We stopped here on a recent trip to Nikko. We had just wrapped up a couple of days touring the area and were on our way to the Tsuchiura Firework Festival. After doing some research we settled on Sano Service Area. We had been to Sano before during one of our biking trips and were excited to come back.

Inbound Food Court

After getting in around 19:30, we were getting pretty hungry, so decided to get something to eat. We knew that Sano was famous for their ramen, so we ordered a couple of bowls from their self-service vending machines. We got the Sano Ramen and the Sano Chashu Ramen which was essentially the same thing, but with more chashu slices. The ramen was really good, the broth was surprisingly flavorful, despite its somewhat translucent appearance. The crinkle cut noodles were one of our favorites and tasted great. It was the perfect meal on a cold night.

We headed back to the car and set everything up for the night. Our sleeping platform and bed had already been set up, so all we needed to do was move the crates to the front seats and put up the privacy curtains over the windows. We were seasoned pros by this time and were ready to go in under 10 minutes. It was getting late and we were pretty tired, so we called it a night around 20:30.

The next morning, we woke up at 8:00 and brushed our teeth and washed our faces in the restrooms. We packed up the car and decided to check out the outbound side of the SA before heading out. We were surprised with how packed the outbound side was. It was only 8:30, but there were easily double, maybe triple the amount of vehicles compared to where we were on the inbound side.

Sano Service Area Lodging

One unique thing about this SA was the addition of a formal lodging establishment. The Motel Family Lodge Hatagoya Sano SA was located on the inbound side of the SA, but could be accessed from the outbound side via a pedestrian staircase. The amenities looked pretty basic and it appeared to cater to young families with their reasonable rates.

We headed down the pedestrian path and it was like night and day. The inbound side of the SA looked very new and everything about it was clean and modern. It seemed like we were at a totally different place. There were so many more people at the outbound side compared to the inbound side.

Outbound Food Court

It was a little early, but we decided to get something to eat. They had this super helpful display section that showcased the most popular menu options from each of the shops. We decided to split a chicken sauce katsudon from Manfuku and the vast bean sprout ramen from Sanoya. Sometimes display pictures only can be a little misleading. It was nice to see a full display of the foods available.

The chicken sauce katsudon was good. The chicken katsu was nice and crispy. The sweet sauce was delcious, there was just too much of it. It ended up settling on the bottom of the bowl and saturating the rice. The salty miso soup and the tangy pickled daikon added a nice variety of flavors and textures to the meal. The vast bean sprout ramen had an abundance of you guessed it bean sprouts. There was also a large spoonful of garlic. The flavorful broth and garlic made even the bean sprout taste really good. The crinkled noodles absorbed the broth well and were delicious. The only thing was that the meat was a little tough.

Sano Service Area Local Products Store

After finishing up a our meals, we returned our trays and decided to check out their omiyage shops. One of the nice things about these newer SA buildings was abundance of lighting. The lighting combined with the light wooden display shelves made everything easily visible. The colorful packaging really stood out with all the light reflecting off of them. We were surprised to see just how many different products they had available. After looking around a bit, we picked up a couple of edible souvenirs before heading out. We trekked back up to the inbound side of the SA and continued on our way to Tsuchiura.

Final Thoughts

We had a comfortable night at the Sano SA Inbound. The new sleeping platform we got combined with the mattress was a game changer. We went from “sleeping on the couch” to sleeping on a real bed. The sleep was comparable to what we would get at home. Definitely makes sleeping in the car a more viable option. Based on what we learned afterward, the Sano SA Outbound would probably have been a more comfortable place to stay. The facilities were a lot more modern and their amenities were nicer. The food at both was delicious and we can’t wait to go again.

More to Come…

Here is the link to their website.