A chance discovery leads to a surprise at the end of the tunnel.  

Sometimes the best discoveries are made when you stumble upon them unexpectedly. That’s what happened when our reporter Masanuki Sunakoma was driving along the Joshinetsu Expressway in Nagano Prefecture the other day and a huge escalator suddenly caught his eye. Wondering where it might lead, his curiosity grew as large as the escalator as he gradually approached it, prompting him to pull in and park at the Sakudaira Parking Area to check it out.

Stepping out into the night air, Masanuki was awestruck by the tunnel of light stretching up towards the sky.

Accessible from the parking area on both the northbound and southbound lanes, the huge escalator is impressive in both its length and slope, which makes it unclear exactly where it’s leading to.

According to the sign on ground level, the operating hours are from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., or until 10:00 p.m. on weekends and public holidays. This made Masanuki wonder if it simply led to a lookout point, as he didn’t think anything would be open until that late at night here.

Feeling a sense of adventure sweep over him, Masanuki reached out for the handrail and stepped onto the escalator, wondering where the moving stairway might take him.

After a few seconds, he began to get a sense of just how long the escalator was. He was still nowhere near the top of it, and turning around, he saw he was now quite a way away from the bottom.

Edging closer to the top, he felt more alone than ever, as there were no other living beings around him – just the slow hum and mechanical whir of the escalator.

It seemed so long that Masanuki says he would’ve believed it if someone told him this was an escalator leading up to space. In fact, he felt as if he were an actor in a science fiction movie, off to discover new worlds.

▼ Finally, he reached the top of the escalator, only to discover…

▼ …there was another set of escalators in front of him. 

Vowing to follow the escalators to the very end, Masanuki held on tight for another trip up towards the sky.

This time, when he reached the top of the escalators he was welcomed by the soft, golden lights of some sort of complex.

Turning to check out the view, Masanuki could see just how far he’d come from the ground level, and the night view was pretty spectacular.

▼ Heading towards the building of light, Masanuki was now curious to find out what was inside.

▼ To his delight, he’d arrived at a super bathhouse called Miharashi no Yu.

Finding a hot spring directly connected to a highway parking area is a true gem for tired drivers, and according to the pamphlet Masanuki picked up, there are amazing views to be had from here, as you can see all the way to the Northern Alps during the day.

Taking advantage of this surprise opportunity, Masanuki decided to pay the 800 yen (US$5.15) bathing fee for adults and enjoy a quick soak. Inside, he was able to enjoy a sauna, a carbonated hot spring bath, and an open-air bath with gorgeous night views.

By the time he stepped back out again for the return trip down the escalators, Masanuki felt lighter and refreshed, as if all his fatigue had been washed away. Grabbing another pamphlet before leaving, he was surprised to discover that the hot spring facilities would be even better in winter, as the place turns into a ski resort called “Saku Ski Garden Parada” from 20 December.

▼ This is said to be the only ski resort in Japan that’s directly connected to an expressway.

That was all the incentive Masanuki needed to make a mental note to return during ski season, but first he had to make it down the escalator.

With his legs shaking, Masanuki says the return trip down the escalator might require some courage if you’re afraid of heights, but on the upside, the soak in the hot spring makes the journey worth it.

So next time you spy something beside an expressway in Japan that piques your interest, you might want to pull in for a closer look. Chances are, you might just stumble upon something you never would’ve discovered otherwise, like a samurai-esque village or a giant Ferris Wheel.

Site information
Sakudaira PA / 佐久平PA
Address: Nagano-ken, Saku-shi, Shimohirao 2329
長野県佐久市下平尾2329
Website

Photos ©SoraNews24
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