Everyone, do you like Roadside Station!?
I love them! They sell fresh local produce at great prices, and you often find delicious regional specialties that you won’t find anywhere else. These are truly treasure troves where you can experience the local charm – a paradise for both food lovers and discovery enthusiasts!

As someone who absolutely adores Roadside Station, I’d like to introduce you to “Hanagasa no Sato Nemaru” at Roadside Station Obanazawa. I’ll provide details about the facility along with some recommended local foods, so please take this as a helpful reference.

Roadside Station Obanazawa “Hanagasa no Sato Nemaru”

The word “nemaru” means “relax” or “please feel free to relax” in the local Obanazawa dialect.
It’s a perfectly fitting name for a roadside station, as it combines local souvenir shops, direct-sale agricultural products, and a delicious dining facility!
With its “Please relax and enjoy yourself” meaning, Roadside Station Obanazawa “Hanagasa no Sato Nemaru” is located along National Route 13 and is accessible from both the Obanazawa North IC on the Tohoku Chuo Expressway and the main road.

Roadside Station Obanazawa “Hanagasa’s Village – Nemaru” offers not only restrooms but also the following facilities:

• Restaurant “Nemaru”
• Souvenir shop “Hanagasasa”
• Regional promotion facility for fresh produce sales at Michinoku Fresh Market
• Information lounge
• Multipurpose restroom
• Nursing room
• Parking area
• EV charging station (available 24 hours)

Below we provide detailed information about recommended items at the Restaurant “Nemaru,” Michinoku Fresh Market, and Souvenir Shop “Hanagasasa.”

Restaurant Nemaru

When you think of roadside station, what comes to mind? For many, it’s the toilet breaks – but also the delightful surprise of finding something satisfying to eat when your stomach starts rumbling. That’s one of the joys of roadside rest stops!
Speaking of roadside station cuisine, have you ever wondered what kind of dishes are served at Roadside Station Obanazawa’s restaurant, Eating Place Nemaru?
This beloved eatery is cherished by both local residents and travelers alike as a rest stop dining spot. Today, we’ll introduce this much-loved restaurant.

Watermelon Soft cream

When you spot this at roadside station, you can’t help but want to try it! Local specialty soft cream – the very thing that makes these stops so appealing!
Obanazawa’s summer watermelons boast Japan’s highest production volume and are famous nationwide as “Obanazawa Watermelons.” This soft cream uses those world-famous melons – how could it possibly be anything less than delicious? The refreshing taste of watermelon perfectly blends with the creamy richness of milk, resulting in a remarkably well-balanced soft cream creation.

The vibrant pink color is visually stunning, making it an enjoyable treat to behold!

Yamagata’s Famous Ita Soba

When it comes to Yamagata’s signature dishes, you can’t go wrong with soba noodles! Let me introduce you first to Ita-soba!
The soba served at Restaurant Nemaru is particularly special – it’s fresh-prepared soba! Who would have thought you could enjoy fresh soba at a roadside station? They receive daily deliveries from a contracted noodle shop.

The accompanying small plates featured Shinjō’s famous shiso-maki rolls and Obanazawa’s signature pesora pickles. The noodles had excellent firmness, while the dipping sauce was slightly sweet. At first, I thought the sweet sauce was unusual, but since the side dishes were both spicy, eating them as a palate cleanser before slurping the noodles created perfect balance!

This level of quality at a roadside station – truly representative of Yamagata’s soba tradition!

When You Think of Yamagata, You think of Ramen

Another iconic Yamagata specialty? Ramen! This dish is practically a dietary staple for Yamagata residents. In 2024, it ranked first nationwide for the third consecutive year in ramen consumption!
The noodles are medium-thick, and the broth is a light soysource-based flavor. The chewy noodles pair perfectly with the light yet deeply savory broth – a ramen you can easily enjoy day after day!
The dish delivered on both flavor and portion size – an absolute winner!

Specialty Beef Curry

I had the beef curry! It was just the right amount of spicy, with a deep, lingering flavor and aroma of spices. The meat was so tender that it crumbled in your mouth, and it went perfectly with the curry. Don’t underestimate the curry at this roadside station!

