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Yamagata, famous for its Hanagasa Festival,fruit kingdomis known as
the 23 roadside stations located throughout the prefecture, you can enjoy and purchase delicious dishes made with these ingredients, as well as enjoy soft-serve ice cream made with local specialties.
In this article, we will introduce some of the soft serve ice cream at roadside stations in Yamagata that you should definitely try this summer
Please note that the prices (tax included) listed in the article are current as of early July 2025
[Roadside Station Obanazawa Hanagasa no Sato Nemaru] This famous watermelon producing area has watermelon flavored soft serve ice cream and sweets! (Obanazawa City: Obanazawa-Shinjo Road, Obanazawa-Kita Interchange, National Route 13)
There is a terrace with tables and chairs under the watermelon-patterned tent in front of the building
The area around Obanazawa City, which is considered the birthplace of the Hanagasa Ondo dance,is famous for its watermelons, cherries, and La France pears, as well as its rice production. Livestock farming, including Japanese Black cattle, is also thriving, and these products are sold at roadside stations.
Watermelon Table
The roadside station's nickname, "Nemaru,in the local dialectto relax, and a table made from a slice of watermelon is placed on the spacious terrace in front of the station building, allowing visitors to relax and unwind.
infused with watermelon extractWatermelon Soft Serve Ice Cream, has a strong watermelon flavor and a refreshing aftertaste, just like eating a real watermelon.
Restaurant "Nemaru"
Soft serve ice cream can be purchased at the counter of the restaurant "Nemaru."
"Watermelon Bread Karinto" made from watermelon bread with watermelon sugar
A generous portion for just 300 yen
The souvenir shop "Hanagasawhich is made by concentrating the extract of Obanazawa watermelons, famous for their sweetness, and is watermelon-coloredwatermelon sugar, as well as sweets and drinks that use it.
A selection of watermelon souvenirs. The one on the far left is watermelon sugar, which is quite expensive at 2,300 yen per bottle
Watermelon sugar is said to have health benefits such as regulating blood pressure, improving skin condition, relieving muscle fatigue, detoxifying, and boosting the immune system, and is popular for its natural sweetness that seems to be gentle on the body
from among the foods that use watermelon sugarWatermelon Bread KarintoI bought
The color shows that the watermelon bread is deep-fried
from the local bakery "Obata Bakeryfrom the watermelon-flavored "watermelon breadare sold as "karinto" (a type of Japanese fried snack). They are watermelon-colored and have a subtle watermelon flavor when you bite into them.
This is watermelon bread, and we recommend the one with watermelon jam
They are reasonably priced at 300 yen per bag and are not too sweet, making them perfect for taking on a drive
Roadside Station Obanazawa Hanagasa Village Nemaru ＜Information＞
Facility name: Roadside Station Obanazawa Hanagasa Village Nemaru
Address: 1195-1 Ashizawa, Obanazawa City, Yamagata Prefecture
[Roadside Station Murayama] This roadside station serves delicious soba noodles and its soft serve ice cream is "Rose Butt"! (Murayama City: National Route 13)
Facility entrance and dome-shaped pedestrian bridge
There are parking lots on both sides of National Route 13, and from the parking lot in the direction of Yamagata and Tendo, you can reach this roadside station by crossing a dome-shaped pedestrian bridge over the national route
Locally grown cherries are sold at bargain prices
"a roadside station that people will definitely want to visit," which aims to be "Michi-no-Eki Murayama" offers fresh, locally grown seasonal fruits and vegetables directly from the producers at any time.
The local Pocky is also made with cherries (Sato Nishiki)
In particular, soba noodles, a specialty of this region, are not only served as the classic "ita soba" (soba served on a wooden board), but there is also a wide variety of dishes and sweets made with soba flour.
Rosehip soft serve ice cream: 400 yen
Refreshing soft serve ice cream with the sour taste of rose hips
Rosehips.are the red or purple fruits that grow on rose bushes. They are rich in vitamin C, and the pulp is used to make jams and marmalades, as well as herbal teas
The soft serve ice cream section in the food corner, where the seasonal cherry soft serve ice cream is also popular
The soft serve ice cream is infused with rose extract and topped with rosehip syrup, giving it a refreshingly sour taste. After the cream melts, it leaves a feeling of collagen lingering in your mouth, and the sweet and sour flavor pairs perfectly with the waffle cone
Kaimozu Stick
Fragrant "Kaimozu Sticks"
"Kaimozu" refers to a dish made in the Murayama region by kneading buckwheat flour with hot water, which is essentially a type of buckwheatporridge. This is a roadside station original snack made by deep-frying it in stick form, and it costs 350 yen.
The crispy fried sticks are fragrant and the flavor of soba spreads throughout your mouth. They are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside
It comes in two flavors, salt and spicy shichimi, and is recommended as a snack or appetizer
Try Yamagata's specialties, "ita soba" and "hiyashi ramen"!
"Ita Soba" with a strong soba aroma
Yamagata's specialty, "ItasobaTry
is about 80% buckwheat flourNihachi Soba, but it has a strong aroma and is cooked al dente. It pairs well with the rich broth, which has a strong sweetness and umami from the fish stock.
This is also a Yamagata specialty, "Cold Ramen"
"Cold ramen(750 yen)" is also a Yamagata specialty, but unlike typical "cold Chinese noodles," it doesn't use vinegar, and the noodles, bamboo shoots, and char siu pork float in a cold soup.
