On days with heavy snowfall, there's no end to the number of foreign tourists heading to northern Kyoto Prefecture in rental cars with standard tires. At the roadside station "Kyotanba Ajimu no Sato" (Sone, Kyotanba-cho, Kyoto Prefecture), located in the Kyotanba Parking Area on the Kyoto Jukan Expressway, the information center staff are struggling to keep up.
On January 22, 2026, when northern Kyoto Prefecture was hit by heavy snowfall, a family of four from Taiwan came to the information center asking, "Can we drive to Kinosaki (after exiting the highway)?" Since their car was equipped with winter tires, the female staff member explained the local snow conditions and sent them off with a smile.
According to a 68-year-old female staff member, over the past two years, there has been an increase in foreign tourists heading to northern Kyoto Prefecture with the aim of seeing the snowy scenery, with many saying things like, "I want to see Amanohashidate in the snow." Most of them are renting cars, and some are even heading to the area with standard tires. After assessing the weather and snow conditions, they warn customers that it's dangerous to go beyond this point without winter tires, but they are often at a loss as to what to do.
The female staff member makes on-the-spot phone calls to inns and rental car companies to confirm. "We've had families who regretfully cancel their hotel reservations, and we've also had customers who insisted on going because they had booked an expensive inn..." During heavy snowfall, they receive three or four inquiries a day, and have sometimes had to respond for as long as three hours.
In the past, there have been some egregious cases where customers left their rental car in the parking lot and took a taxi to their destination.
The female staff member, wishing to prevent foreign tourists from having a disappointing experience during their trip, earnestly appeals, "During the snowy season, when foreign tourists rent a car, the only thing they can do is check the destination and make preparations."
