Tottori Prefecture · Chugoku Region

Michi-no-Eki Seiryu Chaya Kawahara

道の駅清流茶屋かわはら

Just off Kawahara IC, this food stop leads from pear soft serve and fresh bread to the home of Princess Yagami.

Updated 2026-10-01Michi-no-Eki Journal Read in Japanese

Location

Tottori City

Road

National Route 53 / near Kawahara IC on the Tottori Expressway

Hours

9:00–19:00

Generally open year-round. Some shops, including the local products hall, close at 18:00 from December through February. The convenience store and toilets are open 24 hours.

Parking

Cars: 102 / Large vehicles: 12

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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, take a break

Toilets and convenience store

Just off Kawahara IC. Late at night or early in the morning, make a brief stop around the 24-hour toilets and convenience store, rather than the shops.

For something sweet

20th Century pear soft serve

For a quick taste of Tottori, try Bellfull's pear soft serve. It also works when you want a light alternative to lunch.

For shopping

Ayuyūza and Yume-na-kan

Head to the local products hall for souvenirs and the farm shop for vegetables and fruit. In pear season, allow for your journey home and keeping purchases cool.

For a meal

Coffee, seafood, and teppan-style dishes

Consider Sunaba Coffee and the seafood counter, Kuon, bread, and takeout separately so you have options when one place is busy.

For a detour

Kawahara Castle or Princess Yagami's sites

Kawahara Castle is visible from the station. Add Menuma Shrine or Princess Yagami Park for a short outing after your meal.

For seasonal food

Ayu, pears, and persimmons

Look for ayu in summer, 20th Century pears from late summer into autumn, and Fuyu persimmons in autumn. The food and farm-shop selection changes with the season.

Toma's food and shopping notes

Stop for pear soft serve; leave with bread and vegetables.

Toma Soma sees more here than a convenient stop beside the IC. Ago-tenyaki, 20th Century pear soft serve, fresh bread, Ayuyūza, and Yume-na-kan give even a short visit a taste of Tottori. After eating, continue briefly to Kawahara Castle or Princess Yagami's sites. In Kawahara, food and shopping lead naturally into the area's stories.

Highlights

Michi-no-Eki Seiryu Chaya Kawahara, a roadside station just off Kawahara IC on the Tottori Expressway, offers plenty of places to eat and shop. Ayuyūza sells local products; Seiryu Bakery, Sunaba Coffee and the seafood counter, takeout ago-tenyaki and 20th Century pear soft serve, and Yume-na-kan's local produce are all together. Instead of relying on one restaurant, try buying bread, pausing for pear soft serve, and choosing vegetables for dinner at the farm shop. With more time, add the nearby Chiyo River, Kawahara Castle, and Menuma Shrine, associated with Princess Yagami, for Kawahara's scenery and stories.

#Just off Kawahara IC
#20th Century pear soft serve
#Seiryu Bakery
#Ayuyūza
#Home of Princess Yagami
#Chiyo River

Why I like it

Reasons to stop here

Expressway convenience and a gateway to local food

The station is easy to reach from the toll-free section of the Tottori Expressway. A convenience store and toilets open 24 hours make it a practical first stop. There is also a local products hall, bread, coffee, seafood, pear soft serve, and a produce shop to explore.

Browse Tottori souvenirs and local produce separately

Ayuyūza is for Tottori souvenirs, crafts, and processed foods; Yume-na-kan sells vegetables and fruit for the table back home. Look for 20th Century pears in pear season. The focus of shopping shifts from ayu sweetfish in summer to pears and persimmons in autumn.

A short detour to Princess Yagami's sites and Kawahara Castle

The station's official site also suggests Princess Yagami legend walks and satoyama countryside tours, making this a gateway to Kawahara sightseeing. After eating, choose a view over town from Kawahara Castle, a quiet walk at Menuma Shrine and Princess Yagami Park, or the outlook from Mount Reishi.

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 stop while driving the Tottori Expressway

Take a 20-minute break near Kawahara IC

Use the toilets and convenience store first. If time permits, choose pear soft serve or ago-tenyaki at Bellfull, or bread from Seiryu Bakery. Pick one thing that is easy to eat in the car instead of visiting every shop, so departure stays on schedule.

Parking → toilets → Bellfull or bakery → departure

Most shops open from 9:00 or later. At night or early in the morning, plan on the convenience store and toilets.

