Roadside rest areas and convenience stores (konbini) are your best friends when touring Japan. They’re numerous and provide toilets, refreshments, a place to rest, and are also a great location to meet up with your riding buddies.
Rest Areas
There are basically three levels of roadside rest areas: Parking Areas (PA), Service Areas (SA), and Michi-no-Eki (roadside stations). PAs and SAs are the rest areas you’ll find on the expressways. The PAs are generally just a place to relieve yourself and take a little rest. They usually have toilets and vending machines. If you’re lucky, they might even have a convenience store, but they are fairly minimal. However, the SAs are on a different level altogether. They can be so good that some of them have basically become destinations. They usually have restaurants, restrooms, shops, dog runs, gasoline stations, and can even have hotels and onsen. The Kariya Highway Oasis SA in Aichi Prefecture, for example, has incredible toilet facilities modelled on a Roman villa, an onsen, and even an amusement park with a Ferris wheel! Not all of the SAs are so luxurious, but they are always a great place to stop, rest, and refresh.
Michi-no-eki serve a similar purpose to PAs and SAs, but they are found off the expressways on national and prefectural highways. They’re more personal. They tend to focus more on promoting local tourism and trade by selling things like local produce, snacks, and souvenirs. They vary a lot and can be pretty simple at times, but you’ll always find clean toilets and at least a drink vending machine. On the other hand, they can sometimes be pretty amazing with nice gardens, restaurants, and quite often have onsen as well.
Convenience Stores
There are many different convenience store chains throughout Japan, but the three favorites are 7 Eleven, Lawson, and Family Mart. These chains are all open around the clock. They also all have freshly brewed coffee, toilets, decent food, and usually have parking. So, again, they are a great place to meet up with your riding buddies, but they are also a great place for a quick toilet break, refreshments, sustenance, grab some money, and hit the road again. Together, 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart represent the height of Japanese convenience culture. They spoil you with practicality, quality, and customer care to an intoxicating degree. Really, they are like your best friend when you’re touring.
I remember one of the first phrases I learned when I came to Japan was the 7-Eleven jingle at the time: セブン・イレブン、いい気分 (sebun irebun, ii kibun – 7-Eleven, feels great!). Of all the convenience stores in Japan, 7-Eleven is like the Godfather of them all. After starting from humble beginnings as a small ice and beverage stand in Dallas, Texas, in 1927, it is now a world-famous Japanese brand. It is also perhaps a good example of how Japan often takes something and makes it better. Years ago, a Japanese company secured the rights to bring 7-Eleven to Japan and opened the first store in Tokyo in 1973. The chain quickly gained popularity, and by the late 1990s, 7-Eleven Japan was outperforming its U.S. counterpart. So, the Japanese purchased the entire American operation! Now, Tokyo is the global headquarters, there are over 21,000 stores throughout Japan; it has spread around most of the world, has inspired other convenience store brands like Lawson and FamilyMart, and is presently undergoing revitalized expansion in the US.
Lawson and FamilyMart are also great convenience store chains. Like 7-Eleven, they also offer excellent service, decent products, and clean toilets for the weary rider. Lawson is probably best identified as the innovative one, starting things like health-conscious food options and collaborations with popular brands. FamilyMart, on the other hand, usually has a great variety of foods, and their fried chicken (famichiki) is dangerously addictive!
When touring in Japan, rest areas and convenience stores are a rider’s best friend. At a minimum, the rest areas offer toilets and refreshments on the low end, and onsen, amusement parks, and hotels on the high end. Meanwhile, the convenience stores are the gold standard for 24-hour convenience, with fresh coffee, food, and amazing practicality. More than just a stop, Japanese rest areas and konbini are your support network that will sustain you during your trip.
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