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Iwate Prefecture's newest spots are packed with great people, baseball, and famous restaurants! We visited three new roadside stations! Local report [Iwate Prefecture]
Iwate Prefecture's newest spots are packed with great people, baseball, and famous restaurants! We visited three new roadside stations! Local report [Iwate Prefecture]
New roadside stations are opening one after another all over Japan, and in Iwate Prefecture, three new roadside stations have recently opened in the last five years
These places not only provide a place for drivers to take a break, but also promote local specialties, souvenirs, and gourmet food, and you'll make new discoveries every time you stop by
In this article, we will visit and report on three roadside stations that have opened in Iwate Prefecture since 2020
This roadside station opened on August 7, 2020 (Reiwa 2) on Iwate Prefectural Route 13 in the southwestern district of Hanamaki City, and is adjacent to a convenience store and gas station
A rest area where materials on Miyazawa Kenji and Takamura Kotaro are on display
"Kenji and Kotaro's Hometown," with "Kenji" referring to Miyazawa Kenji, the poet and children's author born in Hanamaki, as you all know, and "Kotaro" referring to Takamura Kotaro, the poet, tanka poet, and sculptor.
of poems about his wifeChieko-sho,. After Chieko's death, he moved to Hanamaki City at the age of 62 and lived alone, cooking for himself, for about seven years.
theTakamura Sanso"Takamura Kotaro Memorial Museum," which displays letters to Kenji Miyazawa, who had a relationship with
Kenji & Kotaro merchandise sales corner
A corner introducing the two has been set up at the rest area that provides road information, and merchandise is on sale at the direct sales store
Mirakuen, a rare yakiniku restaurant at a roadside station
Unfortunately, the entrance to Mirakuen was closed
This restaurant serves yakiniku, set meals, and cold noodles, which is rare for a roadside station restaurant, and is loved in Hanamaki as a famous yakiniku and horumon restaurant
The horumon is popular because you can taste the rare "teppou (rectum)," but since the main store nearby is only open at dinner time, it gets crowded at lunchtime
JA Iwate Hanamaki's agricultural produce direct sales store "Suginoki"
In addition to souvenirs, the storeJA Iwate Hanamakialways stocks a wide variety of seasonal vegetables and fruits grown by farmers from
So many local sweets to choose from
Many traditional Iwate sweets with a simple flavor, such as "Kirisensho" and "Ganzuki," as well as sweets handmade by local farmers, are sold and are very popular.
When you buy a salted bean bun, you will receive a discount voucher for bathing at Hanamaki Onsen (200 yen discount)!
A vending machine outside the store sells the roadside station's original "Salted Anpan," which came second in the Tohoku region in last year's "Jalan Local Bread General Election," and is available 24 hours a day
Good luck, Hanamaki Higashi High School!
Hanamaki Higashi High School cheering goods are now famous in the United States
In one corner of Suginoki, there is a corner selling cheering goods decorated in the school color of purple from Hanamaki Higashi High School, a school that regularly participates in the Koshien tournament and is located about a five-minute drive from the roadside station
The school has produced many players who have gone on to become professional baseball players in Japan, including Shohei Otani and Yusei Kikuchi, who are active in the American Major Leagues, and is also famous as the alma mater of Rintaro Sasaki, who went on to attend Stanford University
Hanamaki Southwestern <Information>
Facility name: Roadside Station Hanamaki Southwest
Address: 7-203 Todoroki, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture
Phone number: 0198-29-5522
Business hours: Suginoki souvenir shop 9:00-17:00, Mirakuen restaurant 11:00-14:00, 17:00-21:30
Fudai, the Land of Blue (Fudai Village, Shimohei District: Village Road Station Line 1)
Roadside Station Aonokuni Fudai Source: Wikipedia (File name: Michinoeki Aonokuni Fudai 1.jpg, Photographer: Ebiebi2)
Fudai Village on the Sanriku Coast is the hometown of Ginji, a former professional baseball player for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (currently the team's ambassador), and is also known as a major producer of kelp
Located next to Sanriku Railway's Fudai Station
Located at Fudai Station on the Sanriku Railway in Fudai Village, situated on 40 degrees north latitude where the blue sea and sky stretch out, this roadside station was opened on September 25, 2021 (Reiwa 3) and is affectionately known as "The Blue Country."
