A day in honor of Japan's convenient roadside stations

Today, and April 22nd annually, is Roadside Station Day 道の駅の日 (Michi no Eki no Hi) in Japan. I am a huge fan of roadside stations in Japan. They are a great way to see the country and really get a feel for the local area. In my previous post I explained exactly what a roadside station is, known as a Michi no Eki in Japanese. In another post I explain how roadside stations offer a window into a community or area. 

Today's "Roadside Station Day" is a commemoration established by the Zenkoku Michi No Eki Renraku Kai, the nationwide organization that supports Japan's network of roadside stations. The date of the anniversary marks the day that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism officially registered the first 103 roadside stations, launching a system that has grown widely over the years. 

Today, thanks to the success and popularity of the original 103 roadside stations, there are more than 1000 roadside stations in Japan. You can pick up books that specialize in introducing some of the more unique and / or popular roadside stations and / or roadside stations detailed by region. They have roadside station awards too! The photo in this post is of one of the newest roadside stations in Saitama Prefecture which is just one year old this month.