Roadside station Shihoro Onsen

Roadside station Shihoro Onsen in Shiho-cho, Hokkaido, is a michi-no-eki (roadside station) on Hokkaido Prefectural Route 134 that underwent major renovation and reopened in April 2025, bringing updated thermal spring facilities to travelers crossing the vast Tokachi Plain—one of Hokkaido's most productive agricultural zones where the scale of open farmland, clear rivers, and distant volcanic peaks defines a northern landscape of exceptional spatial grandeur. The thermal spring at this station serves both local residents and highway travelers with the warming mineral waters that Hokkaido's volcanic geology provides even across the non-volcanic Tokachi Plain through deep geological formations. This station exemplifies the Japanese michi-no-eki tradition of pairing regional food and crafts with thermal bathing to create rest stops that are genuine community and cultural destinations rather than mere highway service facilities.