This site is a web media that delivers all kinds of trivia, from sightseeing and gourmet spots in the six Tohoku prefectures to local, customs, and history.
New spots in Iwate Prefecture are packed with great people, baseball, and famous restaurants! I went to three new road stations! Local report [Iwate Prefecture]
New spots in Iwate Prefecture are packed with great people, baseball, and famous restaurants! I went to three new road 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
" The Hometown of Kenji and Kotaro ," and "Kenji" refers to Miyazawa Kenji, a poet and children's story writer born in Hanamaki, as everyone knows, while "Kotaro" refers to Takamura Kotaro, a poet, tanka singer, and sculptor.
Chieko Sho, which depicts his wife , but after Chieko's death, he moved to Hanamaki City at the age of 62 and lived alone and cooked his own meals for about seven years.
Near the roadside station is the Takamura Kotaro Memorial Museum, which displays letters to Kenji, who had connections with Takamura Sanso
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 market is always stocked with a wide variety of seasonal vegetables and fruits grown by farmers from JA Iwate Hanamaki
So many local sweets to choose from
The shop also sells many popular sweets made by local farmers, including the traditional Iwate sweets " Kirisensho " and " Ganzuki
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
This roadside station, nicknamed Blue Country was established on September 25, 2021 (Reiwa 3) at Sanriku Railway's Fudai Station in Fudai Village, located at 40 degrees north latitude, where the blue sea and sky stretch out before you
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 the local soft serve ice cream " Kombu Soft ServeAonokuni Burger minced meat and kelp , and fried rice cakes.
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)
include TOFoku Shokudo which mainly serves dishes made with local tofu Cat's Eye , a snack bar that feels like you've traveled back in time to the Showa era
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
In addition to the indoor kids' corner, there is also the outdoor " Ishitsubute Park ," which is the first Pokemon playground in the northern Tohoku region, and there is also an outdoor plaza where children can play to their heart's content and 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
Maruho ," which serves ramen and soba Nishiyama Shokudo ," which specializes in set meals.
Menu items include donuts and "Kinako Soft (Mix)"
Standonuts which serves donuts, soft serve ice cream, and parfaits , popular items include the shorthorn beef curry donut and the "kinako soft serve," which lets you enjoy the aroma of 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 Kita Sanriku
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 am a former Edo guy who loves Morioka, loves the six prefectures of Tohoku, and loves history, gourmet food, travel, sports, alcohol, and singing. We'll introduce you to some interesting, delicious, and good things about Tohoku!
![IMG_1099-EDIT (1)](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAJYAAACWAQAAAAAUekxPAAAAAnRSTlMAAHaTzTgAAAAaSURBVEjH7cExAQAAAMKg9U9tDQ+gAACAdwMLuAABXZHjmQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg== ""Yonegawa Water Cows" is a visit event that is passed down on the Miyagi-Iwate Prefecture border | Local report [Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture]")
![IMG_1099-EDIT (1)](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/IMG_1099-EDIT-1-150x150.jpg.webp ""Yonegawa Water Cows" is a visit event that is passed down on the Miyagi-Iwate Prefecture border | Local report [Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture]")
![Genbikei bus stop](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_5931-150x150.jpg.webp "The specialty of Genbikei, "Flying Dango," is definitely worth a visit! Delicious activities! [Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture]")
