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Part 2! Soft serve ice creams at roadside stations in Yamagata Prefecture! Introducing the original soft serve ice creams at roadside stations with rich fruit flavors! [Yamagata Prefecture]
Part 2! Soft serve ice creams at roadside stations in Yamagata Prefecture! Introducing the original soft serve ice creams at roadside stations with rich fruit flavors! [Yamagata Prefecture]
The six Tohoku prefectures are home to delicious rice, vegetables, fruit, and milk, and Yamagata Prefecture is no exception, with its roadside station's original soft serve ice cream making the most of these delicious foods
In the first installment of our introduction to roadside station soft serve ice cream in Yamagata Prefecture, we introduced soft serve ice cream and gourmet foods that made use of local specialties, but here we will introduce roadside station soft serve ice cream made with locally produced fruits and from popular specialty shops
Please note that the prices listed in the article are tax-inclusive prices as of August 2025
[Roadside Station Sagae Cherry Land Sagae] Cherry soft serve ice cream at this roadside station in the center of Yamagata Prefecture! (Sagae City: National Route 112)
A large cherry sculpture in front of the entrance
Yamagata Prefecture is famous for its cherries, and Sagae City, in particular, boasts one of the largest tourist cherry orchards in Japan, calling itself "Japan's No. 1 Cherry VillageSagae,
Spacious souvenir and specialty product sales area (JA Agriland Direct from the Farm Food and Agriculture Kokocherry Store)
This roadside station is said to be the largest in the Tohoku region, and within its vast grounds known as "Cherryland," it houses facilities such as the Cherry Blossom Hall, the Turkish Pavilion, an event plaza, and the International Cherry Park.
Beyond the large gate facing the national highway, there is a vast site and numerous facilities
There is also a campsite with glamping facilities, so this roadside station is a great place to stay and relax while using the facilities
Cherry soft serve ice cream: 420 yen
Pale pink cherry soft serve ice cream
where you can enjoy cherries all year roundchou chou,This is an original soft-serve ice cream from "cherry cafe
The beautiful pink "Cherry Soft Serve Ice Cream" offers a delightful balance of cherry sweetness and tartness in your mouth, along with a refreshing, sherbet-like texture.
A clean counter with a spacious eat-in space in front
I purchased the "Cherry" flavor this time, but ICherry Waffle Sundae,also recommend
Peach Maritozzo: 350 yen
Peach maritozzo and cherry soft serve. Electric outlets are also available in the eat-in area
Among the many gourmet foods available for takeout, the one we recommend this time is a fruit-filled maritozzo filled with plenty of fresh cream
Maritozzo and another delicious looking cake
This is also sold at "cherry cafe chou chou," and on this day I chose the maritozzo, which had a large peach inside that looked delicious
The peach compote is wrapped in plenty of cream and pairs perfectly with the moist bread dough, which has a strong butter and egg flavor
Roadside Station Sagae Cherry Land Sagae ＜Information＞
Facility name: Roadside Station Sagae Cherry Land Sagae
Address: 919-8 Kawahara, Yakuwa, Sagae City, Yamagata Prefecture
[Oe Koramagase Roadside Station] "Yo~isano, Magasho~! Hey, come on, Magase~!" Oe Town, the birthplace of the Mogami River boat song, is famous for its plums! (Oe Town: National Route 287)
A station building built on a spacious site
Aterazawa in Oe Town isMogami Riverthe birthplace ofBoat Song," and "Michi-no-Eki Oe Koramagase" is a roadside station that reopened in October 2024 after renovations.
The surrounding area is a major producer of fruits such as cherries and La France pears, and recently it has become known as a major producer of plums, which are popular for their sour taste
A spacious and bright interior where you can feel the warmth of wood
Nearby, on the banks of the Mogami River, there is the location where the famous scene from the NHK drama series "Oshin," which took the world by storm in 1983, was filmed, in which young Oshin, who was sold for one sack of rice, says goodbye to her parents on a raft
Plum soft serve ice cream: 450 yen
Light pink plum soft serve ice cream
This soft serve ice cream has a refreshing sourness from the plum (Blum), and while the aftertaste is light, you can still enjoy the richness of the cream
The sourness and fragrant sweetness of the waffle cone go perfectly together, making it delicious until the last bite
Funauta Onsen Eggs: 4 eggs for 270 yen
If it's still available by the evening, you can get a good deal
Since my visit was late in the afternoon, the "Aterasawa Menchi Katsu Burger" that I had been hoping to get was sold out, and what caught my eye was this "Funauta Onsen Tamago" (hot spring egg).
Heartwarming and gentle illustrations
I bought it because I was attracted by the slogan "Enjoy a delicious 24-hour soak in the hot spring waters of Funauta Onsen!" and the heartwarming illustration on the package
Soft and fluffy hot spring eggs
The texture of the soft-boiled yolk and the moderate saltiness go perfectly with the chicken char siu prepared dish I bought for dinner that day, and I recommend it as both a snack and a side dish
[Roadside Station Tendo Onsen Morina Tendo] At this roadside station in the town of shogi pieces and hot springs, we recommend the La France soft serve ice cream! (Tendo City: National Route 13)
The building in the foreground is Morina Tendo, and the one in the back left is the direct-from-farm store "Sun Pure."
