昨日は3日間のドライブからの疲労回復に専心。移動距離はおおむね900kmですが、まぁまだまだ動体視力はしっかりしているので特段は問題ない。が、やはり足のふくらはぎ、肩・背中局所には痛みの自覚は発生。
こういう疲労感はしかし日常生活空間に戻ると、不思議とみるみる解消されます。まるでカラダが普段のペースに戻ってリラックスの方法を自然に思い出してくる実感。日常的な体動・ストレッチ動作が、コリや痛みに対して適切な対処をしてくれる。自宅のように慣れ親しんだ空間は健康「再起動」装置システムかもと思える。1昼夜過ごしていると、体調復元に効率的な「習慣性」が自律的に活性化してくる。
さて、今回の旅はあんまり行かない北北海道だったのですが、人口減少局面で各地域自治体の対応のシンボルとして「道の駅」への考え方の相違が強く印象づけられた。
写真は札幌から日本海沿岸道路をひたすら北上した「羽幌」の道の駅の状況。道の駅という国交省マターの国の施策はマイカー移動が主流になっている現代生活において、必要欠くべからざる地域資産。今回のような移動には道の駅は休憩のターミナル機能を果たしてくれる。またそういった施設で各地域の情報も得られる。高速道路でのPAのような役割を果たしている。マイカー移動が主流になっている現代では一種のインフラ機能だと思います。
見方を変えると各地域にとっては重要な「地域戦略」の実践対象。人口減少局面で貴重なアピールの場でもある。自らの地域にひとが流入してくる貴重な機会をどう活用すべきか、知恵の絞りどころ。
札幌から180kmで途中数カ所立ち寄ったあと、稚内に向けての本格的ドライブの前にひと休みしたいと立ち寄った。・・・のですが、どうも案内の勝手が違って「道の駅」の場所がさっぱりわからない(泣)。国道から「道の駅」マークに沿って右折してもその施設建物がわからない。看板を確認するけれど、ほかの施設名ばかりで肝心の道の駅本体が訪ね当たらない。ほぼ「事件」のような状況に遭遇した。
やむなく駐車場とおぼしき場所にクルマを停めて歩いて探し回って、下の案内を発見。
ようやく理解できてきたのは、この羽幌では「道の駅」本体はいろいろな施設に機能分散していて本体建物はないということ。複数の施設が寄り集まって「ゾーン」として道の駅機能が果たされているのですね。たしかに地域にとって道の駅というマーケティングチャンスは最大限活用したいでしょう。それを最大化させることを意図して、複合的なゾーン化させることも理解は出来る。う〜む、しかし。
来訪者としてはもうちょっと「わかりやすく」して欲しい。いきなり各パーツ分散で迷わせられるのはちょっと予想外。まぁこのあたりは各地域の戦略に関することなので軽々には言えないでしょう。しかしやはりユーザー視線への十分な配慮は期待したいですね。今回の旅の間このこと、繰り返し体験させられることになりました。
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English version⬇
[Local “Roadside Station” Utilization Strategies and the Resulting User Nuisance?
Roadside Stations are an oasis for driving and an opportunity to distribute information. Since they are also a determining factor in the impression of the area, we would like to see consideration from the user’s perspective. ・・・・・.
Yesterday, I spent the day recovering from three days of driving. The distance traveled was about 900 km, but I still have good mobility, so it was not a particular problem. However, I am still aware of pain in the calves of my legs, shoulders, and back.
However, these feelings of fatigue are quickly and mysteriously resolved when I return to my daily life space. It is as if the body has returned to its normal pace and naturally remembers how to relax. The daily body movements and stretching activities provide the appropriate response to stiffness and pain. A familiar space like home can be a health “rebooting” device system, and after spending a day and night there, the body autonomously activates a “habit-forming” system that is efficient in restoring physical condition.
This trip was to northern Hokkaido, a region I do not visit very often, but I was strongly impressed by the difference in thinking about “Michi-no-Eki” as a symbol of each local government’s response in the phase of population decline.
The photo shows the situation of a roadside station in “Haboro,” just north of Sapporo on the Japan Sea Coastal Highway. Michi no Eki, a national policy of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, is an indispensable regional asset in modern life, where travel by car has become the norm. For this kind of trip, a roadside station can serve as a terminal for rest and relaxation. They also provide information on each region. They play a role similar to that of a PA on an expressway. I think they are a kind of infrastructure function in today’s age of car travel.
From a different perspective, it is an important “regional strategy” for each region to put into practice. It is also a valuable place to appeal to the declining population. It is important to narrow down the wisdom of how to utilize this precious opportunity to attract people to one’s own region.
After stopping at several places along the 180-km drive from Sapporo, we stopped for a rest before the full-scale drive to Wakkanai. However, the directions were different and I had no idea where the “Michi-no-Eki” was (I cried). Even when I turned right along the “Roadside Station” sign from the national highway, I could not find the building where it was located. I checked the signboard, but all I could see were the names of other facilities, and I couldn’t find the main roadside station itself. It was almost like an “incident.
We had no choice but to park our car in what looked like a parking lot, and after searching around on foot, we found the information below.
What I have finally come to understand is that in Haboro, the main body of the “Roadside Station” is distributed among various facilities, and there is no main building. The roadside station functions as a “zone” where multiple facilities are gathered together. It is true that the local community would like to make the most of the marketing opportunity of a roadside station. It is also understandable that a complex of zones is created with the intention of maximizing this. Hmmm…but…
As a visitor, I would like it to be a little more “easy to understand. It is a little unexpected to suddenly be led astray by the dispersion of each part. Well, this is a matter of each region’s strategy, so I can’t say it lightly. However, I still hope that sufficient consideration will be given to the user’s point of view. I had to experience this repeatedly during this trip.
Notice
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Posted on 7月 19th, 2025 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 出張&旅先にて | No Comments »