A lunch stop on a weekend drive

Separate lunch and shopping, and take Tottori flavors home

Eat at Sunaba Coffee and Nidaime Murakami Suisan Seafood Counter or Kuon, then visit Ayuyūza and Yume-na-kan. Souvenirs, bread, vegetables, and fruit are easy to browse separately, whether you are visiting or shopping locally.

Meal → Ayuyūza → Yume-na-kan → pear soft serve or coffee

Restaurants have different hours and closing days. If lunch is your main reason for stopping, check the official shop listings first.

A day with 1–2 hours for a detour after eating

Continue to Kawahara Castle and Princess Yagami's sites

After buying bread or a sweet treat at the station, go up to Kawahara Castle for views of the town and Chiyo River. For a quieter walk, choose Menuma Shrine and Princess Yagami Park. Learning about Princess Yagami in the Kojiki, an early Japanese chronicle, gives these nearby places a local story.

Station → Kawahara Castle → Menuma Shrine and Princess Yagami Park → station or onward

Kawahara Castle is generally closed on Mondays. Choose viewpoints and shrine walks according to weather and footing.

A day to enjoy the early-August Kawahara Ayu Festival or the riverside season

Make summer ayu and the Chiyo River the focus

Kawahara is known for ayu sweetfish. The Ayu Festival beside the Chiyo River brings stalls, stage events, and fireworks. Use the station as a base for food and a toilet break, and check traffic restrictions and parking guidance before going on festival day.

Station → Chiyo River area → Ayu Festival venue or Mizube Plaza

Event finishing times and bad-weather arrangements can change. Do not assume you can leave a car at the station for a long visit; follow the organizer's guidance.

Hours

Opening hours

Station overall

9:00-19:00

Open year-round; these are the basic hours in the official guide.

Convenience store

24 hours

The main option for a break at night or early in the morning.

Toilets and multipurpose toilets

24 hours

The official access guide says they are available 24 hours.

Ayuyūza local products hall

9:00-19:00

Closes at 18:00 from December through February.

Seiryu Bakery

9:00-16:00

Generally closes at 15:00 from December through February.

Sunaba Coffee and Nidaime Murakami Suisan Seafood Counter

10:00-18:00 / 11:00-18:00

Last order is generally 17:00; generally closed on the second and fourth Tuesdays.

Bellfull

11:00-16:00

Takeout including ago-tenyaki and 20th Century pear soft serve.

Yume-na-kan

9:00-18:00

Generally closes at 17:00 from December through February.

Kuon

10:00-16:00

Irregular closures; serves okonomiyaki savory pancakes, yakisoba fried noodles, udon, and more.

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

★★★☆☆

Good for a brief indoor break and use of the 24-hour toilets.

This is not a station for long play on large equipment. Check on site for nursing and diaper-changing facilities, and keep bakery and farm-shop browsing short.

Ages 2–3

★★★☆☆

A small goal such as pear soft serve or bread can keep the stop engaging.

The shops have many products, so keeping shopping brief can make the visit easier. Consider shifting outdoor play to the Chiyo River waterfront or a park.

Ages 4–6

★★★★☆

Easy to combine food, shopping, a view of the castle, and a shrine visit.

The look of Kawahara Castle and Princess Yagami's story make good talking points on an after-meal detour. In hot weather, take an indoor break at the station first.

Elementary-school children

★★★★☆

Ayu, the Chiyo River, Kawahara Castle, and Princess Yagami's legend can become a local learning trip.

Combine the summer Ayu Festival, Kawahara Castle's exhibits, or a tofu chikuwa-making activity with the stories behind local food and places. Tofu chikuwa is a Tottori fish cake made with tofu and fish paste.

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

August GRASS MARKET

A market listed on the station's official event calendar, featuring handmade goods, food, and workshops. With more reasons to eat and shop at the station, allow extra time for parking and keep lunch plans flexible.

2026 Bon Flower Market

The flower market before Obon, Japan's mid-August ancestor-remembrance period, is a time when produce and everyday shopping may draw more visitors. Alongside souvenirs, it offers a glimpse of local daily shopping.

Tottori City Kawahara Ayu Festival

The 2026 festival was scheduled for August 1 at the Chiyo River's Fukurokawara Square, with ayu-catching, food stalls, stage events, and fireworks. For future festivals, consider the station as a base for a break and shopping, and check the organizer's current schedule.

Yuruyuru Inaka Juku and Inaba Mountain Walks

The official event listings regularly feature satoyama countryside, mountain walking, history, and handicrafts. If adding a seasonal activity, work backward from its meeting time when planning a meal at the station.

Local feel

Reasons to return

Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.

