Michi no Eki Kadena is located in Kadena Town, about 60 minutes by car from Naha Airport. If you drive straight north on Route 58 from Naha, you will reach Chatan Town where American Village and other places of interest are located. After crossing Chatan Town, you will come to Kadena Town. You will see large U.S. military bases on both sides. Continue on Route 58 and you will reach “Michi no Eki Kadena” (Roadside Station).
The main feature of Michi no Eki Kanaena is that it is the only roadside station adjacent to the base.
After undergoing expansion work, the roadside station was newly reopened in April 2022. It has been reborn as a stylish roadside station.
Kadena is the town of sweet potatoes!
Kadena-cho is the birthplace of Noguni Soukan, who first brought sweet potatoes from China to Okinawa during the Ryukyu Dynasty, and there is a bronze statue of Noguni Soukan at the Roadside Station in Kadena. He is a man whose achievements are still praised today because people in the poor Ryukyuan era were saved by sweet potatoes. In Kadena Town, sweet potatoes are called “Nokuni Imo. Therefore, visitors can enjoy Nokuni Imo Latte, Nokuni Imo Curry, and other specialties made from Nokuni Imo.
You can’t miss it! Jumbo cheeseburger!
Speaking of Roadside Station Kadena, there is a long-established restaurant, Rotary Drive-In, famous for its American hamburgers. The Jumbo Cheeseburger here is simple, but has the same taste as when it was founded, with slightly sweet bread, tomatoes, onions, juicy hamburger steak, and cheese, and has many local fans. It would be a shame to visit “Roadside Station Kadena” and leave without trying this hamburger! Enjoy the view of the Kadena Air Base while eating this American hamburger. This is the way to enjoy Michi no Eki Kaneda.
Roadside Station Kadena Highlights
Kadena Air Base, which is said to be one of the largest U.S. military bases in East Asia, is located in Kadena Town, and from the observation deck area, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Kadena Air Base and its runways. If your timing is good, you may even be able to see airplanes taking off and landing. There are pictures of airplanes taking off from Kadena Air Base and military goods such as U.S. military rations, which can only be found at the roadside station in Kadena Town.
The lottery ticket booth has a catchphrase “Yoshi (base) no Mieru Takara Kitakujo (Lottery Ticket Booth with a View of the Yoshi (Base)”. You may see a big “good luck” when you visit “Michi no Eki Kadena”!
