However, it seems my younger daughter likes visiting the graves; she helps clean them and pours water, and when leaving she waves and says \u201cGrandpa, Grandma, we\u2019ll come again~\u201d<\/strong>. Seeing that is heartwarming even to me as a parent\u2026 I think, \u201cIf I don\u2019t bring her every time, our ancestors would surely be disappointed, lol.\u201d<\/strong> So lately, I always take her along.<\/p>\n In this way, having SAs and PAs conveniently placed along Japan\u2019s expressways is a huge blessing when traveling with a toddler.<\/p>\n Especially the newer SAs are so clean and varied, it\u2019s like a fusion of an Aeon Mall food court and a convenience store<\/strong>, and just entering one lifts your spirits. What\u2019s especially appreciated when traveling with kids is the \u201ctoilet\u201d facilities.<\/p>\n Japanese SA toilets are spacious and plentiful. Almost always, there are individual stalls equipped with diaper-changing spaces<\/strong>. Since my younger daughter still wears diapers, being able to change her at the SA and dispose of the diaper right there is a huge relief for me as a parent.<\/p>\n Also, more and more SAs now have nursing rooms. Amazing\u2026!<\/p>\n Another great thing about Japanese SAs is that they sell lots of souvenirs<\/strong>. Our family doesn\u2019t have much of a habit of buying souvenirs when traveling (maybe just because we don\u2019t have many friends to give them to, lol)<\/span>, and often we forget to buy them because we think we\u2019ll get them later<\/strong>. So being able to pick up local souvenirs at an SA on the way home is honestly a big help.<\/p>\n Speaking of which, once when I went to Nagoya for work, I completely forgot to buy souvenirs for the kids and was already on my way back. I suddenly realized \u201cOh no!\u201d<\/strong> and stopped at the Otsu SA (Shiga Prefecture)<\/span>, where surprisingly they sold Nagoya souvenirs, so I was able to buy them there and avoid any trouble (laughs).<\/p>\n The newly opened Takarazuka-kita SA on the Shin-Meishin Expressway looks like an outlet mall from the outside and has a kids\u2019 play area, making it very well-equipped. I really want to visit, but when I recently asked my husband, \u201cI heard Takarazuka-kita SA is amazing, want to go?\u201d<\/strong>, he replied:<\/p>\n Nope. It\u2019s definitely crowded, so I don\u2019t want to go (-_-)<\/p>\n So we haven\u2019t been yet (lol).<\/p>\n A few years ago, I drove on the German Autobahn, but there were very few SAs for the distance traveled, and the atmosphere was very different from Japan. Most were like a cross between a convenience store and a kiosk\u2014dark, cramped, with a small space for light meals but very limited variety.<\/p>\n Also, the toilets were dirty and required payment, so I didn\u2019t feel like stopping casually. Some SAs were large and restaurant-like, but most were smaller and dirtier than PAs.<\/p>\n People say things like \u201cMany cars drive slowly in the passing lane on Japanese expressways\u201d and \u201cIn Germany, it\u2019s common courtesy to quickly move over when a fast car approaches from behind, making it easier to drive,\u201d and I agree. But on the other hand, I think it\u2019s rare to find a country with service areas as well-equipped as Japan\u2019s<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In fact, the reason my husband and I can drive round-trip (about 1000 km)<\/span> to Fuji Speedway with our two small children is not only because the Porsche offers a comfortable driving experience, but also because Japan\u2019s expressways have such well-equipped SAs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n There are service and parking areas at key points, the toilets are clean and have diaper-changing facilities, the food courts offer kids\u2019 meals that our children want to eat, some SAs have playgrounds, and sampling local souvenirs is fun\u2026 all these well-equipped SAs support us greatly.<\/p>\n Thinking about it this way, every country\u2019s expressways have pros and cons, so it\u2019s nice to enjoy your own style of car life on top of that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u65e5\u672c\u306e\u9ad8\u901f\u9053\u8def\u306f\u3001\u3042\u304a\u308a\u904b\u8ee2\u3042\u304a\u3089\u308c\u904b\u8ee2\u306e\u554f\u984c\u3067\u8d70\u308a\u306b\u304f\u3044\u3068\u8a00\u308f\u308c\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u304c\u3001\u5b50\u3069\u3082\u3068\u4e00\u7dd2\u306b\u9577\u8ddd\u96e2\u79fb\u52d5\u3059\u308b\u3053\u3068\u306e\u591a\u3044\u6211\u304c\u5bb6\u306f\u3001\u65e5\u672c\u306e\u9ad8\u901f\u9053\u8def\u306eSA\u306b\u304b\u306a\u308a\u52a9\u3051\u3089\u308c\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002\u30c9\u30a4\u30c4\u306e\u30a2\u30a6\u30c8\u30d0\u30fc\u30f3\u3060\u3063\u305f\u3089\u7121\u7406\u3060\u306a\u3041\u3068\u601d\u3046\u3053\u3068\u3082\u591a\u3005\u3002","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":14925,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=14908"},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/IMG_3266-800x600.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/IMG_5231-800x600.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/IMG_5229-800x600.jpg\")
<\/p>\nService Areas in Germany<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/IMG_0100-800x600.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nThanks to Japan\u2019s SAs\u2026<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/IMG_3267-800x600.jpg\")
<\/p>\n