A buzzer will sound when the lamp at the top left of the platform entrance lights up to indicate the arrival of a train
The waiting room, which also serves as a shop, houses the Sanriku Railway ticket counter, and a light will come on to let you know when the train is about to arrive
Although it is a roadside station, it is not only accessible by car, but is also a fun place to stop by while riding the Sanriku Railway
Aide, the antenna shop of Fudai Village
Click here for the relative positions of the convenience store and the platform entrance/exit
The store, which also serves as a waiting room for Fudai Station, houses the Sanriku Railway ticket counter and has an entrance that leads directly to the platform
Unlike regular karinto, Fudai's karinto is thin, has a spiral pattern, and is crispy and crunchy
In addition to seafood from the village, there are many snacks available, such as karinto, which is unique to the Sanriku region
The most recommended souvenir from Fudai Village is kelp flour, and we also recommend noodle dishes such as hiyashimen, ramen, udon, and somen, which are made with flour that has a rich, salty aroma
The fast food sold at the shop includes local specialties such as "Kombu Soft Servemeat cutlet containing kelpBlue Country Burger, as well as fried mochi and other snacks.
Deep-fried rice cakes, Aonokuni burger, and minced meat cutlet topped with plenty of chopped kelp
The burger, a collaboration between a local butcher and bakery, is a perfect combination of the delicious umami of kelp, the juicy minced meat, and the crispy, fragrantly toasted bun. Another recommended gourmet item sold at the snack bar is the deep-fried mochi on a skewer
Cat's Eye (left) and TOFoku Shokudo (right)
which mainly serves dishes made with local tofuTOFoku Shokudo,a snack bar that feels like a step back in time to the Showa eraCat's Eyethere is
Iwate Kitasanriku (Kuji City: National Highways 45 and 395)
Roadside Station Iwate Kitasanriku Source: Wikipedia (File name: Michinoeki Iwatekitasanriku 202305.jpg, Photographer: Kh0708)
This roadside station, the 36th in Iwate Prefecture, opened on April 19, 2023, and features a food court where you can purchase local specialties from Kuji City, Hirono Town, and Noda Village, as well as enjoy gourmet food
In addition to seafood and agricultural products, local specialties include decorative items made from Kuji amber and Noda Village marine roses, which are popular souvenirs
The spiral slide is popular in the indoor kids' corner
outdoors, which features the first Pokémon-themed play area in northern TohokuIshitsubude Park, as well as an outdoor plaza where children can play to their heart's content and where events can be held.
The food court is always full of customers
In addition, Pokémon-related donuts and smoothies are sold in the food court, and the inside of the building is decorated with Pokémon, making this a roadside station that children can enjoy
The bright rest area has easy-to-understand displays of tourist information for the wider Kitasanriku region, organized by city, town, and village, and there is also a free charging station that is compatible with various smartphones and can be used free of charge
A spacious and bright food court
Maruhoto Nishiyama Shokudo's extensive menu
ramen and soba noodles, andMaruhowhich mainly servesNishiyamaset meals, offering a wide variety of food options.
Menu items include donuts and "Kinako Soft (Mix)"
which sells donuts, soft serve ice cream, and parfaitsstandonuts, popular items include curry donuts made with short-horned beef and "kinako soft serve," which allows you to enjoy the aroma of roasted soybean flour.
Adjacent facilities include a convenience store and a gas station
Across Ishitsubute Park there is a gas station and a convenience store
There is a convenience store next to the roadside station where you can purchase food and drinks even when the shops and food court are closed, and there is also a gas station
Iwate Kitasanriku <Information>
Facility name: Roadside Station Iwate Kitasanriku
Address: 3-2, Toritani 7th District, Natsui-cho, Kuji City, Iwate Prefecture
Phone number: 0194-66-8830
Business hours: Merchandise sales and direct sales facilities 9:00-19:00
I'm a former Edoite (Tokyoite) who loves Morioka and the six prefectures of Tohoku, and I'm a big fan of history, gourmet food, travel, sports, alcohol, and choral singing.
I'll introduce you to interesting things, delicious food, and great places in Tohoku!
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