A drive around lunchtime toward or from Seiyo-Uwa IC, Nomura or Hiyoshi
Make Shirokawa bacon your Route 197 lunch stop
If you can arrive for lunch, aim for Tomari’s Shirokawa pork bacon rice bowl. Parking is limited; if spaces are nearly full, use the toilets and browse the shop first, then allow a little time to wait for a meal.
On Route 197, in front of the Shirokawa branch office; about 50 minutes by car from Seiyo-Uwa IC toward Shirokawa.
The main station and Tomari generally close Tuesday. The lunch window is short, so check the day and arrival time if the meal is your main reason to visit.
A return drive with a cooler bag, or a weekend direct-sale promotion
Take a taste of Oku-Iyo home, even on a shopping-only stop
The directly operated shop has bacon, sausages, ham, kuri kinton, Omoi Kuri chestnut sweets and Mont Blanc dorayaki. Since March 2026, weekend-only promotions have featured a different product category each week, adding another reason to browse.
Browse processed meats and chestnut sweets in the shop; consider a later purchase from the online store if needed.
For chilled or frozen goods and short-life chestnut sweets, account for travel time and when you will give them away.
A day without a full meal, or a sweet stop for children and companions
Take a short Japanese chestnut dessert break
Ippuku Chaya’s generously filled Mont Blanc dorayaki, drinkable Mont Blanc, abundant Mont Blanc ice cream and seasonal Japanese chestnut shaved ice make even a short stop distinctive. If eating outdoors, take the heat and crowds into account.
Stop at the toilets, then Ippuku Chaya, then the chestnut sweets in the shop, even on a short visit.
Ippuku Chaya generally closes Wednesday and may close irregularly. Seasonal items such as chestnut shaved ice vary in availability.
Rainy days, adult trips and educational stops for primary-school-age children or older
Add geology and art for a deeper look at Shirokawa
Add Shikoku Seiyo Geomuseum within walking distance, then Gallery Shirokawa and the Shirokawa History and Folklore Museum a short drive away, to see Shirokawa’s geology and mountain-village culture as well as its food. Some sites offer a shared admission ticket, making a longer visit easy to combine.
Kinahaiya Shirokawa → Shikoku Seiyo Geomuseum → Gallery Shirokawa.
Many nearby cultural sites close Monday and Tuesday. Since the station also generally closes Tuesday, another day is a safer choice.
A drive into the evening, or a longer break with children or adults
Extend a mountain drive to a half day with a hot spring
After eating and shopping, visit Hosenbo Onsen to relax after driving. It has a hot spring bath and a pool, so you can choose according to the season and your companions.
Kinahaiya Shirokawa → Hosenbo Onsen; about 15 minutes by car.
Hosenbo Onsen generally closes Tuesday, like the station, so plan another option for a Tuesday drive.
A nature walk or a deeper look at geopark scenery
Choose Mitaki Gorge on a clear day, or Anagami Cave when you can reserve
Mitaki Gorge Natural Park offers waterfalls and rocks of the Kurosegawa Tectonic Zone. Anagami Cave requires a reservation, so plan ahead rather than dropping in. Pairing the station’s food with these geological sites makes a fuller Seiyo Geopark day.
Kinahaiya Shirokawa → Mitaki Gorge Natural Park / Anagami Cave.
Weather, footing and reservation availability matter at the gorge and cave. With infants or toddlers, keep the outing short.
