Shiga Prefecture · Kinki
道の駅 妹子の郷
Make a stop at Wani Interchange on the Kosei Road a little more indulgent with Omi beef and Shiga souvenirs.
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.
Omi beef, local sake, Biwako Blue products, decchi yokan (a local sweet bean jelly), and dorayaki (pancake sandwiches with sweet filling) offer plenty to take home.
The restaurant's last-order time is relatively early. Allow extra time if lunch is your main reason for stopping.
The convenience store is open 6:00–23:00; outdoor toilets and parking are available 24 hours. They make an early or late Kosei Road stop practical.
Visitor reviews and trip reports often mention parking congestion on weekends and holidays. Standard-car capacity is limited enough to allow extra time if you plan a longer stop.
Check crowds and parking during the summer swimming season. Even a brief look at the lake after shopping makes a fitting Kosei detour.
After a meal and shopping, drive north for a hot-spring bath to make a short half-day outing.
Imoko no Sato is a roadside station beside the Wani Interchange on the Kosei Road, which links the Kyoto area with Takashima and Tsuruga. It is compact, yet brings together a restaurant serving Omi beef, a shop packed with local vegetables and Shiga souvenirs, a Lawson open 6:00–23:00, and toilets and parking available 24 hours. Enjoy a meal with views of the Hira Mountains, shop for the journey home, then venture to Lake Biwa's shore or a place associated with Ono no Imoko. It is an easy way to take a little of Shiga with you on a drive along the lake's western side.
Imoko no Sato offers more than a convenient stop by Wani Interchange. Eat Omi beef, buy local vegetables, pick up Biwako Blue sweets or local sake, and stock up at Lawson early in the morning or at night. Everything is grouped into a compact stop that makes it easy to add a taste of Shiga to a Kosei Road drive.
The restaurant offers Omi beef rice bowls, Omi beef sukiyaki set meals, sirloin steak set meals, and Omi beef curry for a slightly indulgent lunch. If you do not want a full meal, you can choose soft serve, hon-warabi mochi (a soft bracken-starch sweet), pudding, or jelly cup desserts instead.
The station's name draws on local stories associated with Ono no Imoko, an envoy to China's Sui dynasty. Go beyond shopping with a short stop at Ono no Imoko Park, a view of the lake at Wanihama, a soak at Hiratopia, or a trip up to Biwako Valley when the weather is good. Each adds another side of western Lake Biwa to the visit.
Spend your time at the station or add somewhere nearby. These ideas help you plan around your companions and the weather.
Beside Wani Interchange, the station is a quick stop after leaving the Kosei Road. Choose an Omi beef rice bowl at the restaurant, or keep it light with a bento lunch box or sweets from the local-products shop.
Kosei Road, Wani IC → Imoko no Sato → back to the Kosei Road
Parking can fill on holidays, so allow a little extra time even for a short break.
Pick up local vegetables, Biwako Blue products, and Japanese sweets at the shop, then continue to Wanihama for lake views. Even outside the swimming season, a little time in the lakeside breeze makes the detour worthwhile.
Imoko no Sato → area around Wanihama Swimming Beach
In summer, check the beach's operating period, crowds, and parking arrangements before setting out.
If the station's name catches your interest, visit Ono no Imoko Park and Karausuyama Kofun, a burial mound traditionally linked to him. It is a modest historic site, but gives the name a connection to the area's past.
Imoko no Sato → Ono no Imoko Park (Karausuyama Kofun)
This quiet site lies toward a residential area. Comfortable walking shoes and a short stroll suit it best.
If you are heading north, Hiratopia makes a good final stop. Its natural hot spring, dining area, mallet-golf course, and multipurpose grounds let you combine food and shopping at the roadside station with a bath in a half-day route.
Imoko no Sato → Hiratopia
Hiratopia closes over the New Year holidays and for maintenance. Check its opening information if the bath is your main purpose.
Stock up at Imoko no Sato before heading to Biwako Valley for time in the mountains above western Lake Biwa. Conditions at the summit change with the weather, so check official operating updates and the live camera before going up for the views.
Imoko no Sato → toward Shiga IC → Biwako Valley ropeway base station
The operator warns of full parking and entry restrictions on weekends and holidays. Public transport or an early arrival may be options on crowded days.
Open 9:00–17:00 from December through February. Seasonal vegetables and products vary by time of day.
Last orders at 16:00. From December through February, open 9:00–16:00 with last orders at 15:00.
Open 9:00–17:00 from December through February. Find ideas for detours around western Lake Biwa here.
Open year-round. A useful place to stock up before an early departure or on the way home at night.
Available outside the station building's opening hours. At night, watch for other vehicles entering and leaving, including large vehicles.
An official notice says app registration is required to use the new chargers.