Easy to reset your plans beside Kawahara IC

The official access guide places the station just off Kawahara IC on the Tottori Expressway, about 20 minutes by car from Tottori Station. Visitor reviews also often mention the IC access, adjoining convenience store, and ability to combine souvenirs and light food.

Source: Official access guide and travel-review trends

Food is a collection of small choices rather than one signature restaurant

Bellfull's pear soft serve and ago-tenyaki, Seiryu Bakery, Sunaba Coffee and the seafood counter, Kuon, and Yume-na-kan are separate options. Change your focus with the crowds or time of day, and include food to take home as well as meals.

Source: Official dining and facilities listings

Pear soft serve and bread make a short break satisfying

Trip reports and reviews often mention pear soft serve, bread, and souvenirs. They give a stop here its character even without lunch. On a weekend drive, sweets and shopping can be easier to fit in than a full meal.

Source: Trip reports and review trends

Ayu and the Chiyo River mark Kawahara's seasons

The official specialty guide lists ayu season as June to September, and the Tottori City tourism site describes the Kawahara Ayu Festival as an early-August event. In summer, plan around the Chiyo River and the sweetfish town as well as the station.

Source: Official specialty guide and Tottori City tourism site

With children, plan a place to go after eating

The station has meals, sweets, and shopping, but it is not a place for hours on playground equipment. Elementary-school children may enjoy a Tofu Chikuwa Lab activity; with younger children, keep shopping short and view Kawahara Castle from outside. On hot days, favor indoor time.

Source: Official facilities guide and official nearby sightseeing information

Princess Yagami's legend is a natural local detour

The station's official site highlights a Princess Yagami legend walk, while the Tottori tourism federation introduces Menuma Shrine and Princess Yagami Park. A quiet cultural walk after eating suits these places; there is no need to make large promises about the legend's matchmaking theme.

Source: Official featured activities and Tottori tourism federation

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.

Some shops, including the local products hall, bakery, and farm shop, close earlier in winter. In the late afternoon, expect the convenience store to be the more dependable option.
Closing patterns differ among shops, including second and fourth Tuesdays, irregular closures, and seasonal operation. Check the official listings for each shop if you are coming for lunch.
When buying pears or vegetables, account for travel time home and how you will keep them cool.
On Ayu Festival or market days, parking and nearby traffic may differ from usual; keep the station stop reasonably short.
Kawahara Castle is generally closed on Mondays. Even if you can see it from the station, check its open days before going for the observation deck.
For Mizube Plaza or the Chiyo River, consider high water, heat, insects, and footing; a short walk may be enough.

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.

Dessert
20th Century pear soft serve
Takeout from Bellfull: a Tottori-style treat for a break in the car.
Snack
Ago-tenyaki
Takeout made with San'in-style ago-ten, a fried fish cake made from flying fish; good for a short stop.
Breakfast and snack
Fresh bread from Seiryu Bakery
Open from 9:00; closing is generally earlier in winter.
Meal
Sunaba Coffee and Nidaime Murakami Suisan Seafood Counter
A lunch option where you can choose coffee and seafood in the same shop.
Farm shop
Vegetables and fruit at Yume-na-kan
A direct-sale shop supported by local growers and JA; look for pears and seasonal vegetables.
Seasonal food
Wild ayu dishes
The ayu sweetfish season in Kawahara is generally June to September; check each shop for availability.

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.

A light bite in the car

20th Century pear soft serve and ago-tenyaki

Takeout adds a taste of Tottori to a short break. It can also help families adjust how much they eat before or after a meal.

Bellfull generally opens around late morning and closes in the afternoon. In case of sellouts or changed hours, leave room to choose bread or coffee instead.

Morning to midday

Fresh bread from Seiryu Bakery

Buy bread that is easy to eat in the car after a morning departure or before heading into central Tottori.

The bakery closes earlier in winter, so a late-afternoon bread stop may be too late.

A full lunch

Sunaba Coffee and Nidaime Murakami Suisan Seafood Counter; Kuon

Choose among coffee, seafood, teppan-style dishes, and udon within the same station. It is useful when family members want different things.

Closing days and last orders vary by shop. Check listed closures, including the second and fourth Tuesdays for some shops.

Eat with the season

Ayu, 20th Century pears, and Fuyu persimmons

The official seasonal guide suggests June–September for ayu, late August–mid-September for 20th Century pears, and October–November for Fuyu persimmons.

Even in season, weather affects deliveries and availability. Check the farm shop and restaurants close to your visit.

Food to enjoy at home