Roadside Station Hausjarvi Naie: Halfway Along the Straight Road

Roadside Station Hausjarvi Naie stands at the halfway point of Japan's longest straight road, the 29.2 km stretch of Route 12 between Bibai and Takikawa. It is a log-cabin-style building named after Naie's sister town in Finland, and beside it is the halfway monument.

The halfway monument

The tall halfway monument of Japan's longest straight road beside Route 12 at Naie

There are monuments reading "Straight Road, Japan's Number One, 29.2 km" at the start (Bibai), the middle (here) and the end (Takikawa). The other two have only narrow pull-offs on a busy road, so this is the easy one to photograph.

Haskap soft cream

The thing to try is the haskap soft cream, covered in a sauce made from Naie haskap berries: the rich, sweet soft cream and the slight sourness of the berries go well together. It is a good dessert after lunch.

On a summer day there is a lawn with wooden play equipment and a dog run, so it is a good place to stretch your legs.

Hours and parking

What	Details
Building	8:30–18:00
Shops inside	Each has its own hours and closing days; some close in winter
Parking	Free, 38 cars

See the Hokkaido roadside stations site (in Japanese) for details.

How to get there

From Sapporo: about an hour and a half on ordinary roads: Route 12 runs straight out of the city toward Asahikawa, through Ebetsu and Iwamizawa. The expressway runs alongside but saves little time.

From New Chitose Airport: a little over an hour and a half, via Naganuma, joining Route 12 at Iwamizawa.

Finding it: Turn left just after you see the monument on the left.