Station Kinshūko

Savor the Seasons at the Heart of Northern Japan

Nestled in the serene embrace of the Ou Mountains, Kinshūko roadside station lies just a 20-minute drive from Kitakami Nishi IC on the Tōhoku Jūdan Expressway, offering travelers a peaceful retreat amid lush forests and rolling farmland. More than a mere stopover, this roadside station is a vibrant celebration of local heritage, where the rhythms of nature and community converge.

Renowned for its seasonal specialties, Kinshūko shines in autumn with an array of wild mushrooms, fresh mountain vegetables, and handcrafted local treats. Don’t miss the famed baked goods, including the nostalgic bisu-pan tempura, or the seasonal offerings like new soba noodles and heirloom yam—each a taste of the region’s deep agricultural roots. With a welcoming atmosphere, thoughtful amenities, and a commitment to authentic local flavors, Kinshūko invites every visitor to pause, connect, and savor the essence of rural Japan.

Visit Kinshūko roadside station to taste the region’s only fresh, hand-harvested kikuimo— a rare, fiber-rich root vegetable from the Kiku family of plants, known for its crisp, gobo-like texture and health benefits. This is the only place where you can buy it directly from local farmers, often sold in 300-gram bundles for just 150 yen. Alongside seasonal specialties like wild mountain mushrooms and fresh soba noodles made from locally milled flour, Kinshūko also hosts rotating pop-ups from renowned local producers, including artisanal honey from Sawauma Beekeeping and seasonal warabi mochi from Kudo Confectionery—making it a true hub for authentic, hyper-local flavors you can’t find anywhere else.

• Best Arrival Time: Visit between 9:30 AM and 10:00 AM on weekdays to secure the day’s first batch of fresh Kikui mo (a root vegetable rich in inulin), which is sold in 300-gram bags for 150 yen and often sells out by midday.

• Hidden Gems: Check the deli counter near the entrance for the sawa-mo dashi (wild mushroom broth) and amitake water boiled—both priced at 400 yen—and the field shiitake (600 yen), which are ideal for soups and quick meals.

• Weekend Special: On weekends, visit the restaurant between 11:00 AM and 12:30 PM to enjoy the seasonal mushroom soba (1,000 yen) and mushroom donburi (1,200 yen), both made with locally foraged mushrooms and fresh-sourced soba flour.

• Seasonal Product Tip: Purchase the newly harvested soba (sold as “Hansei” variety) in 2-portion packs for 650 yen during the fall season, as this is the only time the roadside station offers this limited-edition, freshly milled product.

• Special Event Alert: Attend the Kawabata Beekeeping Honey Sampling Event on weekends (specific dates posted on Instagram), where you can taste multiple honey varieties from Kawabata Beekeeping, including rare wildflower and chestnut honey, and buy directly from the vendor.

• Exclusive Food Item: Look for the warabi manjū with roasted chestnut (648 yen) and warabi mochi original style (648 yen) at the temporary booth from Kudo Confectionery, which are only available at Kinshūko during seasonal events and not sold in the regular shop.

• Best Time to Buy Local Produce: Arrive by 11:00 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays to purchase the seasonal wild vegetable platter featuring pickled warabi (young ferns) and shiso, available for a limited time during the summer-to-fall transition.

Spring (March–May): Fresh mountain vegetables like wild ferns peak in late April to early May, with special seasonal treats like wild fern manjuu available.

Summer (June–August): Fresh mountain mushrooms such as sawamodashi and fallen-leaf mushrooms are at their peak, with pickled ferns on sale through August.

Autumn (September–November): New buckwheat season begins in late September, with fresh soba noodles and seasonal dishes available until November.

Winter (December–February): The snow room soba festival marks the start of winter, offering unique experiences with preserved buckwheat.