There are five roadside rest areas in Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture! We'll introduce the unique features of each and their delicious soft-serve ice cream! [Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture]　　　

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Miyagi Prefecture has the fewest roadside rest areas (Michi-no-Eki) among the six prefectures of Tohoku, but five of them are concentrated in Tome City in the northern part of the prefecture

This article introduces the characteristics of five roadside rest areas in Tome City, the soft-serve ice cream sold there, and the author's recommended gourmet foods

Please note that the prices listed in this article are inclusive of tax and are current as of August 18, 2026

Why are there five roadside rest areas in Tome City?

In April 2005 (Heisei 17), eight towns in Tome District (Hazama, Tome, Minamikata, Towa, Nakada, Toyosato, Yoneyama, and Ishikoshi) and Tsuyama Town in Motoyoshi District merged to form Tome City. Before the merger, these towns had the following roadside stations

• Tsuyama Roadside Station: Opened in July 1988 (Showa 63)
• Michi-no-Eki Yoneyama: Opened in December 1998 (Heisei 11)
• Michi-no-Eki Rinrinkan: Opened in August 2003 (Heisei 15)
• Michi-no-Eki Minamikata: Opened in March 2005 (Heisei 17)

Then, in April 2017, "Michi-no-Eki Mitakido," a roadside station that can be used like a service area, opened at the Mitakido Interchange on the Sanriku Expressway, bringing the total number of roadside stations in Tome City to five

[Roadside Station Rinrinkan] (Towa-cho, Tome City, National Route 346)

This roadside station is located near the border with Iwate Prefecture, and its main building displays materials related to the "Yonekawa no Mizukaburi" festival, a unique festival registered as a UNESCO cultural heritage site

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

"Yonekawa Water Splashing," a visiting deity event held on the border between Miyagi and Iwate prefectures | Local report [Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/38478

The Yonekawa Water-Burning Ceremony in Towa Town, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture, is a Nationally Designated Important Intangible Cultural Property and a visiting deity event that was designated a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage on November 29, 2018. As of January 2025, there are 22 UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage sites in Japan, including 10 "Visiting Deities: Masked and Costumed Gods." Four of these, including the Yonekawa Water-Burning Ceremony, were registered in the Tohoku region at the same time. Tohoku's "UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Visiting Deities: Masked and Costumed Gods" include the Yonekawa Water-Burning Ceremony (Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture), Yoshihama Suneka (Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture), Oga Namahage (Oga City, Akita Prefecture), and Yusa's Little New Year Amahage (Yusa City, Yamagata Prefecture).

Soft serve ice cream can be purchased at the standing-only eating area of ​​"Mori no Chaya," which has a sales corner for locally produced goods and a restaurant serving delicious local dishes such as "hatto" and "aburafu donburi."

Hokkaido soft serve ice cream (350 yen, mini 280 yen)

Made with milk from Hokkaido, this soft-serve ice cream has a rich flavor and sweetness reminiscent of condensed milk

They also have soft serve ice cream in seasonal fruit flavors, and on this visit, they had Hokkaido melon soft serve

[Michi-no-Eki Mitakido] (Towa-cho, Tome City, Sanriku Expressway, National Route 398)

This roadside station is located next to the Mitakido Interchange on the Sanriku Expressway (National Route 45) and can be used like a service area. It can also be accessed from National Route 398, which runs parallel to the Sanriku Expressway

Among the roadside stations in Tome City, this is the newest and is a popular and always crowded one, thanks to its convenient facilities such as a convenience store, an "RV park" where you can stay overnight in your vehicle, and a dog run

This roadside station is popular for its homemade bento boxes, side dishes, and take-out snacks, and it gets quite busy at lunchtime, even on weekdays. I also buy some of these items every time I visit, and I've included two of them here

Zunda soft serve ice cream (400 yen)

The pale green soft-serve ice cream is not too sweet, and after tasting the milk flavor, the flavor of zunda (mashed edamame beans) spreads throughout your mouth

While "Zunda Soft Serve Ice Cream" is made by the confectionery shop "Fugetsu-do" in Ishinomaki City, Michi-no-Eki Mitakido also offers a wide variety of soft serve ice creams, including "Hokkaido Soft Serve Ice Cream" (also sold at Rinrinkan) and premium soft serve ice cream like "Cremia."

For more information about "zunda," please refer to this article

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

[Miyagi Prefecture] What is the "Zunda" in Zunda Mochi? Learn about its origin and deliciousness!

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/7001

Zunda mochi, a type of rice cake made in the southern Tohoku region, particularly Miyagi Prefecture, has become famous nationwide for its delicious taste. But do you know what "zunda" in "zunda mochi" means? While it has a distinctly Tohoku dialect sound, let's explore the origin of "zunda" and its deliciousness. What is Zunda Mochi? Zunda mochi is made by grinding edamame beans and coating shiratama mochi (rice cakes) or mochi (rice cakes) with it. Its edamame-colored hue gives it a unique color and flavor. Furthermore, zunda mochi can also be made using peas or kidney beans, and the flavor varies depending on the type of bean used...

