roadside station
{{Short description|Japanese rest area along roads and highways}}
{{about|the type of rest area in Japan|rest areas in the UK|motorway service area|rest areas in other places|rest area}}
Image:Seto Agriculture Park.jpg]]
[[File:Roadside Station Seiryunosato Hijikawa.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Roadside Station Seiryunosato Hijikawa
(道の駅 清流の里ひじかわ) in Ehime]]
File:Michinoeki yamakita.jpg]]
File:Michi-no-Eki KAWAGE.jpg]]
A {{nihongo|roadside station|道の駅|Michi no eki}} is a government-designated rest area found along roads and highways in Japan.
In addition to providing places for travelers to rest, they are intended to promote local tourism and trade. Shops may sell local produce, snacks, souvenirs, and other goods. All roadside stations provide 24-hour access to parking, public toilets, directional and tourism information, and other facilities.{{Cite web |url=https://www5.cao.go.jp/keizai-shimon/kaigi/special/local_economy/04/haifu_04_1.pdf |title=道の駅について |trans-title=About Roadside Stations |lang=ja |date=September 2013 |publisher=Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism |access-date=18 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231205010210/https://www5.cao.go.jp/keizai-shimon/kaigi/special/local_economy/04/haifu_04_1.pdf |archive-date=5 December 2023 |url-status=live}}
As of August 2024, there are 1221 roadside stations across Japan: 128 in Hokkaido, 175 in the Tōhoku region, 188 in the Kantō region, 84 in the Hokuriku region, 136 in the Chūbu region, 158 in the Kansai (Kinki) region, 108 in the Chūgoku region, 91 in Shikoku, and 153 across both Kyushu and Okinawa.{{cite web|url=https://www.michi-no-eki.jp/about/|title=道の駅とは？|trans-title=What is a roadside station?|website=Michi-no-eki official website|language=Japanese}}
History
The concept for roadside stations came from a January 1990 symposium held by the Ministry of Construction's Chugoku Regional Construction Bureau:{{cite magazine |date=August 2023 |title=Roles and Charms of Michi-no-Eki, and Prospects for a Global Brand |url=https://www.gov-online.go.jp/pdf/hlj/20230801/highlighting_japan_august_2023.pdf |magazine=Highlighting Japan |issue=183 JAPAN’S ROADSIDE STATION: MICHI-NO-EKI |publisher=Government of Japan |access-date=December 18, 2024 |page= 7|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240331085633/https://www.gov-online.go.jp/pdf/hlj/20230801/highlighting_japan_august_2023.pdf |archive-date=March 31, 2024 |url-status=live}} one of the participants suggested that roads could have stations in the same way that railways do.{{Cite web |url=https://scenic.ceri.go.jp/michi_no_eki_handbook/pdf/michi-no-eki-handbook202002en.pdf |title=Handbook on Michi-no-Eki for International cooperation |page=2 |date=September 2021 |publisher=Civil Engineering Research Institute |access-date=December 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241213074549/https://scenic.ceri.go.jp/michi_no_eki_handbook/pdf/michi-no-eki-handbook202002en.pdf |archive-date=December 13, 2024 |url-status=live |quote=A citizen participant said, 'It would be good to have stations on roads, like railways have.'}} Experiments began in October of 1991 in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture, and Gifu Prefecture, and the system for roadside stations was officially established on February 23, 1993.{{Cite web |url=https://www.mlit.go.jp/road/Michi-no-Eki/history.html |title=道の駅案内 |lang=ja |trans-title=Roadside Station Information |publisher=Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism |access-date=December 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141108004056/https://www.mlit.go.jp/road/Michi-no-Eki/history.html |archive-date=November 8, 2014 |url-status=live}} The first registrations were in April of 1993, resulting in 103 initial roadside stations.
