Oya, Mashiko and Motegi driving guide: Oya History Museum, Mashiko pottery and Mobility Resort Motegi

The Oya, Mashiko and Motegi area stretches from north-western Utsunomiya in central Tochigi across the plains and rural hills of Moka, Mashiko, Ichikai and Motegi in the east of the prefecture. Starting among the vast underground Oya-stone quarries at Oya History Museum and the cliff-carved Heiwa Kannon, the drive links SL Kyurokukan beside Moka Station, pottery shops and kilns along Jonaizaka Street and the Shoji Hamada Memorial Mashiko Sankokan Museum, Michi-no-Eki Motegi—well known for its yuzu-salt ramen—and Mobility Resort Motegi (home to the Honda Collection Hall) in the Yamizo foothills. Unlike the mountain roads of Nikko, Oku-Nikko and Nasu Kogen, none of the roads here closes for winter, making it an easy year-round drive from Utsunomiya IC on the Tohoku Expressway, JR Utsunomiya Station, or Moka IC and Sakuragawa-Chikusei IC on the Kita-Kanto Expressway.

This guide follows a full-day route from Michi-no-Eki Utsunomiya Romantic Village and Oya via Moka and Mashiko to Motegi, with every main road, stop and parking rule—including the Mashiko Pottery Fair and race weekends at Motegi—set out below.

Map of the Oya, Mashiko and Motegi area

The line follows the full-day route below, "First visit: one day from the Oya underground quarry via Mashiko to Motegi". Numbers mark the stops: green for views and nature, blue for roadside stations. Tap a marker to see its name.

Recommended drives

First visit: one day from the Oya underground quarry via Mashiko to Motegi

Start at Michi-no-Eki Utsunomiya Romantic Village, about 5 minutes off Utsunomiya IC on Route 293, and head south to Oya History Museum, Oyaji Temple—where a Thousand-Armed Kannon is carved directly into the tuff cliff—and the 27 m Heiwa Kannon beside Bellterrache Oya. From Oya, take Prefectural Route 70 (the Oya Kaido) and Routes 4 and 408 south-east across the Utsunomiya plain to SL Kyurokukan at the East Exit of Moka Station.

In the afternoon, follow Route 294 and Prefectural Route 41 to Michi-no-Eki Mashiko, then explore central Mashiko along Jonaizaka Street, the Mashiko-yaki Kiln Cooperative Center, the Shoji Hamada Memorial Mashiko Sankokan Museum and Saimyoji Temple partway up Mt. Dokko. Continue north on Prefectural Route 69 past Michi-no-Eki Sashiba-no-Sato Ichikai, join Route 123 for Michi-no-Eki Motegi, and finish via the South Gate of Mobility Resort Motegi for the Honda Collection Hall. Drivers arriving from Moka IC or Sakuragawa-Chikusei IC on the Kita-Kanto Expressway, or from Mito IC on the Joban Expressway, can follow the same route in reverse from Motegi or Mashiko.

The route is about 78 km, with around 1 hour 45 minutes of driving. Distance and driving time are calculated from map data and exclude traffic. Every public road on the route is toll-free (Mobility Resort Motegi charges admission and parking inside the resort).

Oya History Museum parking, sat-nav setup and underground temperature

The former underground Oya-stone quarry at Oya History Museum (about 20,000 sq m and around 30 m deep) stays near an annual average of 8°C—and measured 8°C on 14 November 2026. Summer blanket rentals remain suspended, so bring a warm outer layer in every season. Admission is ¥1,000 for adults, ¥400 for elementary and junior-high-school pupils, and free for pre-school children, payable in cash only. From December 2026, the ground-floor exhibition room closes for renovation work, while the underground quarry remains open as usual.

Because the quarry grounds are extensive, entering the street address (909 Oyamachi, Utsunomiya) into a car sat-nav can route you onto narrow back roads in the hills. Set your sat-nav using the museum's phone number (028-652-1232) or facility name instead. Car Park No. 1 (10 spaces) is reserved for tour buses and visitors with limited mobility; ordinary cars use the 310 free spaces across Car Park No. 2 (200 spaces), Car Park No. 3 (40 spaces) and Car Park No. 4 (70 spaces). If you plan to walk between Oyaji Temple and Heiwa Kannon, the free Utsunomiya Municipal Car Park beside Bellterrache Oya (99 passenger cars and 7 buses) is also convenient.

