I took a nice road trip along the Sanyo Expressway to Hiroshima the other day.
First off, I have to tell you that each of the little service areas and parking areas along the Sanyo are a little different. Some of them have convenience stores, some have little playgrounds or parks, and others are known for a particular food or other specialty.
The Kodani Service Area in Hiroshima is a typical service area in western Japan. On a weekend you can see the “yatai” or outdoor shops serving up different Japanese foods such as chikuwa (kind of like fish pressed into the shape of a tube and roasted… actually much more delicious than I make it sound here), takoyaki (round balls of batter with pieces of octopus in the middle served with a sweet barbecue type sauce), and fried chicken on a stick.
The bathrooms are gradually being renovated to accomodate higher rates of traffic that is expected with the new changes to the highway tolls in Japan.
If you go inside you can often find a small restaurant, a food court offering curry and rice, ramen, and udon noodle dishes, or both. There is often an information desk inside, or at least a kiosk at which travelers can check their routes.
This is also a good place to buy the inevitable “omiyage”, loosely translated as souvenirs, but better translated generically as gifts because most of them are types of regional dishes, especially sweet cakes.
There is more to many service areas as they may offer travelers a chance to stretch their legs, do some calisthenics, play in a playground, have a picnic, or even check out some cherry blossoms (if you are lucky enough to be here in Spring).
- Cherry Blossoms at Kodani Service Area in Hiroshima, Japan
If taking advantage of the new weekend highway discounts and traveling between the Kansai area and the Hiroshima area, try the Kodani Service Area (new bathrooms!) or one of the smaller parking areas, each are different and each have something unique about them.
One great feature of the Kodani Service Area that may appeal to travelers in Japan is the dog run it offers for people traveling with pets of the canine persuasion. There’s a nice water area complete with a stainless steel bowl, and a nice place the dogs can run around and get themselves tired out.
If you are traveling with a pet in Japan, travel by car is a great way to go!
If you are going to give driving in Japan a try, please don’t hesitate to take it easy and check out what the service areas have to offer!