On April 1, 2014, the Order on Road Sign, Road Line, and Road Surface Marking was revised to include road signs with directional markers for roadside stations.{{Cite web |url=https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001034476.pdf |title=道路標識、区画線及び道路標示に関する命令の一部を改正する命令の概要 |lang=ja |trans-title=Summary of the Order Partially Revising the Order on Road Sign, Road Line, and Road Surface Marking |publisher=Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism |access-date=December 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240727125224/https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001034476.pdf |archive-date=July 27, 2024 |url-status=live}}
On January 30, 2015, a system for "priority roadside stations" was established.{{Cite web |url=https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001067711.pdf |title=重点「道の駅」の選定について |lang=ja |trans-title=On the Selection of Priority "Roadside Stations" |publisher=Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism |access-date=December 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210231911/https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001067711.pdf |archive-date=December 10, 2023 |url-status=live}} The purpose of the system is to provide priority support to roadside stations that are deemed excellent in order to assist with regional revitalization. Priority roadside stations are divided into 3 categories:
- National Model Roadside Stations: roadside stations which continuously demonstrate outstanding regional revitalization abilities;
- Priority Roadside Stations: roadside stations that have excellent plans for regional revitalization, and are expected to be effective in the future with the assistance of priority support;
- Priority Roadside Station Candidates: roadside stations with the potential to become priority roadside stations.
Initially, 6 stations were designated National Model Roadside Stations, 35 were designated Priority Roadside Stations, and 49 were designated Priority Roadside Station Candidates.
=Registered Roadside Stations By Year <ref name="milt"/>=
| class="wikitable" | |||
| Year | Total Number of Roadside Stations | Registrations (Deregistrations) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 115 | 115 (0){{refn|group=notes|In addition to the initial 103 roadside stations, 12 more stations were registered in the first year}} | |
| 1994 | 175 | 60 (0) | +60 |
| 1995 | 233 | 58 (0) | +58 |
| 1996 | 313 | 80 (0) | +80 |
| 1997 | 390 | 77 (0) | +77 |
| 1998 | 470 | 80 (0) | +80 |
| 1999 | 551 | 81 (0) | +81 |
| 2000 | 610 | 59 (0) | +59 |
| 2001 | 649 | 49 (0) | +49 |
| 2002 | 701 | 52 (0) | +52 |
| 2003 | 743 | 42 (0) | +42 |
| 2004 | 785 | 43 (1) | +42 |
| 2005 | 830 | 45 (0) | +45 |
| 2006 | 845 | 15 (0) | +15 |
| 2007 | 868 | 23 (0) | +23 |
| 2008 | 887 | 42 (0) | +42 |
| 2009 | 917 | 30 (0) | +30 |
| 2010 | 952 | 35 (0) | +35 |
| 2011 | 977 | 25 (0) | +25 |
| 2012 | 996 | 19 (0) | +19 |
| 2013 | 1,014 | 19 (1) | +18 |
| 2014 | 1,040 | 26 (0) | +26 |
| 2015 | 1,079 | 39 (0) | +39 |
| 2016 | 1,107 | 67 (0) | +67 |
| 2017 | 1,134 | 36 (0) | +36 |
| 2018 | 1,145 | 11 (0) | +11 |
| 2019 | 1,160 | 15 (0) | +15 |
| 2020 | 1,180 | 20 (0) | +20 |
| 2021 | 1,193 | 13 (0) | +13 |
| 2022 | 1,198 | 7 (2) | +5 |
| 2023 | 1,209 | 11 (0) | +11 |
| 2024 | 1,221 | 12 (0) | +12 |
Notes
{{reflist|group=notes}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commonscat}}
- {{in lang|ja}} [https://www.michi-no-eki.jp/ National Michi-no-Eki Association website]
- {{in lang|en}} [http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/road_e/index_e.html Japan Road Bureau website]
- Flickr photos [https://www.flickr.com/groups/77102786@N00/ 道の駅 (Michi-no-eki)]
{{Japan-road-stub}}
{{Japan-culture-stub}}
{{Authority control}}