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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
calls itself Japan's No. 1 Cherry Village, boasting the largest tourist cherry farm in the country
Spacious souvenir and specialty product sales area (JA Agriland Direct from the Farm Food and Agriculture Kokocherry Store)
The roadside station is said to be the largest in the Tohoku region, and its spacious grounds, known as " Cherry Land ," include facilities such as the Sakuranbo Hall, Turkey Hall, Event Plaza, and 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
This is an original soft serve ice cream from Cherry Cafe Chou Chou, where you can enjoy cherries any time of the year
The beautiful pink " cherry soft serve ice cream " has a refreshing texture similar to sorbet, with the sweet and sour taste of cherries spreading throughout your mouth.
A clean counter with a spacious eat-in space in front
This time I purchased the "Cherries" flavor, but the " Waffle Sundae Cherries ," which is topped with a slightly more luxurious cherry fruit and jam, is also a recommended item.
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 is the birthplace of Mogami River Boat Songand Oe Koramagase Roadside Station is a roadside station that was renovated and reopened in October 2024.
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.
As I visited near the evening, the Aterasawa Menchi Katsu Burger that I was looking forward to was sold out, and instead, the Funauta Onsen Tamago .
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 bubble up from the rice fields, and there is a hot spring town with modern hotels and traditional Japanese inns. There is also a roadside station with a foot bath with natural hot spring water called Koma no Yu
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.
Morina Tendo also serves La France gelato, but we would like to introduce the La France soft serve ice cream from Kitchen Cafe, located in the direct-from-farm store Sun Pure.
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.
Imo-ni 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.
Yamagata Purin Yamagata Prefecture's first fruit pudding specialty shop , also offers fruit-flavored pudding soft serve (880 yen), but this time we tried the 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.
Bakery located in the food court of Gutto Yamagata , is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, and is filled with large, soft, and deliciously seasoned chunks of pork, making it an incredibly impressive treat.
"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.
ball konnyaku is infused with a soy sauce flavored with dashi and is generously coated with a sweet and spicy mustard vinegar miso sauce that goes perfectly with it.
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 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!
![Mogami safflower](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAJYAAACWAQAAAAAUekxPAAAAAnRSTlMAAHaTzTgAAAAaSURBVEjH7cExAQAAAMKg9U9tDQ+gAACAdwMLuAABXZHjmQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg== ""Mogami safflower" certified as a Japanese heritage and Japanese agricultural heritage [Yamagata Prefecture]")
![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]")
