Kusatsu parking area, rest area in Otsu and Kusatsu, Shiga prefecture, Japan
Kusatsu parking area is a roadside rest stop along the Meishin Expressway in Ōtsu, Kusatsu, Japan. It offers parking for cars and buses, along with restrooms, a small food counter, and an indoor shopping section spread across multiple floors.
The stop was opened as part of the Meishin Expressway, one of Japan's first long-distance highways, which was completed in the 1960s. Over the decades it was expanded and updated to handle the growing number of drivers on this route between Nagoya and Osaka.
The stop sits along one of Japan's oldest expressways, and many drivers see it as a natural pause before entering the historic region around Lake Biwa. Travelers heading toward Kyoto or Nara often use it as a quiet moment to regroup before the final stretch.
The stop is signposted directly from the Meishin Expressway and easy to reach without any detour. Inside, the restrooms, food counters, and shops are spread across several floors, but the layout is straightforward and signage is clear throughout.
From an observation point on the upper floor, visitors can see Mount Hiei and Lake Biwa on clear days, which is Japan's largest freshwater lake. Few drivers passing through realize the view from up there reaches that far.
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