Yamada Service Area; Japan's Highway Resting Station From Koreans' View

After arriving at Fukuoka Airport, we stopped by Yamada Rest Area (downbound) on our way to Beppu, our destination. On one side of the rest area, made by cutting the hillside, solar power was filling the side of the mountain, and the spacious parking lot was filled with cars. 

The reason I posted this place was because the highway rest area was so impressive. It's very different from Korea. One of them is the bathroom. The highway rest area toilet was so clean that I thought, "How can this be?" 

In Korea, there is also a space where children can change their diapers in the bathroom of the highway rest room. I think the bathroom is unsanitary because there is a lot of moisture inside and the smell of filth is combined. It will not be easy to remove and dress the baby in such a space unless it is inevitable.  

However, the bathroom itself in Japan had no moisture, so the interior was kept comfortable. The interior was managed so thoroughly that there was no smell of urine or feces at all. 

It's a small urine bowl and sink that kids use. It's a size that adults don't have to help. It's also often seen at rest areas in Korea. But it's rare to see such a clean place. It didn't look like there was a drop of water around. 

It's a small pavilion next to the bathroom. It doesn't seem to play a very aesthetic role. 

It was so neat that I took a picture of the bathroom. The bathroom that doesn't seem to come out with a grain of dust. I thought it would be easy to give an impression just with cleanliness. I thought that the flooring and ventilation systems would be different from Korea. 

One side of the hillside at the rest stop was filled with solar panels. Perhaps a large portion of the electricity that the rest stop runs comes from that solar power. It blends well with clear skies without any fine dust. 

Vending machines are famous in Japan. Vending machines were full on one side of the not-so-large rest area. There were a lot of vending machines selling drinks and coffee. 

There are also so many kinds of coffee that I thought it would be easy to choose a drink that suits my taste. 

A small toy vending machine that I greet before entering the convenience store. There are so many different kinds that I wondered what was there. 

The service area convenience store was full of pretty accessories. There was also the classic part. They were still selling DVDs. 

I thought Japanese prices were cheaper than in Korea. I bought milk, roll cake, cookies, coffee, and iced americano (200 yen). It is 844 yen, which is about 7,500 won. I benefited from the exchange rate as the yen has weakened recently, but I felt that Japanese prices are cheaper than in Korea. 

However, the cost of using the expressway was ridiculously expensive. The toll (tolby) on the way to the boat from Fukuoka Airport is 40,000 won. It is only about 140 kilometers in distance, but it was really expensive.