Built on a 650-meter-long artificial island located along the Tokyo Wan Aqua-Line Expressway, the Umihotaru Parking Area is more like a shopping mall than a roadside rest station that offers panoramic 360º views of Tokyo Bay.
The building itself is five stories high, with parking lots on the first three floors and commercial facilities on the top two floors. With a food court as well as individual restaurants, souvenir shops, amusement arcade, viewing deck, and various photo spots, the place is a travel destination in itself.
“Umihotaru” is a word made up of “umi” (sea) and “hotaru” (firefly) and was selected from among publicly solicited name suggestions. It depicts how the parking area appears at night, as a ray of light floating on the sea.
