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[Iwate Prefecture] Enjoy soft serve ice cream from the northern Sanriku coast while experiencing the sea breeze! Why are the soft serve ice cream eaten at roadside stations so delicious?
[Iwate Prefecture] Enjoy soft serve ice cream from the northern Sanriku coast while experiencing the sea breeze! Why are the soft serve ice cream eaten at roadside stations so delicious?
As part of the earthquake recovery efforts along the Sanriku Coast, the Sanriku Coastal Road was completed as a bypass of National Route 45. While this has made travel easier, it is said that the number of cars passing through the city has also increased
Therefore, coastal cities and towns are making efforts to improve the gourmet food at roadside stations, such as local soft serve ice cream, so that drivers will get off the Sanriku Expressway and stop by
In this article, we've compiled our impressions of visiting roadside stations in the northern coastal area of Iwate Prefecture and tasting the region's signature soft serve ice cream and other gourmet foods
The prices listed in the article are as of the end of May 2025.
[Roadside Station Noda] Our recommendation: Sweet and salty soft serve ice cream delivered by a beko! (Noda Village, Kunohe District: National Route 45, Prefectural Route 29)
Roadside Station Noda before its relocation, with Rikuchu Noda Station behind it (photographed on May 27, 2025)
Noda Roadside Station was a roadside station attached to Sanriku Railway's Rikuchu-Noda Station along National Route 45, but on June 20, 2025, it will be relocated to a new location near Noda Interchange on the Sanriku Coastal Road and reopened as Noda Roadside Station Purple
By combining retail sales and direct sales, the retail sales area, which previously felt cramped, will be expanded and the product selection will be more extensive
Noda salt soft serve ice cream: 400 yen
The milk flavor is great and the saltiness is just right
Noda which has been transported to Morioka by Beko (cows) along the Salt Road since the Edo period, Yume Milk Soft Serve Ice Cream from Ohno Milk Kobo in Hirono Town come together at this roadside station.
The secret ingredients, "Noda salt" made by boiling down Noda seawater and edible chrysanthemums from Noda Village, bring out the subtle sweetness of the milky cream, creating a flavor you'll never tire of
The shop also offers popular soft serve ice cream made with wild grape juice, a specialty of Noda
It seems that new dishes will be added to the menu at Restaurant Purple after the relocation
In addition, the restaurant and fast food corner will be set up in the food hall as "Shokudo" and "Noda Salt Soft Serve," allowing customers to enjoy both restaurant and fast food menu items together
The mellow "Noda Salt" makes a great souvenir!
A row of Noda Salt-related products are lined up. The new roadside station will have a larger sales area and an increased selection of products
Noda Salt is a natural salt made by boiling seawater for four days. It has a mild, understated saltiness and is a mellow salt that brings out the flavor of the ingredients
Sweets made with Noda Salt, such as Salt Karinto and Salt Candy, are great to enjoy on yourdrive .
A long-aged red wine from Suzuminooka Winery, named Shizuku (purple drop)
Another recommended souvenir is "Noda Village Wild Grape Wine," brewed from wild grapes that have been slowly aged in the cool winds known as "Yamase" that blow in from the Pacific Ocean in early summer in this region
You can enjoy the strong acidity of wild grapes and the jam-like fruitiness
【Roadside Station Aonokuni Fudai: Get your mineral fix with ! (Fudai Village, Shimohei District: National Route 45, Prefectural Route 44)
It feels like the waiting room at Fudai Station has been turned into a roadside station
Roadside Station Aonokuni Fudai is not just adjacent to Sanriku Railway's Fudai Station, but is so integrated with the railway station that it would be more accurate to say that the station building has become a roadside station.
Konbu soft serve ice cream: 350 yen
Kombu soft serve ice cream has tiny pieces of kombu kneaded into it
The cream is a light green in color and is rich and rich with the scent of the seashore. The umami and saltiness of the kelp powder kneaded into the cream enhances its sweetness . The kelp grains in the cream are small, but have a nice texture.
Anyway, it's a soft serve ice cream that is surprisingly delicious and completely unexpected, and you'll likely become addicted to it
Immediately to the right of the entrance is a counter selling soft serve ice cream and burgers, and to the left is a shop, with the entrance to the train platform at the back
In addition, the shop ( Antenna Shop Aide ) is directly connected to the ticket gates of Fudai Station, so you can see when trains are arriving while inside the shop.
The "Blue Country Burger" is packed with the bounty of the sea!
"Aonokuni Burger" with kelp. On the left is fragrant fried rice cake
konbu menchi-katsu from Kamikanda Butcher Shop in the Abbey Road shopping district of Fudai Village a special bun from Shimokawahara Shoten, also located in the same shopping district .
The minced meat is topped with plenty of chopped Fudai kelp, and the umami of the kelp and the gravy complement each other, all wrapped up in a crispy outside and moist inside bun
When you hear the sound, your "Ao no Kuni Burger" is ready!
The buns are baked in the shop's kitchen after the order is placed, so they are fragrant and hot
[Roadside Station Tanohata] 20% more milk! Even cows would be surprised by this milk soft serve ice cream! (Tanohata Village, Shimohei District: National Route 45)
The spacious and bright store is filled with Tanohata Village specialties and souvenirs
previously Shii Ohashi Community Park , but moved to this location in April 2021 and reopened under the nickname "Shii no Kaze ( Wind of Thought
an RV park where you can sleep in your car, as well as accommodation facilities such as Shiyuisoukan , and is a place where you can find ingredients such as Sanriku seafood, mountain vegetables, and the bounty of the farms.
aroma and flavor of Tanohata Milk fills your mouth when you put it in your mouth
The regular size is a regular cone, but the mini cone is a crunchy black waffle cone made with bamboo ink , and its fragrant flavor enhances the flavor of the soft serve.
