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

Mountains and tea fields as far as the eye can see, and the clear Kushidawa River spreading out below.
This is Michi-no-eki on a hill where you can feel the changing seasons with your whole body.

The observation deck and large suspension bridge are recommended spots where you can enjoy the scenery and the thrill!
I will introduce you in detail♪

If you go down National Route 166 from MatsusakaCity and enter Iinan-cho Itumi, you will come to a slightly sharp right curve.
A log house-like building came into view on the hill on the left.
This is "Michi-no-eki Chakura Station". Please look for the large signboard from the opposite direction.

Every year, around the time of Golden Week, beautiful azaleas bloom along the road leading up to Michi-no-eki.
From the parking lot at the top of the mountain, you can see a panoramic view of Iinan Town and even the mountains in the distance.

Local specialties and delicacies were lined up inside the store, where you could feel the warmth of wood.
The spacious dining room is said to have many local customers on weekdays and cycling customers from outside the prefecture on weekends.

A tea corner lined with carefully selected locally produced teas. The stationmaster's recommendation was ``deep-steamed tea with richness and sweetness.''
The stationmaster said that since he came to this Michi-no-eki, he no longer buys tea at the convenience store.

Early on that day, locals started buying cherry tomatoes from Motochan Farm, saying, ``I'm a fan of these tomatoes!''
When I tasted it, I didn't feel the sourness typical of tomatoes at all, and it had a sweetness that made me feel like I was eating fruit!
The vegetables are filled with a lot of passion, from young farmers who want to revitalize the region, to people who have reached retirement age and whose purpose in life is to connect with customers through exhibiting here. The price is also reasonable!

The 800 yen tea udon set is an eye-catching green udon noodle made with tea, a local specialty. Enjoy the shrimp tempura and vegetable kakiage with matcha salt.

The faint scent of tea spreads in your mouth, and the sweet and spicy stewed shiitake mushrooms give the udon soup a deeper flavor.

The most popular item here, ``Niku Udon,'' is 650 yen. It is loved by men and women of all ages, and the generous amount of meat will fill your stomach.

The second floor has been renovated two years ago and has become a stylish cafe!

You order from the cafe menu (you are not allowed to bring in your own food) using the ticket machine below, and then bring your own food.

The view from the cafe was very nice! It was a cloudy day in early March, so we couldn't see any blue skies or flowers yet, but depending on the season, you can take a breather while enjoying the changing colors of cherry blossoms, green tea fields, and autumn leaves.

If you stare at the scenery absentmindedly, you'll feel like you'll lose track of time.

"Cake set" 500 yen. Individual items include ``coffee'' for 250 yen and ``cake'' for 280 yen. For this day's cake, we could choose from matcha ogura, chocolate, and cheese.

The cheese was heavy and very rich!

As I was climbing the stairs to the observation deck, I saw a sign that read "Couple Hinoki." There are two cypress trees lined up side by side, looking friendly.

A camera stand was also set up where you could place your smartphone as a photo spot. Please try taking photos with your husband and wife.

The observation deck is located about 3 minutes up the stairs. There is a spectacular view that makes you want to say "Yooo!".

In spring, the cherry blossoms bloom, and many people come here to view them.

I was able to see the town on the opposite side of the cafe.
The tea fields were spreading out, and I could smell the pleasant aroma of burning wood.

If you go down from the observation deck to the other side, you will see a large red suspension bridge that connects Chakura Station to the Riverside Chakura side of the hotel.

Even though it is called a suspension bridge, it is made of steel so you don't have to worry about it shaking! However, there is a gap between your feet and you can feel a little thrill.

We arrived at Riverside Chakura while enjoying the scenery from the suspension bridge. There was also a barbecue house and a park with playground equipment next door.

It seems that you can enjoy cherry blossoms in this park as well, and although it was cold on this day, the Kawazu cherry blossoms were starting to bloom. It seems that as spring approaches, we can enjoy the Somei Yoshino cherry trees.

You can use the barbecue house empty-handed, and you can also bring your own drinks (100 yen per adult)!

It can accommodate up to 100 people and is equipped with a screen, so it can be used in a variety of situations. In addition to the stove, we also heated a seven-wheeled rice bran.

Let me introduce you to the menu of Barbecue House.

The ``Affordable Set'' comes with 200g of chicken thighs, 50g of domestic beef short ribs, sausages, vegetables, and rice for 1,500 yen per person.
The standard set comes with 100g of domestic beef short ribs, 100g of domestic beef offal, 100g of chicken thighs, wiener, vegetables, and rice for 2,500 yen per person.

The photo shows the Matsusaka Beef Set, which costs 3,500 yen per person and comes with 100g of Matsusaka beef short ribs, 100g of Matsusaka beef offal, 100g of chicken thighs, wiener, vegetables, and rice!

Riverside Chakura is a lodging facility that feels nostalgic, like a Scandinavian pension. Although it is not large, many people use it for training camps and company trips.

Each Japanese-style room can accommodate up to 7 people. Prices start from 4,000 yen per night without meals, and 7,000 yen per night with two meals included.

It would be nice to enjoy the nature around Iinan and spend the night here while tasting local products and local sake.

【basic information】
Address 452-1 Ayumi, Iinan-cho, MatsusakaCity Mie Prefecture 515-1411
Phone number 0598-32-2555 (Riverside Chakura reception 9:00-17:00)
Parking lot: 2 large spaces, 15 spaces for regular cars, 2 spaces for people with disabilities
Business hours 9:00-17:00
Closed on Tuesdays (the following day if it is a public holiday), New Year holidays
Toilet outside the facility *Available 24 hours, barrier-free toilet available
EV charging facility (none)

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

*The information posted is as of March 2018.