Michinoku Fresh Market

Michinoku Fresh Market is a farmer’s market operated by JA Michinoku Murayama.
Michinoku Fresh Market sells seasonal vegetables, fruits, wild plants, steamed rice, whale mochi, pickles, and other locally produced, handmade products.
Here, we introduce recommended products from Michinoku Fresh Market.

Obanazawa Specialty! “Obanazawa Watermelon”

Obanazawa watermelons are harvested in the summer. And they boast the highest summer watermelon yield in Japan! While the sugar content of commonly available watermelons is said to be 8-10 degrees, Obanazawa watermelons boast a whopping 11-13 degrees! Apparently, they can’t be shipped unless they have a sugar content of at least 11 degrees.

At the Roadside Station Obanazawa “Hanagasa no Sato Nemaru,” these carefully selected, top-quality watermelons are sold in a special tent during the peak season from July to August, and they’re said to sell like hotcakes. They also ship nationwide, so be sure to pick some up as a souvenir if you’re visiting in the summer!

Local Cuisine: Kujira Mochi

Kujira Mochi, a signature confection from Shinjo City, is a perennially popular souvenir and is sold at the Michinoku Fresh Market inside the store.

Kujira mochi is a dish made by grinding and kneading rice flour, then steaming it. It comes in a variety of flavors, including white sugar, brown sugar, miso, soy sauce, and red bean paste, so be sure to find your favorite!
If it hardens over time, toasting it in a toaster oven will give it a fragrant flavor and transform it into a crispy, fluffy treat!
Don’t worry if you end up buying too many souvenirs!

Hanagasa Souvenir Corner

The souvenir corner, “Hanagasa,” sells a wide variety of traditional folk crafts and local sweets. There were a lot of gourmet foods made with watermelon, a Yamagata specialty, on sale in particular.

One of the most intriguing dishes was the “Obanazawa Watermelon Curry.” This curry is made using fully ripe brand-name watermelon and simmered entirely in watermelon juice, without any water whatsoever. It also contains brand-name Obanazawa beef and is fragrant with a unique blend of spices.

They also sell merchandise from Ginzan Onsen, a famous tourist spot in Yamagata, as well as a variety of alcoholic beverages, including craft beer made with Obanazawa hops and maple. This is a great place for those looking for a unique local souvenir!

Take a break in the 24-hour rest area (information lounge)

Roadside Station Obanazawa “Hanagasa no Sato Nemaru” also has a rest area that’s open 24 hours a day. It’s great that anyone can casually use it for a meal or a break! A unique feature of the area is the cute tables decorated with designs of Obanazawa watermelons, a specialty of Obanazawa.

There’s also a vending machine corner where you can purchase drinks and snacks, making it the perfect place to sit down and relax!

Nearby Spots

We’d like to introduce some of the nearby tourist spots accessible from Obanazawa Roadside Station “Hanagasa no Sato Nemaru.”

・Ginzan Onsen
A nostalgic hot spring town reminiscent of the Taisho era
https://www.ginzanonsen.jp/
・ Tokurako
A man-made lake where you can enjoy the changing seasons, including cherry blossoms, autumn leaves, fresh greenery, and swans.
https://yamagatakanko.com/attractions/detail_218.html

・Oishida Soba Highway
A variety of unique handmade soba restaurants are scattered throughout the area山”Soba Village” in Oishida Town, Kata Prefecture
https://www.town.oishida.yamagata.jp/kankou/sobakaidou/index.html

・Basho, Seifu Historical Museum
A museum exhibiting valuable materials, including those related to “Oku no Hosomichi”
https://www.city.obanazawa.yamagata.jp/kanko/matsuri/okunohosomichi/1392

All of these places are wonderful tourist spots! Be sure to check them out!

Summary

This time we introduced Roadside Station Obanazawa “Hanagasa no Sato Nemaru.”
We visited in winter, but in spring you can get wild vegetables. In summer you’ll see Obanazawa watermelons, the best in Japan. In autumn there are green vegetables, red long turnips and fruit. In addition, there is a wide selection of local specialties such as bamboo leaf rolls, shiso rolls, whale mochi and pesora pickles.
If you’re interested, be sure to stop by!

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