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Shizukuishi Anekko Roadside Station (Shizukuishi)
A roadside station with three attractions: a hot springs, a restaurant, and local food for sale.
The Shizukuishi Anekko Roadside Station is on Route 46, making it a rest stop for drivers going between Iwate and Akita. A hot springs bath, Hashiba Hot Springs, is linked to the roadside station here, which is very rare. The hot spring water is simple alkaline mineral water, making it effective in promoting beautiful skin. The alkalinity of the spring water makes it thick, slowly tracing over your skin, and even after you get out of the bath, your skin keeps feeling so smooth that you want to touch it again and again. It makes you think that you might be able to become a beautiful woman like the namesake of Shizukuishi Anekko, which means girl from Shizukuishi. After a bath, you’ll be smacking your lips at the local Shizukishi brand beef dishes at the station restaurant.
Many local items including produce and wild vegetables are available. The high quality of items for sale draws customers all the way from Akita. The cafeteria offers menu items like a local burger made completely with local meat, grains and vegetables. It’s always bustling with families here.
Kuzumaki Kogen Ranch (Kuzumaki)
Eat and experience, feel the splendor of nature!
Near Kuzumaki Kogen roadside station, this highland ranch is rich with opportunities to try participatory projects to engage with nature, like taking care of calves and goat kids, raising shiitake mushrooms, and making ice cream. Centered on dairy farming, there are many different activities to try here, some perfect for casual family trips, and others for local kids’ group events and fieldtrips, and even for school outings. At the Kuzumaki Kogen ranch, we are actively engaged in clean energy and issues regarding food and the environment. It’s not just for tourists, the entire community is engaged, and we’re trying to make the ranch completely self-reliant for food, which is drawing attention from outside.
At the Milk House Kuzumaki, the Bread House Kuzumaki, and the Cheese House Kuzumaki, fresh local milk and food products made completely with local ingredients are sold. They make great souvenir gifts.
Ishigami-no-oka Museum of Art (Iwate)
An experiential art facility out in the wilderness.
It was opened in 1993 as the first outdoor sculpture garden in Iwate. After that, at the same time the Ishigami-no-oka roadside station was opened it underwent large scale alterations and was reopened in July of 2002.
The outdoor exhibition can be enjoyed in all seasons with beautiful mountain prairies and vibrant colors in the fall. There is an observation space offering a magnificent view of Mt. Iwate, and the entire area brings nature and art together harmoniously. Special exhibitions are held a few times each year, and the workshop area gives visitors the opportunity to do more than look, and actually take part in the creation of art as well.
This museum of art is officially recognized as a lover’s sanctuary. To celebrate this recognition, at the nearby Ishigami-no-oka roadside station they sell a blueberry wine called “Lover’s heart of Ishigami.” The sweet light taste makes it a favorite among women.
Ishigami-no-oka Roadside Station (Iwate)
A roadside station with three attractions: eating, buying and playing.
Located on Route 4, Ishigami-no-oka roadside station is connected to the Ishigami-no-oka Museum of Art, which features the first outdoor exhibition in Iwate, making it a very attractive spot.
The area where local goods are sold is crowded all week long. It’s filled with fresh vegetables and fruits grown locally and even prepared food made from local ingredients. There are many vegetables including spring cabbages called “Iwate spring green,” yams, and lettuce. The prepared foods include jellies and jam from local blueberries and curry. There is also offal from local butchers, handmade bread, and dumplings for sale. To celebrate the designation as a lover’s sanctuary, blueberry wine called “Lover’s heart of Ishigami” and a shochu liquor made from “Iwate spring green” cabbages called “kyabechu” are available. Iwate-machi fried udon noodles that come with their own special sauce are particularly popular.
The restaurant offers a lineup of original dishes made from local ingredients. You can even try the Iwate-machi fried udon noodles, which are very popular for being both delicious and cheap.
The fun of cooking and eating, and the satisfactiong of picking fruits yourself.
Shiwa is active in fruit cultivation. Apples, grapes, La France (a European pear), and other fruits are all grown there. Shiwa Fruits Park is a farm for tourists that takes full advantage of Shiwa’s fruit growing. You can pick your own apples, grapes, cherries, and blueberries. In the kitchen workshop you can try making your own stone-oven pizza, hand-made soba noodles, jam, and sausages. Enjoy eating the fruits of your labor after you’ve finished.
There is also a winery, where grapes grown at the Shiwa Fruits Park are used to make wine. After taking a tour of the winery, you can try a sample of the wine at the gift shop.
Kodo Nomura Araebisu Memorial Hall (Shiwa)
Come here to learn about Kodo and Zenigata Heiji.
Kodo Nomura, the author of the famous detective novels featuring Zenigata Heiji, was born on October 15, 1882 in Shiwa county, Omaki village, present-day Shiwa. After graduating from Morioka junior high school, he was admitted to the law school of Tokyo Imperial University in 1907, but in 1910 he left the school just prior to graduation when his father died. In 1912 he was hired to work as a journalist for the Hochi Shimbun (a newspaper). After that he began writing a music-related comical serial column in the Hochi Shimbun under the pen-name of Araebisu. In 1931, his first work featuring his famous Zenigata Heiji character was published in Bungei Shunju magazine. He continued to write for the next 27 years.
Numerous items are displayed at the Kodo Nomura Araebisu Memorial Hall exhibiting Kodo Nomura’s personal background and professional achievements.
Kosaka Nanataki Roadside Station (Kosaka)
An important interchange that connects Towada and Odate.
Nanataki Falls is a 60-meter waterfall that cascades over seven steps, and is counted among the 100 most beautiful waterfalls in Japan. The area around Nanataki Falls is a well-tended green open area that is a popular tourist spot.
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