Odaira Observation Deck

About a 20-minute drive from the Sakata Minato Interchange off the Nihonkai Tohoku Expressway via the National Route 7, this observatory is about halfway along the Chokaizan Blueline parkway which presents its seasonal displays of fresh verdure in the summer and ardent reds in the autumn. This observatory is located in the parking area of the Oodaira Sanso government inn, at about 1000-meter elevation. From here one can enjoy a panoramic view of the Shonai plain, and see the Tobishima Island directly ahead. On a clear day, one can see as far as the North Oga Peninsula in Akita, and the Awa and Sado Islands of Niigata to the South. It has a magnificent view of the sun setting in the Sea of Japan and of star-studded night sky.