If you're exploring the countryside in Utsunoya, close to Shizuoka City, then you'll find there's really only one place to eat.
At the more clearly defined end of the Tsuta-no-Hosomichi hiking trail, the Utsunoya Roadside Station serves meals for between JPY500 and JPY1000, mostly Japanese comfort food. (There's another station at the other end of the trail, but it's smaller and doesn't serve food.)
I had a hearty tendon tempura rice bowl (complete with three big plump shrimps) for JPY850, while curry rice goes for JPY600, ramen for JPY650. For JPY300 you can have ice cream for dessert, choosing from vanilla, strawberry or maccha flavours.
As well as the restaurant, there's a small information centre with Japanese leaflets about local sights and museums. Of more interest to visitors from overseas, there's a compact but well stocked shop selling souvenirs and local food and produce: juices, fresh vegetables, sweets and snacks and, this being Shizuoka, plenty of tea.
Getting there
Despite the name, you can't get here by train. If you're driving, it's on Route 1: otherwise take a bus from Shizuoka station on the Chubu-Kokudo route, and get off after about 30 minutes at Utsunoya-Iriguchi bus stop.
The restaurant and shop are open daily from 9:00am to 7:00pm, opening from 8:00am between March and October. The parking area and toilets are open 24 hours.
Peter Sidell @peter.sidell
I came to Japan from Manchester, England in 2003, and have travelled a lot since then, around Japan and in Asia. When I'm not working, I write satire and perform stand-up comedy in and around Tokyo. Check YouTube for a taste.
