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[Yamagata Prefecture] Traveling within Yamagata Prefecture has become more convenient! Take a comfortable drive using the newly opened free section of the Tohoku Chuo Expressway
[Yamagata Prefecture] Traveling within Yamagata Prefecture has become more convenient! Take a comfortable drive using the newly opened free section of the Tohoku Chuo Expressway
Good news for those who want to enjoy a drive in Yamagata Prefecture!
The Tohoku Chuo Expressway's Higashine Kita IC to Murayama Motoiida IC and Shinjo Sakegawa IC to Shinjo Mamurogawa IC have opened one after the other, directly connecting Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture to Shinjo City, Yamagata Prefecture.
With this opening, the trip from Yamagata City to Shinjo City takes just 50 minutes! What's more, the section from Higashine IC to the end point, Shinjo Mamurogawa IC, is free to use,
which is a blessing. You just have to try it!
So, this time, I'll introduce my drive from Higashine City to Shinjo City using the free section of the Tohoku Chuo Expressway.
The free section starts from Higashine IC
*Photo taken from the passenger seat (same below)
Now, let's start driving from Higashine IC, where the free section starts
Higashine IC is an interchange located in Higashine City, which is home to Yamagata Airport, the gateway to Yamagata Prefecture. It is very close to Yamagata Airport, about a five-minute drive from Higashine IC
About five minutes into the highway, we came across the sign for Higashinekita IC, which just opened this October
There are some two-lane sections, but it is generally a one-lane road with two opposite directions
There are no service areas on the free section of the Tohoku Chuo Expressway, so if you want to take a break, you'll need to get off the expressway and go to the nearest roadside station. As you drive, you'll see signs that show the distance to roadside stations, so use them as a reference when deciding where to take a break.
After leaving Higashine IC, we quickly arrived near Oishida Town in about 15 to 20 minutes
Oishidamachi is one of the best soba places in Yamagata Prefecture.
If you feel like taking a sweet break in the area, we recommend Senbon Dango, a very popular dumpling shop in Oishidamachi. If you are heading to Senbon Dango, get off at Oishidamurayama IC.
On this drive, we will take a break at Obanazawa Nemaru Roadside Station, which is adjacent to the exit of Obanazawa IC
Obanazawa City is famous for its watermelons. Furthermore, the Yamagata Hanagasa Festival is a summer tradition in Yamagata, and Obanazawa City is said to be the birthplace of the Hanagasa.
The roadside station is filled with watermelon-related products such as bread, daifuku, and dried fruit! It's fun just to look at them
After our break, we returned to the Tohoku Chuo Expressway and headed straight for the final destination.
Please take a look at the navigation screen.
In the image above, the end point is "Shinjo Kita IC." In
November 2022, Shinjo Kita IC was renamed "Shinjo Sakegawa IC," and a new end point, "Shinjo Mamurogawa IC," was completed 8.2 kilometers away.
Now, up ahead is the expressway that just opened on November 20th! Let's go where the navigation system tells us to!
Arrived at Shinjo Mamurogawa IC!
It took about 50 minutes from the start, including breaks, and before I knew it, the end of the road, Shinjo Mamurogawa IC, was in sight. Naturally, there were no toll booths in sight, and before I knew it, I had joined a regular road.
Thanks to the opening of the Tohoku Chuo Expressway, travelling across Yamagata Prefecture has become more convenient, and travel to Akita Prefecture has also become much closer.
Currently, construction is underway on Kanayama IC (tentative name, Kanayama Town, Yamagata Prefecture), further beyond Shinjo Mamurogawa IC, with the aim of opening in 2025. Let's look forward to its completion!
Shinjo's local ramen "Chicken offal ramen"
If you've come all the way to Shinjo city, what's one thing you definitely want to try?
That's right, the local ramen, "Chicken Motsu Ramen"!
A classic ramen with thin noodles that cling well to a light soy sauce-based soup made with chicken bones
It is topped with plenty of chicken offal
It contains a variety of parts and has a fun texture
It was a delicious bowl packed with all the flavor of chicken.
With my body and soul warmed by the delicious chicken offal ramen, that was the end of my drive! It was a comfortable drive from start to finish.
INFORMATION
Name Umeya
Address: 3-16 Senmoncho, Shinjo City, Yamagata Prefecture
Phone number: 023-322-3910
GOOGLE MAP
summary
Finally, here is information about the Tohoku Chuo Expressway as of December 2022.
・The current end is Shinjo Mamurogawa IC ・The free section is from Higashine IC to Shinjo Mamurogawa IC. ・There are no service areas, so you should use nearby roadside stations for toilet breaks, etc.
The Tohoku Chuo Expressway is perfect for driving in Yamagata Prefecture! Take advantage of the free sections and enjoy a great drive!
Thank you for reading the article. I'm naka, a writer born and raised in Tohoku. His hobby is visiting temples and shrines. Her goshuin is now in its third volume. We bring you the latest information and deep topics from Tohoku that only locals can provide!
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![Mogami safflower](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/30121446_m-1-150x150.jpg.webp ""Mogami safflower" certified as a Japanese heritage and Japanese agricultural heritage [Yamagata Prefecture]")