Mashiko Pottery Fair parking and race-day fees at Mobility Resort Motegi

Held twice a year in spring (Golden Week) and autumn (around 3 November), the Mashiko Pottery Fair lines Jonaizaka Street and the Sayado district with around 50 permanent shops and more than 800 tents, drawing roughly 300,000 visitors in spring and 190,000–200,000 in autumn. The 114th autumn fair (31 October–3 November 2026) has ended; the next 115th spring fair runs from 29 April to 5 May 2027 (9:00–17:00, until 16:00 on the final day). Crowds peak on the opening morning, so arriving from Day 2 onwards or in the afternoon eases queues on approach roads and at car parks. During the fair, the official Pottery Fair map shows real-time space availability at municipal car parks, and a venue loop bus runs for ¥200 per ride (¥100 for elementary-school age and under). Many tent stalls take cash only, so carry yen notes and coins, and never park without permission at supermarkets, farm lanes or the Shoji Hamada Memorial Mashiko Sankokan Museum car park to visit the fair.

Inside Mobility Resort Motegi (formerly Twin Ring Motegi), entry to the Honda Collection Hall itself is free, but resort admission and parking fees apply. On regular operating days at the gate, admission is ¥2,000 for adults (junior-high age and over), ¥1,000 for elementary-school pupils and ¥1,000 for children aged 3 to pre-school (advance web tickets start around ¥1,850 for adults depending on the date; through 30 November 2026, an afternoon admission ticket valid from 3 hours before closing costs ¥1,000 for adults and ¥500 for children on eligible days). Regular-day parking is ¥1,000 for 4-wheel vehicles, ¥500 for motorcycles and ¥1,500 for buses (vehicles exceeding 2.5 m × 5.0 m pay for 2 spaces; overnight resort guests receive free admission and parking). On major race weekends such as the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix and SUPER GT, regular admission and parking tickets are not sold—dedicated race tickets and advance parking passes at special event prices are required (if advance passes sell out, no same-day on-site parking is sold). The South Gate is officially recommended when visiting the Honda Collection Hall.

Roads you can drive

Places to stop

Views and nature

Numbers match the map.

Roadside stations

Best seasons and crowds

Sunrise is at 6:16 and sunset at 16:33 on 14 November 2026, and sunrise is at 6:32 and sunset at 16:25 on 30 November (Utsunomiya).

Suspensions, closures and restrictions checked on 14 November 2026

• Moka Railway's mainline steam service SL Moka is completely suspended from 19 January 2026 through the end of March 2027 due to locomotive bogie repairs and general rolling-stock overhauls. Regular diesel trains and SL Kyurokukan at Moka Station East Exit operate as usual.
• At Oya History Museum, the ground-floor exhibition room closes for renovation work from December 2026 (the underground quarry remains open). From December to March, the museum closes every Tuesday (or the following day if a holiday) and from 26 December to 3 January.
• Michi-no-Eki Motegi closes for a facility holiday on Tuesday 17 November 2026 (Jukkokuya noodles and the Keyaki souvenir shop remain open).
• Mobility Resort Motegi's South Gate normally closes overnight from 20:00 to 4:30 (exempt on event dates such as 13–15 November and 11–13 December 2026). The East Gate opens only on selected race and event days.
• Oyaji Temple may shorten visiting hours or close temporarily during heavy rain, typhoons or thunderstorms.

Getting there and fuel

None of the 4 roadside stations on the route (Utsunomiya Romantic Village, Mashiko, Sashiba-no-Sato Ichikai and Motegi) has a petrol station. Refuel along Route 293 near Utsunomiya IC, Route 4, Route 294 in central Moka, or Route 123 in Mashiko or central Motegi before heading up to Saimyoji Temple or into the hills between Mashiko, Ichikai and Mobility Resort Motegi. EVs can charge at 3 roadside stations—Michi-no-Eki Utsunomiya Romantic Village, Michi-no-Eki Mashiko and Michi-no-Eki Sashiba-no-Sato Ichikai—while Michi-no-Eki Motegi has no EV charger.

