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Oita Prefecture · Kyushu

Michi-no-Eki Jion Falls Kusu

道の駅慈恩の滝くす

A small roadside station beside the falls: see the water, buy Kusu rice and products of Yamaura's springs, then return to Route 210.

Updated 2026-10-02Michi-no-Eki Journal Read in Japanese

Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph

Location

Kusu Town, Kusu District

Road

National Route 210

Hours

9:00–17:00

Closing at 16:30 from December through February is a guide.

Parking

Cars: 30 / Large vehicles: 7

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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.

See first

Jion Falls

A one-minute walk from the station. The falls can be more dramatic after rain, but watch for spray and wet ground and view them from a comfortable spot.

To buy

Kusu rice and Yamaura vegetables

Look first for rice, vegetables, tofu, and dried shiitake from this water-rich area. A cooler bag is reassuring in summer.

To eat

Prepared dishes, bread, and soft serve

Choose chicken rice, okowa (seasoned sticky rice), bread, or seasonal soft serve for the car or your next stop.

To rest

24-hour rest area

Outside shop hours, use the toilets, information corner, and vending machines for a brief stop rather than expecting to shop.

To explore

Yamaura spring water or the Town of Fairy Tales

For a nearby detour, try Shimozono Myojinsama Spring; for half a day, add the Bungo Mori Roundhouse or Mount Kirikabu to get a broader view of Kusu.

Haruka's rest notes

After viewing the falls, take home a little of what grows with Yamaura's water.

Haruka Kanzaki sees this stop as a close grouping of waterfall, shopping, and rest areas rather than a large tourist complex. With its modest parking lot, use the toilets and visit the falls first, then look at rice, vegetables, tofu, and prepared dishes. If time allows, continue to the spring or the Town of Fairy Tales. That order leaves you with a feel for Kusu even after a short visit.

Highlights

Michi-no-Eki Jion Falls Kusu sits on National Route 210, one minute on foot from Jion Falls, making it easy to combine a waterfall visit with a rest stop. Though compact, its shop offers Kusu rice, seasonal vegetables, tofu made with local spring water, prepared dishes, bread, and soft serve ice cream. A rest area and information corner open 24 hours provide a useful base for a journey. Parking has space for about 39 vehicles, so on weekend afternoons it helps to use the toilets and shop before visiting the falls. With more time, add Yamaura's springs, the Bungo Mori Roundhouse, or Mount Kirikabu for a fuller sense of Kusu.

#Jion Falls
#Kusu rice
#Yamaura spring water
#National Route 210
#Short rest stop

Practical information

Registration number: 大分-24
Prefecture: Oita Prefecture
Municipality: Kusu Town, Kusu District
Road: National Route 210
Telephone: 0973-77-2260
Closed days: New Year holiday closure (December 29–January 3)
Station stamp: Available

Address

618-24 Yamaura, Kusu Town, Kusu District, Oita Prefecture (大分県玖珠郡玖珠町大字山浦618番地の24)

Facilities

Toilets
Parking
Information corner
Rest area
Local products shop
Farm produce sales
Baby changing station
Nursing room
Vending machines
Wi-Fi
EV charging equipment
Tourist information

External links

Visit the official website (Japanese)Background information (Japanese)kusumichi.jp (Japanese guide)www.town.kusu.oita.jp (Japanese guide)www.qsr.mlit.go.jp (Japanese guide)kusumachi.jp (Japanese guide)oidehita.com (Japanese guide)kusumachi.jp (Japanese guide)

Why I like it

Reasons to stop here

Fit a waterfall one minute away into your rest stop

Jion Falls is right beside the station, so you can combine a toilet stop, shopping, and waterfall viewing in a short visit. The falls have two tiers; when water is plentiful, their sound and spray make a lasting impression even on a driving break.

Shop for a taste of Yamaura's water and rice country

The local products shop is small, but it is easy to find Kusu rice, seasonal vegetables, tofu made with local spring water, dried shiitake mushrooms, prepared dishes, and bread that reflect Yamaura's water and terraced rice fields. It suits picking up a light meal to take to the next scenic stop rather than sitting down for a full lunch.

Plan your timing at this compact station

Parking is approximately 30 regular spaces, seven large-vehicle spaces, and two accessible spaces. Cars visiting the falls also use it, so a focused visit is easier around midday on weekends. The rest area and information corner are available 24 hours; outside shop hours, use the stop for toilets and road information.