Spicy duck skewers (300 yen)

During this visit, I discovered a large duck skewer labeled "recommended," which I hadn't seen before. I was drawn to its size and delicious appearance, so I bought it

The large duck breast is prepared in a spicy pastrami style, and the rich flavor of the duck fills your mouth, making it very satisfying

Maple Melon Bread (220 yen)

This is a very popular melon bread, generously filled with butter cream and maple syrup, which was featured on a TV program as a specialty of Michi-no-Eki Mitakido

The bread has a light, crispy exterior and a soft, moist interior, and the generous amount of maple syrup inside pairs perfectly with the rich butter cream

[Michi-no-Eki Minamikata Mokkori no Sato] (Minamikata-cho, Tome City, Miyagi Prefectural Road No. 1)

The name "Mokkori" is said to mean "to boost energy" or is a nickname derived from the way the locally grown chives "mokkori" out of the soil with great energy

This roadside station is popular for its direct sales of fresh local vegetables such as "Mokkori Ichiban Nira" (a type of chive), as well as delicious processed foods such as "Tsukitate Mochi" (freshly made rice cakes) and "Gobo Chips" (burdock chips)

Fujiya Dairy's Rich Soft Serve Ice Cream (450 yen, medium size 350 yen)

The soft-serve ice cream made by Fujiya Dairy in Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture, using raw milk from Iwate Kogen Farm, is characterized by its rich, creamy milk flavor

Fujiya Dairy's soft serve ice cream is also sold at "Michi-no-Eki Daito" in Iwate Prefecture, which is near the company's headquarters. We've introduced it before, so please check out that article as well

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Enjoy the flavors of milk and sesame... 5 soft-serve ice creams to try at roadside stations in southern Iwate Prefecture! [Iwate Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/42886#i-4

Local soft-serve ice cream at roadside stations in southern Iwate Prefecture is characterized by a variety of flavors, from "orthodox" types that rely on the delicious local milk to those using fragrant sesame. This article introduces five particularly popular local soft-serve ice creams from roadside stations. Please note that the prices (including tax) listed in this article are as of the end of May 2025. [Roadside Station Kinshuko] Premium soft-serve ice cream made with 100% local Yuda milk! Exterior (National Route 107 and Kinshuko Lake on the left) Nishiwa... was formed by the merger of the former Sawauchi Village, known as one of Iwate Prefecture's heaviest snowfall areas, and the former Yuda Town, famous for the Yuda Onsenkyo hot springs.

Grape bread (700 yen)

This popular bread is made by "Kanon," a bakery located within the facility. It's filled with raisins and baked to a fluffy texture, resulting in a moist and delicious taste that has earned it high praise

This is an extremely popular product; when it's put on display fresh from the oven, it sometimes sells out while it's still steaming

[Roadside Station Yoneyama Agri Park] (Yoneyama-cho, Tome City, National Route 346)

Like other roadside stations in Tome City, this roadside station always has a wide variety of fresh agricultural products and processed goods, and is always bustling with shoppers

Furthermore, "Agri Park" is a nationwide, common, and standard name used for all facilities with an agricultural theme

Additionally, there is a tulip field of approximately 70 ares located to the west of "Furusato Center Y・Y," where a "Tulip Festival" is held every year during Golden Week

Corn soft serve ice cream (500 yen)

Soft serve ice cream can be purchased at "Oyasumi-dokoro Y・Y," a rest area located in a separate building from "Furusato Center Y・Y."

In addition to the classic vanilla and chocolate flavors, there are four seasonal options available, including passion fruit and corn. I chose the soft serve ice cream made with corn, which is in season right now

The sweet corn paste mixed into the dough retains a slight grainy texture, and combined with the milk flavor, it tastes like a cold corn chowder

Boiled corn (180 yen)

At the direct-from-the-farm market, they were selling freshly harvested corn of the "Ama-in-desu" variety

Not only are raw sweet potatoes with the skin on sold, but boiled "Ama-in-desu" sweet potatoes are also available, each individually wrapped in plastic wrap, so you can eat them right away

"Amain desu" is a very delicious corn variety with a thin, easy-to-eat skin, juicy texture, and a sweetness level comparable to that of a melon

[Michi-no-Eki Tsuyama Mokumoku Land] (Tsuyama-cho, Tome City, National Route 45)

The station building is constructed using "Tsuyama cedar," a specialty product of Tsuyama town, and the area offers a wide selection of woodworking crafts made from this timber, as well as locally grown vegetables

These woodworking crafts, sometimes called "arrow feather woodworking" because the grain of Tsuyama cedar is joined together like the feathers of an arrow, are on display and for sale at "Mokumoku House"

Furthermore, there's a plaza outside with large wooden playground equipment, making it a roadside station where families can relax and spend time together

About the soft serve ice cream at Michi-no-Eki Tsuyama

We had already confirmed with the manufacturer that "TOMI Sujata Silk Ice Soft," which is popular for its slow melting time and silky texture, is sold at this roadside station

Furthermore, I wanted to try this soft serve ice cream, but unfortunately, the souvenir shop and restaurant were closed on the day I visited, so I couldn't buy it

I've also heard that Michi-no-Eki Tsuyama offers other items such as "Sendai Fu Black Honey Soft Serve Ice Cream" and "Strawberry Soft Serve Ice Cream" made with "Sendai Fu," a specialty of Tome, and I plan to revisit the area and report back

summary

Visiting the five roadside stations in Tome City, I discovered that while each station develops items to showcase its unique character, they are also focusing on developing soft-serve ice cream

Also, given the season, boiled corn was being sold at every roadside station. Boiled corn allows you to fully enjoy the sweetness of the corn, so if you see it, I highly recommend trying it

DaiwaConsilio

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!