Michi-no-Eki Hota Shogakko

Hota Primary School taught Kyonan’s children for well over a century before closing in 2014. In December 2015 it reopened as a roadside station, and the town kept the parts that make adults smile: wooden corridors, classroom signs and the old gym. It sits just off the Futtsu-Tateyama Road at Kyonan-Hota IC.

The old gym houses Kyonan Rakuichi, a large market for local vegetables, flowers and southern Boso souvenirs. Satoyama Shokudo serves a set modeled on school lunches, a nostalgic draw for Japanese visitors who grew up on them. Upstairs, former classrooms are now Manabi no Yado, plain rooms for an overnight stay, and the old staff room is a small bath, Sato no Koyu.

The former kindergarten next door reopened in 2023 as an annex with more food and shops. Each tenant sets its own hours, and the restaurant and bath close well before the evening. If you plan to stay the night, book ahead and check what is open on arrival.