtyard.

Take your rubbish with you. The official site says the lounge may occasionally close even on days when the museum is open.

Choose souvenirs

Sound-themed goods and cardboard crafts at the museum shop

Find rhythm toys such as animal castanets and fruit shakers, plus music-themed accessories. Open 10:00–16:30.

The official site says this is the only station in Shizuoka Prefecture stocking the Thomas, Percy and James cardboard crafts (¥850 each).

Make something yourself

Sound-making objects and kaleidoscopes at the Otogi Workshop

Take your finished creation home. Bamboo flutes (¥1,270) and kagura flutes (¥1,730) are sold ready-made; kagura is a traditional Japanese ritual performance.

Some activities may be temporarily unavailable because of stock. Workshop activities are suspended September 25–October 26, 2026.

Access

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1
Roadside station
Michi-no-Eki Okuoi Otogi no Sato

Walk through this roadside station with a stethoscope. Beside Senzu Station, within earshot of steam locomotive whistles, listen to the sounds of Okuoi.

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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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