Stars show the editorial recommendation for each age group on a five-point scale. Read the reasons alongside each rating.
A nursing space and diaper-changing space are listed, making a short break easier. This is not a place for extended play, so a quick meal and toilet stop work best.
The compact site is easy to move around, though it is not a playground destination. Pick up a sweet, bread, or bento, then continue to Wanihama or Hiratopia for more to do.
The station's Omi beef and shopping mainly appeal to adults, but Biwako Blue products or soft serve can give children something to enjoy. Plan outdoor play at a nearby destination.
Connect stories of Ono no Imoko with the Lake Biwa shore or Biwako Valley for history and scenery. Pairing the station with nearby sites makes the most of a family visit.
There are 87 standard-car spaces listed by the station, and finding a place can take time on holidays. Check both Parking Areas 1 and 2 rather than insisting on a space beside the buildings.
The restaurant's last-order time is early. For Omi beef, arrive around lunchtime, then browse local vegetables and sweets in the shop afterward.
Views of the Hira Mountains from the restaurant or station area make this more than a road break. In good weather, continue to the lakeshore or a hot spring to turn the stop into an outing.
Outdoor toilets and parking are available 24 hours, but Lawson closes at 23:00. Plan any shopping accordingly on a nighttime Kosei Road drive.
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.
In some months, food trucks and tent stalls appear on weekends and public holidays. You can leave room for outdoor food options instead of planning only around the restaurant.
Monthly activities are announced in official notices and on Instagram. A reservation-only yuzu-kosho koji workshop, making a fermented seasoning, was announced for September 2026.
The station announces events centered on Omi beef, including Meat Day on the 29th of each month. Dates can change, so check official notices if food is the focus of your visit.
The official Instagram account is a timely place to check seasonal products, stalls, and workshops just before visiting.
Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.
Trip reports and reviews suggest the station is compact while parking can become crowded on weekends and holidays. Keep shopping, sweets, or the convenience store in mind if you cannot get a restaurant meal straight away.
Tabelog reviews and trip reports emphasize the Omi beef rice bowl and steaks, with prices somewhat above a quick roadside meal. Decide whether you want a light stop or a more substantial taste of Shiga.
According to official information, the shop focuses on produce from Otsu and Shiga, carrying vegetables, Japanese and Western sweets, bread, bento, and prepared dishes. Biwako Blue products, local sake, decchi yokan, and dorayaki let you assemble a Shiga souvenir selection quickly.
Nursing and diaper-changing facilities are listed, but this is not a station for extended playground time. With young children, use the stop for food, toilets, and shopping, then head to Wanihama or Hiratopia.
The station adjoins Wani Interchange, with access directions from both Kyoto and Takashima. It can serve as a highway-style rest stop, but access is via local roads, so follow the route carefully when traffic is heavy.
Wanihama Swimming Beach suits summer; Biwako Valley suits clear days; winter brings snow on the Hira Mountains and hot springs; Ono no Imoko's historic sites suit an ordinary day. The station operates year-round, and one nearby stop changes the character of the visit.
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.
The main choice when you want a slightly more indulgent lunch on the road, and an easy way to introduce a companion to a Shiga specialty.
Restaurant last orders are 16:00, or 15:00 in winter. Allow time around the lunch rush and before closing.
Even without a full meal, a restaurant or takeaway dessert can make the break satisfying.
Flavors and products change with the season and stock, so keep your options open.
On the way home from a Kosei drive, pick up the center of dinner or something to enjoy the next day.
Fresh foods and popular products may run low later in the day. Come earlier if shopping is a priority.
You can browse souvenirs from across Shiga, beyond Otsu City, in a short stop. Blue sweets and local Japanese confections also make snacks to share in the car.
Packaging and contents can change; check the shop labels when choosing gifts.
When the main station facilities are closed, the 6:00–23:00 convenience store is useful on the Kosei Road.
It is not open 24 hours. Late at night, the stop is mainly for the toilets and parking.
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Make a stop at Wani Interchange on the Kosei Road a little more indulgent with Omi beef and Shiga souvenirs.
A short historic-site walk that connects the station's name with local memory.
A summer detour to feel close to Lake Biwa after shopping.
Finish a Kosei Road food-and-shopping stop with a hot-spring bath below the Hira Mountains.
On a clear day, turn a Kosei Road break into a trip up for sweeping views.
An easy short historic-site walk for adults interested in the station's name and its origins.
A place to pause by the lake after shopping at the local-products shop, or a summer swimming option during the operating season.
A final bath after food and shopping at the station on a rainy or winter day, or on the way home in the evening.
On a day with good summit weather, stock up at the roadside station before heading for views, cooler air, autumn leaves, or snow play.
Send your travel companions a possible stop.
