Today, we are going to visit a popular spot on the Chuo Expressway called Dangozaka Service Area. Dangozaka Service Area is not just a resting place on the expressway, but an interesting cluster of stores showcasing Yamanashi’s local delicacies.
There are many cafes, restaurants, and souvenir stores, and it is a popular service area for foreigners as well, with many local gourmet foods and souvenirs that can only be found here.
The reason for its popularity is not only its well-stocked stores, but its convenient access to Tokyo. Located on the Chuo Expressway where many popular sightseeing spots are located, people gather at the first service area after leaving Tokyo for an enjoyable trip.
I personally think that this theme park-like service area is a uniquely Japanese culture.
For this reason, it is becoming more and more popular among foreign tourists.
However, it is difficult for non-drivers to get there, and foreign tourists need a rental car and an international driver’s license to enjoy the service area.
This Dangozaka service area is easily accessible to everyone. All you have to do is take a highway bus from Shinjuku to Kofu.
Express Bus Timetable, Seat Availability, and Reservations (Shinjuku – Kofu Route)
The Chuo Expressway Nodajiri (中央道野田尻) bus stop on the way to Kofu is an unusual bus stop located inside the Dangozaka service area.
People without a car can easily enjoy the area due to its easy access by bus!
TIPS:
The area around the uphill bus stop to return to Tokyo (Shinjuku) is an old post town called Nodajiri-juku, which was established in 1713 and still retains the appearance of those days and takes you back to Japanese old sceneries.
To enjoy this large food court, local delicacies of Yamanashi, and souvenir shopping, please visit the “ Highwaybus.com to book online a highway bus from Shinjuku to Chuo Nodajiri!
To get to Dangozaka Service Area (Nodajiri, Chuo Expressway) Express buses from Shinjuku to Kofu run approximately every 30 minutes. The buses run every 30 minutes.
You can easily reach Dangozaka service area by highway bus ^^.
First, head to Shinjuku Bus Terminal, one of the largest bus terminals in Japan, located next to Shinjuku Station, to board the express bus.
The departure lobby is crowded with people.
Express buses leave one after another for various destinations.
It makes me feel like traveling. ^^ ^^
8:25
My bus to Kofu came in at 8:25 a.m., 10 minutes before departure, at the B5 boarding gate.
I showed the driver my Highwaybus.com electronic ticket and boarded the bus!
I sat in my assigned seat and looked around to see that there was a restroom on board.
8:35
We departed Shinjuku Bus Terminal on time!
The bus started its journey toward Kofu, looking out over the crowded metropolis of Shinjuku, where people commute to work and school.
After about 10 minutes on the Koshu Kaido (National Route 20), the bus will merge onto the expressway from Hatsudai.
9:40
Arrive at the Nodajiri bus stop on the Chuo Expressway on time.
And we arrived! The bus stop is located behind the parking lot for large vehicles, and the Dangozaka service area building can be seen in the distance. This is the first time I have arrived at a service area outside of a car.
From here, we headed for the building on foot, being careful of the cars around us. We instantly noticed the huge food court.
The Sukiya here has a limited “Dangozaka beef bowl” found only in the Dangozaka service area. You can also try Hoto, which is a local dish of the Yamanashi Prefecture.
Visitors can enjoy the popular Starbucks, other gourmet foods and sweets such as
beef skewers (barbecue),takoyaki (octopus balls), “pork buns” (baked buns with pork wrapped in a generous portion), apple pie, soft ice cream, Suta-don, and Japanese sweets.
The bakery, with its many varieties of breads, is also very popular.
“Dangozaka Anpan” and “Melon Pan” are so popular that many Japanese locals go out of their way to buy them. I also bought some as souvenirs.
The Dangozaka Anpan has not only red bean paste but also butter cream in between, making it very tasty. The melon bread is filled with creamy melon-flavored cream, and it is just like eating a real melon.
I recommend you to buy it when you come to Dangozaka Service Area.
On a fine day, these gourmet foods taste even better when enjoyed outside on the terrace with a view of the beautiful mountains!
In addition to gourmet food, this service area also has a shopping area with a very good selection of souvenirs from Yamanashi Prefecture. There are also a wide range of toys such as Tomica, making it a fun service area where you can spend hours.
There are also boxes for small jobs, online meetings and ZOOM, and an ATM.
This delightful area is only 60 minutes from Shinjuku.
Of course, admission is free.
After enjoying the Dangozaka service area, take a walk in the old inn town and head for the returning Nodajiri bus stop on the Chuo Expressway (uphill direction to Shinjuku).
Go down the stairs at the Nodajiri bus stop (downhill) on the Chuo Expressway, where you got off of the bus earlier. Go through the underpass in the direction of the old Nodajiri Inn.
The dark underpass (tunnel) makes you feel like you’re time traveling. After passing through the tunnel from the bustling Dangozaka service area, you will find the old Nodajiri Inn.
This is a space that seems to have transcend time and space.
Nodajiri is a quiet and serene old inn town. Time flows slowly and leisurely, and has a feeling exactly the opposite of a service area on the highway. It is a beautiful, Japanese-style town with reminders of the days when people traveled on foot.
Visitors can enjoy taking pictures and walking the area, admiring the shrines and the old post office. It is truly a hole-in-the-wall trip.
This gap will be a fresh and interesting experience for both Japanese and foreigners.
This bus stop from the old inn town to Shinjuku is about a 5~10 minute walk.
The highway bus is the opposite of the outbound bus, departing from Kofu for Shinjuku. Go to Highwaybus.com and make an online reservation for the highway bus between Shinjuku and Kofu, choose the option to “Get on Nodajiri, and get off at Shinjuku”, and then just head to the bus stop.
12:50
As I was sitting on the bus from Kofu, sitting in my assigned seat and relaxing, an announcement was made that we were arriving at Shinjuku.
13:55
We are back at Shinjuku Bus Terminal, where we had left this morning.
It was a half-day trip that allowed me to easily enjoy an extraordinary experience.
This trip was great as a was a super easy trip that could be enjoyed with only a small express bus fare!
From Shinjuku Bus Terminal to Notajiri (Dangozaka SA downhill) on Chuo Expressway
Highway Bus Vacancy Check, Reservations, and Details
For highway bus reservations Highwaybus.com (from Keio Bus)
Keio Bus LINE official account opened!