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 break on National Route 210

Spend just 30 minutes with the falls as the focus

After parking, use the toilets, walk to the falls and listen to the water, then return for a drink or snack. The short distance between station and falls lets you experience a piece of Kusu's nature even without much sightseeing time.

Parking → toilets → Jion Falls → local products shop → depart

Notices continue to say the path behind the falls is closed. On wet days or when water levels are high, enjoy the view from accessible areas.

A drive with a light meal

Stop before lunch and take Yamaura flavors along

Browse Kusu rice, vegetables, tofu, prepared dishes, and bread in the shop, then choose food for the next park or scenic spot. This stop suits takeaway more than a long wait at a dining room.

Local products shop → prepared dishes and bread → soft serve or drinks → Mount Kirikabu or the roundhouse area

Handmade dishes and growers' products vary by day. Staying flexible about what to buy makes the stop easier.

A short summer nature outing

Cool off with spring water and falls on a Yamaura route

After seeing the falls, visit Shimozono Myojinsama Spring to connect Yamaura's water with the area's rice and tofu. On some summer dates there is nagashi somen, noodles caught from flowing water, making this an easy way for families to connect food and nature.

Roadside station → Jion Falls → Shimozono Myojinsama Spring → Mannen Genki Tofu area

The spring is also part of a residential community. Follow local guidance on parking, footing, and summer crowds.

Families, rail enthusiasts, and view seekers

Extend the trip to the Town of Fairy Tales for half a day

After a brief waterfall visit and shopping, see the lawn and railway remains at Bungo Mori Roundhouse Park, then head to Mount Kirikabu if the weather is clear. The station itself is not a place for long play, so combine it with parks and viewpoints around the Town of Fairy Tales Kusu for a fuller day.

Roadside station → Bungo Mori Roundhouse Park → Michi-no-Eki Dowa no Sato Kusu → Mount Kirikabu

Weather and wind change the experience on Mount Kirikabu. With young children, keep summit breaks short and take care around running.

Hours

Opening hours

Local products shop

9:00-17:00

From December through February, 9:00–16:30 is a guide. Closed for the New Year holiday, December 29–January 3.

Information corner and rest area

24 hours

An unstaffed information corner, rest area, and vending machines are available.

Nursing room

During shop hours

Located in the information corner; its availability follows shop hours.

Parking

24-hour rest-stop access

Approximately 30 regular spaces, seven large-vehicle spaces, and two accessible spaces. Weekend midday use overlaps with waterfall visitors.

Jion Falls

Open for viewing

Notices say the path behind the falls is closed. The Hita Tourism Association says the falls are not illuminated at night.

Family

Visiting with children

Stars show the editorial recommendation for each age group on a five-point scale. Read the reasons alongside each rating.

Under 1 year

★★★☆☆

A nursing room and baby changing station make short breaks convenient.

The nursing room is generally available during shop hours. Change and feed the baby before heading to the falls, and carry them to avoid wet ground.

Ages 2–3

★★★☆☆

The sound and spray of the falls are fun, but this is not a place for extended play.

Mind the parking lot, national road, and wet ground. Buy a snack at the station and keep the waterfall visit short.

Ages 4–6

★★★★☆

The falls, soft serve, and spring can each be a small destination.

The water's sound and the falls' two tiers are easy to appreciate. Adding Shimozono Myojinsama Spring or Roundhouse Park can help keep children engaged.

Elementary school age

★★★★☆

Linking water, rice, railway remains, and views can make an educational half-day.

Connect Jion Falls, Yamaura's spring water, the Bungo Mori Roundhouse, and Mount Kirikabu by theme for a more memorable visit than a simple rest stop.

Before walking to the falls

Ground near the falls can be wet, so use the station toilets and get drinks before walking over.

Baby facilities

A baby changing station in the women's toilet and a nursing room in the information corner are listed.

How much play time

For a longer play outing, make Bungo Mori Roundhouse Park or Mount Kirikabu a separate destination.

Near the water

Spray, moss, and higher water after rain affect how easy it is to walk.

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

Stalls in front of the local products shop

Anniversary events and growers' stalls may offer vegetables, prepared dishes, tofu, somen noodles, charcoal-grilled food, and more.

Information corner

A place for road information and tourist brochures. It is also useful outside shop hours for a rest and choosing your next destination.

