I went to Michi-no-eki Kaizan! Detailed information on popular souvenirs, gourmet food, and surrounding information!

KihokuTown is a town rich in nature surrounded by the sea and mountains.
The Choshi River, which boasts one of the highest water quality in Japan, also flows through the area, and nearby facilities include Camp Inn Kaizan and TanemakiGonbei-no-Sato. During the summer camping and leisure season, the place is filled with families and friends visiting!

Michi-no-eki Kaizan is a popular stop for such people. As you drive along National Route 42 toward Owase, you'll see a large signboard that says "Welcome to Choshi River," so look for it.

When you park your car in the parking lot and walk towards the building, you will find the restrooms, the rest and information corner, and the restaurant and specialty goods store at the very back.

There are tables and benches in the covered area in front of the entrance, so you can comfortably take a break even on sunny or rainy days.

First, let's go to the "Community Hall" where there is a restaurant and a specialty product store!

Here, you can purchase special products from KihokuTown and the surrounding area, and at the ``Kaizan Restaurant'' you can enjoy menus made with local fish, which are known for their active fishing industry.
When I visited Michi-no-eki Kaizan, I noticed that many locals use it! morning
They also serve breakfast until 11am, and the set includes coffee, toast, and boiled eggs for 300 yen, which is a great value. You can also see women visiting in the morning with friends to buy vegetables from the specialty products corner and then enjoy a leisurely morning chat.

It's Michi-no-eki that is loved by locals!

Now, let's look for souvenirs in the store!
`` Michi-no-eki Kaizan'' is located about 600 meters or 5 to 6 minutes' walk from the entrance of ``Magose Pass'', which has a cobblestone pilgrimage path that is said to be a symbolic sight of the ``World Heritage Magose-togePass''. .

In other words, there are many people who visit for the purpose of climbing the Kumano Kodo, and the store has many goods related to Kumano Kodo! There were some unique items, so I would like to introduce some of them.

This is a cane with "Kumano Kodo" printed on it.
Walking along ancient roads with a cane like this feels quite elegant, doesn't it?
It makes me imagine that people in the past walked with canes like this. Recommended for those who want to enjoy walking on ancient roads in a rich atmosphere! 740 yen per bottle.

I also discovered some real things. A 2,300 yen "Bear Pilgrimage Bell" to carry as a protection against bears while climbing.
It seems that each item is handmade, so each one has a slightly different tone!
Please click the ring and select the tone you like.

In addition to this, there are lots of Kumano Kodo related goods!
A long towel with the Kumano Kodo logo on it for 540 yen, a strap made of Owase Hinoki with the name of the mountain pass on it for 432 yen, a picture postcard for 200 yen, a wooden box with a cobblestone scenery carved on it for 1,890 yen, etc. We have a wide variety of items that can be used as souvenirs.

There was also a wide variety of Owase Hinoki items, including various cutting boards, cutting boards, and a ``mini chair'' for 14,000 yen.
Owase Hinoki is a KihokuTown specialty product that is highly praised for its dense growth rings and high strength.

Other popular items include dried fish caught in the Kumano Sea, processed seafood products such as HigashiKishu region's famous ``sanma sushi,'' and mandarin oranges.

What stood out at the store that day was the winter-only “Watari oysters”!
Watari oysters are farmed at Lake Shiroishi in KihokuTown, where the Kuroshio Current mixes with the nutrient-rich river flowing from the Odai Mountains. Because they are only cultivated in a limited area, the production volume is very low, and they are also called "phantom oysters"!
I've had it once, and it's really delicious without the characteristic oyster flavor. Don't miss out on the rare oysters!

We also asked the staff about some unusual products.

This is called ``Fruit Hozuki'' and is an edible Hozuki. The orange ones we know are enjoyed as ornamentals, but this one is slightly smaller and brown in color. It has a sweet and sour taste like a mandarin orange, and a scent like a blend of tomatoes and pineapple...It is also highly nutritious and is said to be eaten as a superfood overseas! I was really curious about what it tasted like.

By the way, in the morning, there is a wide selection of vegetables grown by local farmers, but by the time I visited, they were already sold out. If you are looking for vegetables, we recommend arriving early!

The restaurant is located at the back of the specialty product store, and you buy a meal ticket and present it to the staff.

This time I ordered one of the most popular dishes using locally produced fish, such as the ``Saury Tsuta-don'' (680 yen) and the ``Okumasu Seasonal Dried Fish Set Meal'' (750 yen) made by the local dried fish shop, ``Okumasu.'' What I got was “Sanma dog” for 320 yen! I had the impression that saury goes well with rice, so I was excited to see what it would be like with bread!

This is "Saury Dog".
You can eat in or take out. Two Tatsuta-age fried saury and shredded cabbage are sandwiched together. When you bite into it, the sweet and sour sauce soaks into the saury and it's delicious! It goes perfectly with the slightly sweet and nostalgic koppepan.

``Fish Ball Cutlet Set Meal'' (680 yen) is a healthy fish cutlet made by kneading onion, burdock root, and carrot pieces into ground Kisu (fish fillet) and deep-frying it. They make them by hand at the shop, and they recommend them as well.
You can also take out soft serve ice cream and sundaes.

There is also an information/rest corner next to the specialty product sales area, and there is also a sign in front of it that says ``Kumano Kodo Machinaka Information Center.''

Inside, there are pamphlets related to the Kumano Kodo, as well as information on the Kumano Kodo passes and walking routes, so be sure to check them out when you're walking around the Kumano Kodo.

In the pamphlet area, there were also dolls representing people who walked the Kumano Kodo in the past.

The rest area is spacious with a seating area where you can take off your shoes, benches, tables, and chairs. It's perfect for a break from driving or when you're tired of walking.

There are also beautiful photos of KihokuTown throughout the four seasons, so it's nice to be able to see what KihokuTown looks like at different times.

【basic information】
Address 1439-3 Aiga, Kihoku-KihokuTown gun, 519-3406
Phone number 0597-32-1661
Parking lot: 9 large cars, 30 regular cars, 2 spaces for people with disabilities
Business hours: 9:00-18:00 (~19:00 in August)
Closed: Open all year round
Toilet outside the facility Available 24 hours a day, barrier-free toilet available
EV charging facility available

Stamp Rally (with)
Michi-no-eki ticket (available)

*The information posted is as of March 2018.