Tsuchidaru Parking Area

Small but clean rest area on the way to Tokyo from Niigata

This is a small rest area located on the Kan-Etsu expressway when you're driving from Niigata Prefecture down towards Tokyo. Don't expect much - there's no stores to buy food from, just a few drink vending machines and an indoor sitting area to keep you out of the elements - I imagine that's a particularly nice thing in the winter months out here. The bathrooms were exceptionally clean, so that's another bonus, and the views from the parking area of the surrounding mountains are lovely and picturesque.