Udaji Murou Road Station
Use this Sanbonmatsu stop for local food, a farmers' market, visitor information and Inoue Bukichi's striking public art.
Verified site photographs are being prepared.Discover Udaji Murou Road Station
Udaji Murou is a road station that works for rail travellers as well as drivers: its operator places it about 400 metres southwest of Kintetsu Sanbonmatsu Station. Rather than one uniform shop, it combines the Mori no Kairoukan building, the Aoba no Sho dining room, a seasonal produce market, local goods, an information area and the artist Inoue Bukichi's My Sky Hole installation. The operator and tourism directories disagree on some closing times, so this guide separates the services and treats changing hours as a reason to confirm, especially for a late lunch.
See a rest stop designed around art
The road station describes an integrated layout of buildings and monument square, not a standard service plaza. Its Mori no Kairoukan has an angular roof and a central old timber column. Outside, Inoue Bukichi's mirrored spherical My Sky Hole work connects an above-ground plaza with a dim circular underground passage and contemplative space. The art context is a reason to pause here, but access to any particular part of the installation should follow current signs and maintenance arrangements.
Choose the right food service
Aoba no Sho, the on-site Japanese restaurant, is described by the operator as serving rice bowls, noodles, local vegetables and some shojin-style dishes. Its menu page shows Udagawa Gozen with vegetable tempura and house sesame tofu, a brown-rice tea-porridge meal, soba and other options. The posted prices are undated examples, not a guaranteed bill. Because the same menu includes meat and fish dishes, a 'shojin' label for some offerings does not certify the whole kitchen as vegetarian; ask about broth, allergens and availability.
Shop local with a seasonal timetable
The souvenir section lists Uda sweets, tea, local soy sauce, Yoshino kudzu and Yamato-toki products as examples of what may be sold. Komorebi Market is a separate farmers' outlet: the operator says local growers bring vegetables, with stock sometimes selling early. Its listed hours change between 20 April–September and October–19 April. Do not promise a particular produce item or a product's old website price without checking the shelf on the day.
Distinguish round-the-clock facilities from staffed rooms
The operator lists parking, a public phone and toilets as 24-hour facilities and describes an accessible toilet and two accessible parking spaces. It lists the souvenir room 9:00–18:00, the farmers' market 8:00–17:00 in the warmer season and 8:00–16:00 in the cooler season, and year-end/New Year closure for staffed facilities. Staffed tourism information, meals and sales do not run twenty-four hours just because the rest-area facilities do.
Resolve conflicting restaurant and seasonal hours
Aoba no Sho's own restaurant page and the station's repeated footer print 10:00–16:00, last order 15:30, closed Wednesday. The station's main facilities paragraph instead says 10:00–17:00, last order 16:30. A prefectural visitor page further suggests a seasonal 19:00 station close, whereas the operator's detailed shop page and regional road-station association list 18:00. This guide follows the restaurant's specific page and operator's shop page as planning baselines, but a telephone check is essential for a late arrival.
What to look for
Inoue Bukichi's My Sky Hole public art
Aoba no Sho restaurant and local-produce market
Walkable from Sanbonmatsu Station and useful for road travellers
Photo notes
Operator images and menus are not licensed for MyNara. Ask staff before photographing the restaurant, shops or underground art space; avoid identifiable customers and do not touch or climb the sculpture. Commercial photography of the art or interior requires permission from the operator and relevant rights holders.
Make a day of it
Explore guides close to this map point, then check the actual route before travelling. Distances below are straight lines, not walking distances or travel times; map points may not be entrances.
Sources & editorial status
Original MyNara draft based on the linked sources. Sources reviewed 20 October 2026. Opening arrangements, prices and offers may change; use the operator's current information before travelling.
- Road station operator — facility breakdown, art, parking and service hours
- Road station operator — restaurant menu and specific hours
- Road station operator — market seasons and local produce
- Kinki Michi-no-Eki Association — current address and general hours
- Nara Visitor Bureau — conflicting seasonal hours
- Uda City tourism — current municipal identification