Tokushima Prefecture · Shikoku
道の駅 第九の里
A small cultural break connecting the first Japanese performance of Beethoven's Ninth with sweet treats from Naruto.
Records are saved in this browser. Visited stations receive a stamp and count towards your nationwide progress.
Eat, shop, play, take in the view or rest. Choose from the station’s strengths to suit your day.
The building's history quickly explains what makes Daiku no Sato distinctive.
A manageable shop for choosing Tokushima and Naruto flavors in a short visit.
Plan a short break and indoor exhibition rather than playground time.
After the shop, move on to the German House or Toyohiko Kagawa Memorial Museum.
Combine the first Shikoku pilgrimage temple with Awa Province's principal shrine for a trip through western Naruto.
Ayano Seto sees Daiku no Sato as a place to organize a family's journey and sample Naruto's culture, rather than a large playground. On arrival: toilets first, then Naruto Kintoki and sudachi in the shop, followed by sweets at the snack counter. Take a short walk in good weather, or move to the German House or Toyohiko Kagawa Memorial Museum in rain. Shopping, eating and learning are close enough to switch between as the family needs.
Roadside Station Daiku no Sato offers a short driving break in the area where Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was first performed in full in Japan at Bando POW Camp. Its shop occupies a relocated barracks building and offers Naruto Kintoki sweet potatoes, sudachi citrus, Naruto wakame seaweed, gelato and light meals on an easy-to-browse scale. This is not a place for a long stay at a large playground: take care of toilets, shopping and a snack here, then visit the adjacent Naruto German House or Toyohiko Kagawa Memorial Museum, or continue a little farther to Ryozenji Temple.
The shop occupies a barracks building relocated from Bando POW Camp. Look at the building's origins before entering the sales area, and the name Daiku no Sato—Village of the Ninth—will make more sense.
The shop is suited to browsing a focused selection of Tokushima and Naruto souvenirs rather than a huge commercial complex. Naruto Kintoki sweets, sudachi products, Naruto wakame and local vegetables let you take home local flavors even during a 15–30 minute break.
This station works best with cultural sites rather than outdoor play. In light rain or heat, have a light bite at the shop, then visit Naruto German House or the Toyohiko Kagawa Memorial Museum to give children and adults a destination.
Ryozenji, Temple No. 1 of the 88-temple Shikoku pilgrimage, is nearby, and the station fits routes from Naruto and Itano interchanges. Use it for toilets and shopping to combine an introduction to local culture and pilgrimage in half a day.
Spend your time at the station or add somewhere nearby. These ideas help you plan around your companions and the weather.
Use the toilet after parking, then browse Naruto Kintoki, sudachi and Naruto wakame in the shop. Even without a full meal, gelato or a small sweet treat can make the return to the car easier for children.
Parking → toilets → shop → snack counter → departure
The snack counter generally closes earlier than the shop. If arriving late, plan mainly to shop.
See the building's origins and souvenirs at the shop, then go to Naruto German House. The stories of Bando POW Camp, the first performance of the Ninth and local hospitality connect and explain the station's name.
Shop → Naruto German House → Toyohiko Kagawa Memorial Museum if time permits
Opening days, admission charges and special exhibitions affect the time needed at cultural sites. Check each site's own information when planning a visit.
Keep outdoor walking short. Rest at the shop, then visit the German House or Toyohiko Kagawa Memorial Museum. Short exhibition visits can help preschoolers return to the car before they lose interest.
Toilets → snack or gelato → Naruto German House or Toyohiko Kagawa Memorial Museum
Some exhibitions call for quiet viewing. With small children, separate the sweet-treat break from a short museum visit.
Use the toilets and buy souvenirs at Daiku no Sato, then drive to Ryozenji. Pilgrims in white robes are part of this area; seeing it as a gateway to pilgrimage as well as cultural sites adds depth to the visit.
Roadside station → Ryozenji Temple → Oasahiko Shrine
Temples and shrines can be busy during events and the New Year visit period. Allow extra time for parking and walking with family.
Buy souvenirs at the shop in the morning, take a break with a light meal, then head to central Naruto or the whirlpool area. The station works as a practical stop before or after sightseeing rather than a major destination for a long stay.
From Itano or Aizumi interchange → Daiku no Sato → central Naruto and whirlpool area
Whirlpool viewing depends on the tides. The station can also be a place to adjust your schedule.