Shimozono Myojinsama Spring plaza

A nearby place to experience Yamaura's water. Nagashi somen, noodles caught from flowing water, is held on some summer dates and pairs well with a shop visit.

Bungo Mori Roundhouse Park

A venue for town events and the monthly Roundhouse Market. It can be the centerpiece of a half-day route beyond the station.

Local feel

Reasons to return

Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.

The location beside the falls is a draw, so keep parking time focused

Official and town guides list 39 parking spaces. Visitor accounts also suggest waterfall traffic overlaps around midday on weekends. A brief sequence of toilets, falls, and shopping works better than planning a long stay as at a large roadside station.

Source: Official facility guide and visitor accounts

Enjoy the sound and proximity without counting on walking behind the falls

Jion Falls have two dramatic tiers, and higher water after rain makes a stronger impression. Tourism association notices still say the path behind the falls has been closed since the 2020 heavy rains. Plan for a short waterfall view rather than a walk behind it.

Source: Kusu Town Tourism Association and Hita Tourism Association

Food here suits buying and moving on more than sitting down to dine

The shop centers on Kusu rice, vegetables, tofu, prepared dishes, bread, and seasonal soft serve. Visitor food accounts also describe buying chicken rice, rice balls, inari sushi, and prepared dishes to take to the next stop, suiting a light lunch on a drive.

Source: Official notices and visitor food accounts

Families should balance facilities with proximity to the water

Baby changing and nursing facilities help, but the station itself has no large playground for extended play. Since the falls are close, shorter breaks for rest and snacks work well while watching wet ground and movement along the national road.

Source: Official facility guide and nearby visitor accounts

Spring water in summer and autumn foliage change the experience

Jion Falls are recommended for fresh spring greenery and autumn leaves, while summer nagashi somen using spring water is planned in Yamaura. Pair the falls with the spring on hot days or with viewpoints in autumn to make the most of the season.

Source: Kusu Town Tourism Association

A convenient break between Amagase, Kokonoe, and Yufuin

On National Route 210 and near JR Sugikawachi Station, this is an easy stop when traveling from Amagase through Kusu toward Kokonoe. The 24-hour rest area means toilets and road information remain useful outside shop hours.

Source: Kyushu Regional Development Bureau and visitor accounts

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.

The shop is generally open 9:00–17:00, with 16:30 closing from December through February. It closes for New Year, December 29–January 3.
The rest area and information corner are available 24 hours. Outside shop hours, use the stop for toilets and road information rather than shopping.
Parking includes about 30 regular spaces. Waterfall and shopping visits overlap around midday on weekends, so a brief plan helps.
Notices continue to say the path behind the falls is closed. Watch for spray and wet ground near the waterfall.
Bring a cooler bag when buying tofu or chilled products in summer.
Yamaura spring visits, nagashi somen, and town events depend on dates and weather. Check the latest official notices and tourism association information before going.

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.

Shopping
Kusu rice
A take-home product that reflects the area's terraced fields and spring water
Shopping
Spring-water tofu
A product associated with Yamaura's water; best bought when you can keep it cool
Direct sales
Local vegetables and dried shiitake
Selection varies with growers' deliveries
Light meals
Chicken rice, okowa, and homemade prepared dishes
Also worth looking for on event days or when growers have stalls
Break in the car
Bread and seasonal soft serve
New and seasonal items rotate according to official notices

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 quick bite before the falls

Drinks, soft serve, bread

Return to the station for a short break before spray leaves you too chilled. With children, using the toilets before choosing a snack makes things easier.

Summer soft serve and new breads change from month to month; check signs at the shop.

A light lunch

Chicken rice, okowa, inari sushi, prepared dishes

Easy to take into the car or on to the next rest stop when driving toward Amagase, Kokonoe, or Yufuin.

For home

Kusu rice, vegetables, dried shiitake

Bring home a taste of the area's water and terraced fields. Rice and dried foods are convenient even later in a trip.

When you can keep food cool

Spring-water tofu, chilled products

Choose these when you want to take home a taste of Yamaura's water. In summer, consider your cooler bag and journey home.

On event days

Growers' vegetables, homemade dishes, charcoal-grilled chicken thigh

Anniversary events and market stalls can offer more food choices than usual. Drawings and limited stalls have limited quantities, so a visit around midday or earlier gives you more choice.

Access