Roadside Station Osakada Park is a large recreational park located in Shiojiri Town, Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture. Loved by local residents as well as visitors of all ages, it combines the convenience of a roadside station with the spacious attractions of an urban park.
The grounds bring together nature, learning, recreation, sports, and food, making it a place where visitors can play, learn, eat, and relax in one destination. Whether you are traveling with children, enjoying a drive through Nagano, or simply looking for a pleasant place to take a break, Osakada Park offers plenty to discover.
One of the park’s educational highlights is the Shiojiri City Natural History Museum. The museum displays materials related to the local natural environment, including valuable butterfly and insect specimens collected by individuals in the Shiojiri area.
Since opening in 1995, the museum has welcomed many visitors and has also hosted nature observation programs and science lectures. For children, it provides an engaging introduction to the natural world, while adults can use the exhibits to rediscover the diverse natural environment of the Shiojiri region.
Osakada Park is located partway up Shiojiri Pass, giving it an elevated setting with impressive mountain views. From in front of the restaurant building, visitors can look across the landscape toward the Northern Alps and the Hachimori Mountain Range.
On clear days, a vast panorama opens across the surrounding mountains. This combination of convenient roadside facilities and beautiful scenery makes the park more than simply a place to stop during a journey. Visitors can take their time, enjoy the views, and spend a relaxing day surrounded by nature.
The park offers numerous recreational facilities for families and outdoor enthusiasts. These include a go-kart track, children’s playground, mallet golf course, and barbecue area, providing opportunities for active fun in every season.
The go-kart course is particularly popular. The 870-meter-long course includes slopes and curves, giving riders an exciting combination of speed and exhilaration. Younger children can also enjoy battery-powered cars, making the attraction suitable for families with children of different ages.
When the weather is unsuitable for outdoor activities, the indoor children’s athletic area provides a spacious alternative. The building contains large net playground equipment, bouldering facilities, tube slides, and other features designed to encourage children to move, climb, and play using their entire bodies.
Safety has also been taken into consideration, making the facility a convenient option for families with younger children who want to enjoy active play regardless of the weather.
The park’s 36-hole mallet golf course consists of both a woodland course and a grass course. Its natural setting allows players of different experience levels to enjoy the game while taking in the changing scenery of the seasons.
The multi-purpose lawn is another popular area. Families and groups can use the open grassland for picnics, ball games, and other informal activities, while ground golf is also available.
Equipment can be rented free of charge from the park management building, so visitors can enjoy these activities without bringing their own equipment.
As part of the park’s redevelopment, Sunko Green Field was created as a natural-grass soccer facility. The sports complex includes a clubhouse for Matsumoto Yamaga FC and is equipped to accommodate official matches.
Lighting facilities allow the grounds to be used after dark as well, including for futsal and practice matches. The facility has become an important base for local sports and is used by numerous teams.
Food is another important part of the roadside station experience. Osakada Marche 790 offers local agricultural products and regional specialties, including Shiojiri’s famous grapes and lettuce, fresh vegetables, wine, and other local products.
At Osakada Shokudo, visitors can enjoy regional dishes such as Sanzoku-yaki, a hearty style of Japanese fried chicken associated with the Shinshu region, as well as Shinshu soba.
Takeout meals can also be enjoyed on the lawn, allowing visitors to turn a simple stop into a relaxed picnic. For travelers exploring Shiojiri by car, the combination of local food, shopping, and open green space makes the park a convenient place to pause and experience the flavors of the region.
Roadside Station Osakada Park brings together recreation, education, food, scenery, and relaxation in one expansive setting. Children can run and play outdoors, discover local nature at the museum, or enjoy the indoor athletic facilities, while adults can take in the mountain views, enjoy local food, or simply relax in the park.
The park is also a practical stopping point during a road trip through central Nagano. Because the surrounding landscape changes with the seasons, returning at different times of year can offer a completely different experience.
Osakada Park is much more than a conventional roadside rest area. It is a place where visitors can experience the natural environment and local culture of Shiojiri through learning, recreation, food, and interaction with the community.
With panoramic views toward the Northern Alps, extensive recreational facilities, local specialties, and opportunities to learn about nature, the park provides an enjoyable introduction to the character of Shiojiri. It is a particularly convenient stop for families, but its scenery and relaxed atmosphere make it appealing to travelers of all ages.
For visitors exploring the Shiojiri area, Osakada Park offers a chance to slow down and enjoy Shinshu at a leisurely pace—a place where people, nature, and local culture come together in a spacious park setting.