Tottori Prefecture · Chugoku Region
道の駅 にちなん日野川の郷
In the town at the headwaters of the Hino River, stop for freshly harvested vegetables, tomatoes, Nichinan rice, and shopping that helps protect the forest.
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Eat, shop, play, take in the view or rest. Choose from the station’s strengths to suit your day.
Look for freshly harvested vegetables, Nichinan rice, mochi rice cakes, processed apple products, and crafts.
Hours differ on weekdays and weekends or public holidays. Arriving early is prudent for lunch.
Stop for ripe Nichinan tomato juice or tomato soft serve.
The multipurpose toilet, parking, and adjacent shops make it easy to handle several needs in one stop.
Its character changes with the seasons, from spring azaleas to autumn leaves.
Toma Kosaka sees this station less as a major tourist attraction than as a calm base for an Oku-Hino trip. Checking parking, toilets, meal times, market shopping, and nearby seasonal sights first makes the roads to Sekkakei Gorge, the fireflies, and the ginkgo feel less daunting.
Use the multipurpose toilet and information corner first. Families with children and long-distance drivers can pause and reset here.
Hottosu closes at different times on weekdays and on weekends or public holidays, so arrive early if lunch is your goal.
Visit Sekkakei Gorge in spring or autumn, see fireflies in early summer, and the Hinokami Ginkgo in autumn. Shop at the station before a short nature trip.
Michi-no-Eki Nichinan Hinogawa no Sato is a local revitalization market style roadside station in Shoyama, Nichinan Town, at the southwestern edge of Tottori Prefecture. The farmers' market stocks freshly harvested vegetables, products made with Nichinan tomatoes, Nichinan rice, mochi rice cakes, processed apple products, woodwork, and other handmade goods. At Restaurant Hottosu, choose set meals made with ingredients delivered to the market or Nichinan Dam Curry, a curry dish themed on a dam. Part of each purchase or meal goes toward forest conservation. Parking has 79 standard spaces, two large-vehicle spaces, and two spaces for disabled drivers; there are also a multipurpose toilet, information corner, EV charger, and adjacent convenience and home improvement stores. It is a practical rest stop before or after the mountain roads of Oku-Hino. Add Sekkakei Gorge, Fukumaki Firefly Kingdom, or the Hinokami Ginkgo to turn a short shopping stop into a trip through Nichinan's natural sights.
The station says a portion of every item bought at the market and every restaurant dish goes toward forest protection. A souvenir purchase here can also support the town's residents and mountains.
The farm and forest products market carries seasonal vegetables, juice, jam and dressing made with Nichinan tomatoes, Nichinan rice, Nichinan mochi rice cakes, processed apple products, and crafts. Near the borders of Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, and Hiroshima prefectures, it also stocks specialties from neighboring prefectures.
Restaurant Hottosu serves locally sourced meals using ingredients brought to the market. Its hours differ between weekdays and weekends or public holidays, so plan your arrival if lunch is your main reason for stopping.
The multipurpose toilet, information corner, EV charger, ample parking, and adjacent convenience and home improvement stores are close together. Take care of children's toilet needs, drinks, forgotten supplies, and road information before heading into Oku-Hino.
Sekkakei Gorge offers azaleas in spring, fresh greenery in early summer, autumn leaves, and winter snow scenery. During the seasons for Fukumaki Firefly Kingdom and the Hinokami Ginkgo, the roadside station may serve as a shuttle departure point or a useful rest stop.
Spend your time at the station or add somewhere nearby. These ideas help you plan around your companions and the weather.
Start at the market for freshly harvested vegetables, Nichinan rice, Nichinan mochi rice cakes, the Abire apple product range, and wild yam baumkuchen, a layered cake. If buying chilled or processed goods, consider your journey home and how to keep them cool before choosing.
Park → market → Marugoto Tomato → information corner.
Vegetable and popular product availability varies by time of day and season.
Make Nichinan Dam Curry or a set meal at Restaurant Hottosu the centerpiece of lunch. After eating, a short drive to Sekkakei Gorge adds the town's rivers and mountains to your day.
Roadside station → Restaurant Hottosu → Sekkakei Gorge.
Keep the gorge visit short if weather, footing, or parking during autumn foliage season makes a longer walk difficult.
In some years, the roadside station is the shuttle departure point for Fukumaki Firefly Kingdom. Rest, shop, and eat during the day, then plan the evening viewing separately around reservations, the shuttle, suitable clothing, and warmth.
Daytime roadside station → evening rest → shuttle departure point → firefly viewing.
The 2026 visitor program ended on July 9. Check the official announcement for the next event.
The great ginkgo at the former Hinokami Elementary School is a Nichinan destination when its leaves turn yellow around mid-November. In some years, a shuttle leaves the roadside station on busy weekends. Use the toilet and shop at the station before heading there.
