Worth a Journey

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The World’s 100 Best Rest Stops

Sakai Rest Area

Sakai, Japan

  1. THE WORLD’S BEST REST STOPS WORTH A JOURNEY · 2026 ✦ ✦ N° 87 2026
Sakai Rest Area

Roadside station in Sakai Town, Ibaraki, with a direct-sales market for local vegetables and Sarushima tea. The site has an Okinawan antenna shop and restaurants tied to Kunigami Village, plus Kengo Kuma-designed buildings.

Highlights

  • Okinawan soba and Blue Seal ice cream
  • Beni Haruka dried sweet potatoes
  • Kengo Kuma designed buildings

Good to know

  • Route 354 along the Tone River
  • Small parking lot, second lot across road
  • Crowded on weekends and holidays

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