The regular size can be served in a cup, and the sundae, which is soft serve ice cream topped with syrup, is also delicious
This mini soft serve ice cream served in a black cone has a small amount of cream, but the combination of cream and cone is excellent and highly recommended
Three types of frankfurters featuring Tanohata ingredients
Fast food menu, "Kuromoji" is a fragrant wood that is a specialty of Tanohata village and is said to have sedative and antibacterial properties
are a combination of Tanohata brand ingredients and Yongenton pork, juicy pork There are three types available Wakame FrankDuck Cheese Frank with Iwate duck and cheese Shiitake Frank with shiitake
This time I tried Duck Cheese Frank
Duck and cheese frankfurter that was delicious even when cold
The crispy skin has a firm texture and is packed with the flavor of pork and duck, with the strong taste and flavor of cheese adding an accent
Thanatata Roadside Station Shiinokaze ＜Information＞
Facility name: Roadside Station Tanohata Shishi no Kaze
Address: 151-6 Sugakubo, Tanohata Village, Shimohei District, Iwate Prefecture
Phone number: 0194-32-3555
Business hours: Merchandise sales and direct sales 9:00-17:00
【Roadside Station Taro: Authentic soft serve ice cream with a comforting taste! (Miyako City: National Route 45)
Direct from the farm, fast food restaurant on the far right
Previously, Roadside Station Taro was located on a hill north of the city and was not damaged in the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake. However, following the construction of the Sanriku Expressway, it was relocated to the city center as a symbol of reconstruction.
To the left of the direct sales area is an information center, a restaurant, a rice cake shop, and a convenience store
This roadside station, which opened in April 2018 in the center of the Taro district, selected as a priority roadside station for fiscal 2015 and is a symbol of the Taro district's revival.
Soft serve ice cream: 390 yen (mini 290 yen)
Mini waffle cone
The soft serve ice cream at the fast food counter is very ordinary and could even be called traditional, but it has a nostalgic and comforting taste
They come in regular and mini sizes, and I personally recommend the mini cone as it's a fragrant waffle cone
Fast food tamagoyaki (2 for 290 yen) and direct-from-the-farm Masakiyaki (6 for 300 yen)
The thick omelet is packed with the flavor of the broth!
Two omelets are about the size of a block of tofu, and are sold in the fast food section as a sweet omelet with a rich flavor from the broth
It has a similar color and flavor to datemaki, and is a satisfying delicacy that can be enjoyed as both a side dish and a snack, making it a popular takeout item
Masakiyaki grilled to perfection
Also, Sanchoku Toretara is similar to Akashiyaki, with a crispy outside and a soft, melt-in-your-mouth interior, and is filled with plenty of wakame seaweed stems instead of octopus .
Ponzu sauce is selected for the dipping sauce, and chopped green onions add a nice accent
You can buy produce from the farm's kitchen/sales counter in the morning, but in the afternoon you can buy produce displayed in the display case at the farm's cash register
You can choose from ponzu sauce, mayonnaise, sauce, etc. for the dipping sauce, but I personally recommend ponzu sauce. I recommend dipping it in the sauce like Akashiyaki and eating it
Roadside Station Taro <Information>
Facility name: Roadside Station Taro
Address: 2-4-5-1 Taro, Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture
Phone number: 0193-87-3988
Opening hours: Direct from the farm Toretara 9:00-17:00
Opening hours: Fast food: 10:00-16:00
Closed: New Year's holidays (fast food is closed on Mondays)
【Miyako Roadside Station: Replenish your minerals with deep sea water soft serve ice cream! (Miyako City: Rinko-dori, National Route 45)
The building in the foreground is the Unineko Cafe
It opened in 2006 as the easternmost roadside station on Honshu, but was closed after being damaged by the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and reopened on July 6, 2013. Its nickname, " Seatpia Naado, " comes from the Miyako dialect and is said to mean a casual greeting, meaning How are you?
Bindon, a dish of bottled seafood poured over rice, has become popular at this roadside station.
I managed to get the pale green "Blessings of the Sea Soft Cream" at the restaurant
The most popular item at the outdoor shop " Unineko CafeBlessings of the Sea Soft Cream ," which is made with deep sea water and has a slight salty taste when you first put it in your mouth.It doesn't have much of a milky flavor, but is rich in minerals and has a refreshing taste similar to a sports drink.
Once the sweetness fades, a subtle salty taste returns, which is a distinctive feature of the flavor
On the day I visited, Unineko Cafe was closed! I wondered what to do..
The Unineko Cafe is closed every Tuesday, but on those days the Sea Blessings Soft Serve Ice Cream is sold at the Kaishonai Restaurant .
Prince's Luxury Blissful Cod Fry (350 yen each)
Sorry, I only showed you the menu because it was closed. But it's delicious, so please give it a try!
Large fried cod made with cod from Miyako, one of Japan's top cod catches, is available for takeout with tartar sauce from Unineko Cafe. It can also be enjoyed as a fried cod set meal at the restaurant
Miyako Roadside Station Seatopia Naado <Information>
Facility name: Roadside Station Miyako Seatopia Naado
Address: 1-20 Rinko-dori, Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture
Phone number: 0193-71-3100
Business hours: Product sales corner 8:45-17:00
Restaurant hours: [Weekdays] 10:30-15:30 (LO 15:00), [Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays] 10:30-16:30 (LO 16:00)
Due to the opening of the Sanriku Expressway, the towns and villages along National Route 45 between Kuji and Miyako on the Sanriku Coast seem to be particularly deserted
If you have time to spare during your drive, why not stop by one of these roadside stations and try some delicious soft serve ice cream and local delicacies?
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!
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