It's basically "cold ramen," and features a cold soy sauce-flavored soup with ice, making it a great ramen for the hot summer
Murayama Roadside Station <Information>
Facility name: Murayama Roadside Station
Address: 7635-1 Tateoka, Murayama City, Yamagata Prefecture
[Asahimachi Roadside Station Ringo no Mori] Apples are the main focus of Ringo no Mori's soft serve ice cream and gourmet food! (Asahimachi, Nishimurayama District: National Route 287)
Facility seen from the parking lot
Asahi Town is known as the town of apples, and the roadside station building has a red roof that represents an apple, and the toilet with a green roof represents a leaf
The fruits on sale at this time of year are peaches and plums
In addition to apples, the farm also offers a variety of seasonal fruits such as peaches and grapes, and you can also purchase fresh, seasonal vegetables
The mysterious mascot "Pink Rabbit"
Apparently, this roadside station has a cute, pink character called "Momoiro Usahi," so you might be able to meet him if you're lucky enough to visit the canal.
Ripe apple soft serve ice cream: 450 yen
The texture of diced apple pulp is delicious
which has grated apple mixed in;Grated Apple Soft Serve,"RipeApplewhich is topped with apple compotePlenty of Applecomes
Apple Marche menu
This time,softI tried the ripe apple
Did Newton try the "Gravity Burger (450 yen)"?
A big pate with apples inside
of Asahi Town's specialty brand of pork, "Apple New PorkThe patty, made from ground meatapples from Asahi Town, then placed on top of shredded cabbage.
It is topped with slices of apple compote and a sweet, mitarashi-style sauce with grated apple as a secret ingredient, and is sandwiched between soft and fluffy buns, creating a burger that is full of the tartness of apples
Apple Marche
on the facility groundsApple Marche, those who really want to try it should visit the roadside station in the morning.
Asahimachi Apple Forest Roadside Station <Information>
Facility name: Asahimachi Roadside Station Apple Forest
[Roadside Station Nishikawa] Enjoy a beer soft serve ice cream after your driver's bath! (Nishikawa Town, Nishimurayama District: National Route 112)
The Gassan Beer brewery is located within the building
This is the only roadside station in Yamagata Prefecture with an attached craft beer brewery"Münchner" and "Pilsner,where they brew authentic German beers such as
A nice and well-stocked shop
The restaurant serves dishes that pair well with beer, which can be enjoyed after a bath at Mizusawa Onsenkan, located on the premises. However, for drivers who cannot drink beer, we recommend the non-alcoholic beer soft serve
Gassan beer soft serve: 320 yen
Enjoy a beer while looking at the brewery
The beer-yellow soft serve ice cream has a rich hop and honey flavor that fills your mouth when you put it in your mouth, and it has a clean aftertaste that is as refreshing as after a big gulp of beer
Although it has the aroma of hops, it is not bitter, so even children can enjoy it, and since it does not contain alcohol, drivers can also eat it safely
When you think of Yamagata, you think of Tama Konnyaku!
The top one is "hiyashi tamagon" with boiled egg, and the bottom one is "hiyashi tamagon" with three konjac balls
skewers served at the restaurantChilled Tamakon(150 yen)" and "Chilled TamagonI recommend
In both cases, the soy sauce flavor is well infused into the chilled konjac, and the sweet and salty taste of the konjac goes well with the sweet and spicy taste of the mustard miso. The "Chilled Tamagon" comes with a boiled egg, making it a hearty and satisfying meal
Counter for receiving soft drinks and food
Both dishes are served with lightly pickled cucumbers on the counter, which you can add as a side dish of your choice
It's a nice change of flavor, so be sure to get one and enjoy it together
Chokai Roadside Station Furatto: Dadacha beans or La France pears, which is your favorite soft serve ice cream? (Yuza Town, Akumi District: National Route 7, National Route 345)
In the back right corner, there are bakeries, ramen shops, and other establishments
Located at the foot of Mount Chokai and facing the Sea of JapanTownis blessed with both mountain and sea produce, and its roadside stationHimawari no Kai" and a fresh fish market called "Genki na Hama-tenfeatures
The former Kamenahama store offers fresh seafood and side dishes made with it
In addition, skewers of seafood are popular in the fast food corner, and the "set meal" that adds a rice set (rice, miso soup, and pickles) to seafood purchased at the "Genki na Hama store" is also very popular
Dadacha bean soft serve ice cream: 450 yen
"Dadacha Bean Soft Cream" - the delicious flavor of dadachamame beans fills your mouth
The fast food cornerdadacha beans") and pears ("La Franceoffers soft serve ice cream made
The aroma and sweetness of the dadachamame beans kneaded into the subtly sweet vanilla cream is delicious, and you can also enjoy the texture of the grains, leaving a rich dadachamame flavor in the aftertaste
Soft serve ice cream menu
at the fast food cornerSoy Sauce Salt Soft Serve" is a popular soft serve ice cream
Grilled seafood skewers and oyster rice balls
The counter is lined with skewers and seafood, as well as meatballs, frankfurters, tempura, and more
For takeout food recommendations, we suggest the seafood skewers from the fast food corner. The mixedseafood skewers(baby octopus, scallop, whelk, and turban shell) are particularly popular because you can enjoy a variety of flavors.
Unfortunately, I couldn't enjoy it this time because I visited on a weekday!
from Yamagata PrefectureTsuyahimeare very popular, and the "Oyster Rice Ball," which is only available on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, is especially popular as it is topped with two large oysters.
In addition to the ones introduced in this article, roadside stations in Yamagata also offer soft serve ice cream that lets you enjoy the flavors of local specialties
There are also roadside stations that sell several original soft serve ice creams, all of which are unique and delicious, so I would like to visit the roadside stations again soon and give you a taste report
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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![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]")