If you don't have a car

Arriving by Tohoku Shinkansen at Utsunomiya Station, compare 8 rental companies and 13 West and East Exit branches in the Utsunomiya Station car rental comparison. If you prefer to drive straight up the expressways from Tokyo or Narita, check the Tokyo Station car rental comparison or the Narita Airport car rental comparison. When combining the Tohoku, Kita-Kanto and Joban Expressways, see ETC cards for rental cars in Japan, and if returning your car at a different station or airport, see one-way car rental fees in Japan. Overseas visitors should also review driving in Japan on a foreign licence and airport car rental pickup and return.

Frequently asked questions

Where should I drive with one day in Oya, Mashiko and Motegi?

Start near Utsunomiya IC at Michi-no-Eki Utsunomiya Romantic Village, visit Oya History Museum, Oyaji Temple and Heiwa Kannon, stop at SL Kyurokukan by Moka Station, continue through Michi-no-Eki Mashiko, Jonaizaka Street, the Kiln Cooperative Center, Mashiko Sankokan Museum and Saimyoji Temple, and head via Michi-no-Eki Sashiba-no-Sato Ichikai and Michi-no-Eki Motegi to Mobility Resort Motegi (Honda Collection Hall). The route is about 78 km and around 1 hour 45 minutes of driving before stops.

What should I watch out for with parking and sat-navs at Oya History Museum?

Ordinary cars park for free in Car Parks No. 2 (200 spaces), No. 3 (40 spaces) and No. 4 (70 spaces)—310 spaces in total—while Car Park No. 1 (10 spaces) is reserved for tour buses and disabled access. Do not enter the street address (909 Oyamachi) into your sat-nav, as it can send you onto narrow hill tracks; enter the phone number (028-652-1232) or the museum name instead. Inside the quarry it measured 8°C on 14 November 2026, and admission (adults ¥1,000, elementary/junior-high ¥400) is cash only.

How can I avoid traffic and full car parks during the Mashiko Pottery Fair?

During the spring (next held 29 April–5 May 2027) and early-November fairs, crowds peak on the opening morning, so visit from Day 2 onwards or arrive in the afternoon. Alongside Moka IC, you can approach from the east via Sakuragawa-Chikusei IC on the Kita-Kanto Expressway (about 15 minutes to Michi-no-Eki Mashiko). Check live municipal parking spaces on the official Pottery Fair map, use the ¥200 loop bus and bring cash for tent stalls.

Can I see the SL Moka steam train at Michi-no-Eki Motegi or on the Moka Railway?

No—the mainline SL Moka steam train is suspended from 19 January 2026 through the end of March 2027 for locomotive bogie repairs and general inspections, so only regular diesel trains pass beside Michi-no-Eki Motegi. To see steam locomotives up close during this period, stop at SL Kyurokukan at Moka Station East Exit (10:00–18:00, closed Tuesdays, free admission and parking; short yard runs three times daily on weekends and holidays).

How much are admission and parking at Mobility Resort Motegi (Honda Collection Hall)?

Entry to the Honda Collection Hall itself is free, but Mobility Resort Motegi charges resort admission (on regular days at the gate: adults ¥2,000, elementary ¥1,000, ages 3–pre-school ¥1,000; web tickets from ¥1,850 depending on date) and parking (regular days: 4-wheel ¥1,000, 2-wheel ¥500, bus ¥1,500). On major race weekends such as MotoGP and SUPER GT, regular tickets are not sold and dedicated race tickets plus advance parking passes at special event prices are required.

Nearby areas and guides

• Nikko Driving Guide: Irohazaka, Lake Chuzenji and Oku-Nikko Route with Map
• Irohazaka Autumn Drive: Traffic, Akechidaira Parking and Ropeway Closure
• Nasu driving guide: Nasu Kogen, Mount Chausu and Shiobara
• Driving in Tochigi