Generally closed on the fourth Monday (the next day if a public holiday) and December 28–31.
Check official notices for menu availability, sellouts and temporary changes.
Official information lists parking and toilet facilities and their numbers.
The German House, Toyohiko Kagawa Memorial Museum, temples and shrines have different closing and event days.
Stars show the editorial recommendation for each age group on a five-point scale. Read the reasons alongside each rating.
Good for toilets and a short shop visit, provided you check nursing and diaper-changing facilities first.
This is not a place for extended play. Keep parking, toilets and shopping brief, then decide whether to carry your child to an adjacent site.
Good for a gelato break and a short stroll.
Some museum spaces require quiet viewing. A sweet treat and short visits may work better than a long outdoor run.
Adding the German House or Ryozenji can help prevent boredom.
The Ninth Symphony and German POW story may be difficult, so start with music, old buildings and Naruto souvenirs.
History, music and pilgrimage are easy to connect in half a day.
Bando POW Camp, the Ninth's first Japanese performance and the first Shikoku pilgrimage temple make an educational detour.
Doing this before visiting a cultural site helps avoid a rush during an exhibition.
Snack counter hours are generally 10:00–16:00. Later, focus on souvenirs.
A short visit to the German House or Toyohiko Kagawa Memorial Museum may be easier than lingering in the shop.
When adding temples or shrines, consider the walk from parking and any steps.
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.
Exhibitions about the first performance of the Ninth and Bando POW Camp, and music events, can change how much time you will want here.
On days with local products, seasonal sales, food trucks or community events, shopping and snacks may become a bigger part of the visit.
An adjacent place for a rainy-day or educational detour. Check opening days and exhibits before combining visits.
New Year visits, pilgrimage and local events can change traffic and parking conditions.
Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.
Visitors may get more from shopping and a snack followed by the German House or Toyohiko Kagawa Memorial Museum than from a long stay in the shop alone. Treat the station as one part of the outing.
Visitor guides and shop information feature Tokushima products such as Naruto Kintoki, sudachi and Naruto wakame. Choosing one Naruto flavor you want to try can make shopping easier than searching broadly.
The snack counter is generally open 10:00–16:00, shorter than the shop. If you miss lunchtime, switching to gelato or souvenirs may be easier.
This station is not built around a large playground. Toilets, sweets, the shop and indoor exhibits are close together. With preschoolers, move on before they lose interest.
Adjacent cultural sites offer a destination even when rain or extreme heat makes outdoor walking difficult. Keep indoor exhibitions manageable and pair them with a snack break for a family outing.
Official access information gives approximately 7 minutes from Itano Interchange and 20 minutes from Naruto Interchange. This location makes it convenient to time a rest and shopping stop around whirlpool viewing or visits to temples and shrines.
With closures on the fourth Monday and at year-end, a late-month weekday or holiday trip may coincide with a closed day. Nearby cultural sites have different closing days, so check your other destinations too.
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.
First choices for taking home a taste of Naruto even on a short stop.
A quick change of pace for children or the driver without taking as long as a meal.
Suitable for a simple lunch. Allow for hours shorter than the shop's.
Useful for buying more of something you liked later, or keeping travel luggage light.
At lunchtime or during events, leave room to visit the German House or Ryozenji instead of depending on the snack counter alone.
If the map does not load, open it in Google Maps
A small cultural break connecting the first Japanese performance of Beethoven's Ninth with sweet treats from Naruto.
Walk from the roadside station to explore the background of the Ninth's first Japanese performance.
Discover the work of a social activist linked to Naruto next to the roadside station.
A short trip from the station to the first temple of the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage.
Extend a cultural break into a quiet shrine visit in the forest of Awa Province's principal shrine.
A short family walk linking the shop, German House and memorial museum.
Good when shopping alone feels too brief, or when you want to explore the area's history indoors on a rainy or hot day.
Good for a mostly indoor walk around the station combined with the German House, or an educational stop with elementary school children and older visitors.
Good for a brief introduction to the Shikoku pilgrimage after a station break, or a cultural drive with grandparents.
Combine with Ryozenji for temples, a shrine and a short forest stroll. Check for crowding around New Year visits.
Good when children need a short walk even without a large playground, or when you want fresh air before entering a cultural site.
Send your travel companions a possible stop.