Roadside station → Hinokami Ginkgo → market for souvenirs.
Event dates, contributions, shuttle service, and whether pets may ride change each year. For the November 14–23, 2026 event, use venue parking Monday–Friday; on Saturdays, Sundays, and the public holiday, take the shuttle from the roadside station, as venue parking is unavailable. Pets cannot ride the 2026 shuttle.
The roadside station is a few minutes by car from JR Shoyama Station. Combine information from Yamazato Load Nichinan by the railway station with rental bicycle information to plan a visit without a car. In good weather, try a short walk around town; in rain, focus on food and shopping at the roadside station.
JR Shoyama Station → roadside station → Sekkakei Gorge or a walk around town.
Check bus frequencies and rental bicycle terms beforehand.
The station lists year-round opening. Products vary by season and delivery.
Last order: 14:30.
Last order: 16:30.
Check opening before visiting specifically for tomato juice or tomato soft serve.
Stars show the editorial recommendation for each age group on a five-point scale. Read the reasons alongside each rating.
Suitable for a toilet stop, planning feeding and diaper changes, and brief shopping. It is a helpful rest stop around mountain drives.
Avoid peak meal times and keep shopping and the break short.
Tomato soft serve and other sweets can provide a change of pace, though there are few places for extended play at the station.
Hold hands when walking through the car park, including to the neighboring shops.
Combine a meal and shopping with a short nature observation stop at Sekkakei Gorge to keep the visit varied.
On rainy days, stay with food and shopping rather than forcing a gorge visit.
Forest-supporting purchases, firefly conservation, and giant salamander goods can spark conversations about nature and the local area.
Adults should arrange reservations, shuttles, and plans for crowds before firefly or ginkgo visits.
A useful stop before or after the mountain roads.
Follow signs for parking in front of the shops and in the rear lot.
Watch your footing outdoors at places such as Sekkakei Gorge; stay at the station if conditions are poor.
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.
Check weekly for the New Year festival, menu changes, opening information, and seasonal events.
Look for up-to-date information on the market, Hottosu, seasonal products, and parking.
Check each year's early-summer reservation rules, admission fee, shuttle, and viewing etiquette.
Check the autumn dates, contribution, weekend shuttle, and venue parking each season.
Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.
This market connects Nichinan producers with visitors, and a portion of shopping and restaurant spending supports forest protection. Combining food and environmental stewardship is part of its character.
Alongside fresh produce, find processed foods and crafts characteristic of Nichinan. Even a short stop offers plenty of reasons to shop.
The listed closing times are 15:00 on weekdays and 17:00 on weekends and public holidays. Dining alternatives can be limited on a mountain drive, so decide when to stop if you want lunch.
The facility guide lists a multipurpose toilet, 79 standard parking spaces, two large-vehicle spaces, two spaces for disabled drivers, and an EV charger. Travel accounts and reviews also often describe it as a clean place to stop.
The scenery shifts from spring cherry blossoms and azaleas to early-summer greenery and wisteria, autumn leaves, and winter snow. It is easy to plan a short visit after eating and using the toilet at the station.
In some years, shuttles to Fukumaki Firefly Kingdom and the Hinokami Ginkgo depart from the roadside station. Parking and timing for these events differ from an ordinary station 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.
Enjoy Nichinan's water and ingredients from the market together in a restaurant meal.
The listed closing time is 15:00 on weekdays and 17:00 on weekends and public holidays. Check last-order times first.
Make this your first stop if you want to bring Nichinan produce home for dinner.
Seasonal vegetables, wild vegetables, and unusual mushrooms vary with the season and deliveries.
A sweet snack and purchase that offer a taste of Nichinan even on a short break.
Follow official or in-store information for shop hours and product availability.
Good for an easy-to-carry gift or a snack during the journey.
Popular products vary in size and stock.
Take home Nichinan craftwork and nature motifs as well as food.
One-of-a-kind and handmade items are best chosen when you happen to find them.
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In the town at the headwaters of the Hino River, stop for freshly harvested vegetables, tomatoes, Nichinan rice, and shopping that helps protect the forest.
Good for a little nature after lunch, spring azaleas, autumn leaves, or a short walk. Watch your footing after rain.
For reserved early-summer evening viewing and family nature experiences. Plan warm clothing, walking on dark roads, and the shuttle timetable in advance.
For autumn photos or a short outing across generations. For the November 14–23, 2026 event, use venue parking Monday–Friday and the station shuttle on Saturdays, Sundays, and the public holiday; there is no venue parking on those days.
For public transport, rental bicycles, and town tourism advice. Easy to combine with food and shopping at the roadside station.
Send your travel companions a possible stop.
