We were looking for a place to spend the night in Miyazaki Prefecture. Our original goal was to push up to Roadside Station Phoenix Road. It was located just south of Aoshima which was our first stop the following morning. However, we read some reviews on Google that mentioned biker and car groups frequenting the area at night. We had had a long day and knew the importance of getting a good nights rest. We decided to play it safe and look for alternatives. Our options were limited to either Miyazaki Parking Area (PA) on the ETC or Roadside Station Takaoka. There were other Roadside Stations in the general area, but they were a little too far out of the way for us.

We looked on Google Maps and found that the Miyazaki Parking Area (PA) on the ETC was extremely small. There was capacity for 25 or so vehicles and the only amenities were restrooms and a few vending machines. Due to its limited capacity and minimal amenities we decided to pass on the Miyazaki Parking Area (PA).

We decided to give Roadside Station Takaoka a try. The parking lot of Roadside Station Takaoka was pretty small (compared to other Roadside Stations we’ve been to) with 80 or so car spaces and a half dozen spots for trucks. The Roadside Station was located on the banks of the Oyodo River which meandered through Miyazaki Prefecture. A Lawson’s convenience store was located on the far side of the river and could be accessed via the Hanami Bridge. It was only two minutes away by car. Except for the well travelled National Route 352, the area was pretty rural. The noise from the traffic was not noticeable.

Roadside Station Takaoka Local Products Store

One unique thing about this Roadside Station was its “Vitamin Hall” which was named in honor of Kanehiro Takagi. Takagi was known as the “Father of Vitamins” and was from the area. Vitamin hall was the local products store of the Roadside Station. It sold locally produced fruits, vegetables, and foods.

Outside there was a nice grassy area with picnic tables and these aesthetic triangle sun sails. There was also a fairly large dog park in the back that could be used for a fee. Everything opened up at 9:00 in the morning. Unfortunately, we had a full day ahead of us and we couldn’t afford to wait until everything opened.

Final Thoughts

Our night in the car at Roadside Station Takaoka in Miyazaki could best be described as comfortable. It was nice and quiet at night. The restrooms were pretty dated, but they were relatively clean. As the closest and quietest Roadside Station to Aoshima, we’d be willing to stay here again if we had to. We’d like to come back and check out the rest of this roadside station in the future when we have more time.

More to Come…

Here is the link to their website.