Michi-no-Eki Noto Chirihama

Michi-no-Eki Noto Chirihama opened in July 2017 at the point where the Noto Satoyama Kaido meets the coast at Hakui. Most people come because of the Chirihama Nagisa Driveway, the stretch of hard-packed sand that ordinary cars can drive along. The station is where you stop before or after, and it is worth more than a toilet break.

Kawanchi Mart, the farm market, sells produce and specialties from Hakui and the Noto peninsula. Buying here is one small way to support an area that is still rebuilding after the January 2024 earthquake. There is also a restaurant, a gelato counter and a foot bath.

Strong westerly winds push the waves up onto the beach road and close it. Even when it is open, keep off the dry, pale sand, where tires sink. Hakui city posts the current status online; check it here before you turn off toward the sand.