Tendo City produces over 90% of Japan's shogi pieces, a traditional craft, and is also a specialty of fruit, with the city being the number one producer of La France pears in Japan
The kitchen and cafe are located at the back right of the farm store
Furthermore, hot springs gush forth from the rice paddies, and there is a hot spring town with modern hotels and traditional Japanese inns.Koma-no-yuThere is also a roadside station with a free-flowing hot spring footbath called
La France soft serve ice cream: 400 yen
The pale green La France soft serve ice cream is similar in color to the skin of the La France pear
"Mori-na Tendo" also sells La France pear gelato, I'd like to introduce the La France pear soft serve ice cream from "Kitchen Cafe" located in the direct-from-the-farm store "Sunpure".
Kitchen cafe counter, where you can also buy imoni croquettes
It has a strong, unique La France flavor and a grainy texture similar to that of the flesh of the fruit
It has a sherbet-like texture and a refreshing aftertaste with the flavor of La France pears, making it a refreshing soft serve ice cream that is recommended for hot days
Imoni croquette: 250 yen
Sticky taro croquette
The taro paste has a subtle soy sauce flavor and a unique sticky texture, and the flavor of the ground beef kneaded into it makes this a croquette that allows you to enjoy the taste of Yamagata's taro, beef, and soy sauce flavored taro stew
Roadside Station Tendo Onsen Morina Tendo ＜Information＞
Facility name: Roadside Station Tendo Onsen Morina Tendo
Address: 2-3-41 Kuwanomachi, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture
Phone number: 023-651-2002
Opening hours: Direct from the farm store "Sun Pure" 9:00-18:00
[Roadside Station Yamagata Zao] Yamagata City's first roadside station, opening in 2023, will be filled with delicious Yamagata delicacies! (Yamagata City: National Route 13)
As the first roadside station in Yamagata City, it has a wide range of facilities spread over a large area, and since its opening in December 2023 (Reiwa 5), it has become the most popular roadside station in Yamagata
AV park parking lot behind the building where you can sleep overnight in your car
In addition to soft serve ice cream, the mall also offers a wide selection of popular Yamagata gourmet foods and souvenirs, as well as an AV park where you can stay overnight in your car, making it a popular destination year-round
There are three competing ice cream and gelato shops in the food court, so you'll definitely have a hard time deciding what to buy
There are many food courts and outdoor stores, and there are so many soft serve ice creams, gelatos, and takeout gourmet foods that it was really hard to decide which ones to introduce
Pudding soft serve (plain, retro): 770 yen
A mound of soft serve ice cream in a pudding jar
So far, we have introduced fruit-flavored soft serve ice cream at roadside stations in fruit-growing areas
Prefecture's first specialty fruit pudding shopYamagata Pudding, Yamagata, also offers a fruit-filled pudding soft serve (880 yen), but this time I tried their plain pudding soft serve.
Even if you try to eat the soft serve ice cream without spilling it, it's hard to reach the pudding
The soft serve ice cream on top of the pudding is creamy and has a flavor similar to condensed milk, and you need to eat the cream first before you can reach the pudding, so it takes some skill to eat it
"Retro Pudding" contains vanilla beans and has a strong egg flavor, making it a delicious, old-fashioned, slightly firm pudding
Pork curry bread (Rice daughter pig): 430 yen
It contains large chunks of "Kome no Musume Pig" meat, making it very satisfying to eat
iscrispyin the food court of "Gutto Yamagata"Cybelle Bread Workshopon the outside and chewy on the inside, filled with large, tender, and deliciously seasoned chunks of pork, making a truly impressive presence.
"Civet Bakery" in the food court
The curry is slightly sweet yet spicy, making this a popular curry bread that will satisfy even curry lovers
Chilled konjac balls: 150 yen
Chilled balls of konjac generously coated with mustard and vinegar miso
We would like to introduce another traditional Yamagata takeout gourmet dish from this roadside station
which have been thoroughly chilled and infused with a flavorful soy sauce brothThe konjac balls, are generously coated with a sweet and spicy mustard miso sauce that pairs perfectly with them.
Tanno Konnyaku in the food court always has warm balls of konnyaku on hand
This is a delicious, cold local delicacy that represents Yamagata and can be eaten as much as you like during the hot summer
Roadside Station Yamagata Zao ＜Information＞
Facility name: Roadside Station Yamagata Zao
Address: 79-1 Omote Zao, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture
Phone number: 023-676-6868
Business hours: Yamagata Pudding Roadside Station Zao 9:30-17:00
In this second installment of our Yamagata Prefecture roadside station soft serve ice cream series, we followed up on the previous article by introducing the original soft serve ice cream at roadside stations in the Murayama region, a treasure trove of delicious fruit
There are many other roadside stations in Yamagata Prefecture, such as the Shonai and Okitama regions, that offer soft serve ice cream that is worth trying at least once, so I would like to introduce them to you sometime in the future
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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