We were looking for a place to spend the night in the Okutama Area. We came across both Roadside Station Kosuge and Roadside Station Tabayama in Yamanashi. Surprisingly, both had public onsens that were either apart of the roadside station or across the street. We decided to check both out and see which one we liked better.

Roadside Station Tabayama is located in a quaint mountain town on the banks of the Taba River. There is a pedestrian suspension bridge that crosses the river and leads to Tabayama Spa. The area is very relaxing and there are a number of benches and rest areas to relax and enjoy the tranquil sounds of the river.

Cafe R411 is the only restaurant at the roadside station. What makes them unique is their use of deer meat in a number of their dishes. Unfortunately, they closed at 17:00 and were already closed by the time we got there.

Roadside Station Tabayama Local Products Store

The Local Products Store had a modest selection of goods that was small in comparison to some of the other roadside stations we’ve been to. The facilities however, were quite modern and the public restrooms were in far better condition compared to Roadside Station Kosuge. The roadside station shared a large parking lot with the local senior center.

Tabayama Spa

It seems that most of the people spending the night at the roadside station also stop off at the spa. The facilities at the Tabayama Spa were really nice. There were a number of different baths and tubs to soak in. The outside open air baths gave us a chance to bathe in the rain, which was surprisingly relaxing. The price of each ticket to enter was a little expensive at ¥600/adult. There was also a small restaurant inside that served a variety of soba, udon, and curry dishes among others.

Final Thoughts

Our night in the car at Roadside Station Tabayama in Yamanashi was comfortable. It was our first time using our new foldable mattress, which we can say greatly improved our sleep. Despite the rain and thunder, we were able to get through the night and wake up refreshed. Roadside Station Tabayama will remain a go to stop whenever we are in the area due to the close proximity of Tabayama Spa.

More to Come…

Here is the link to their website.