Michi-no-eki Wayside Stations

Michi-no-eki wayside stations are a popular institution in Japan and, with 24 of them, Oita Prefecture has more than its fair share. Locals proudly run these shops, akin to idiosyncratic convenience stores on steroids, selling a large variety of produce and dishes from the immediate area. Items vary widely between each michi-no-eki but usually include fresh, seasonal vegetables and fruit, rice, processed produce such as jams and sauces, freshly baked bread and cakes, bento lunch boxes, freshly-cut flowers and plants, and original crafts. Most michi-no-eki also include one or more restaurants providing delicious and reasonably priced fayre typical of the region, and also tourist information facilities

Michi-no-eki are found throughout the prefecture with concentrations around Taketa and Bungo-Ono in the south and Hita and Kuju in the west. Yayoi michi-no-eki in Saiki, which came top of the list in a recent survey of Oita residents, also has a fresh-water aquarium and an onsen hot spring. At number two came Nakatsu michi-no-eki, and the one at Kiyowaka in Bungo Ono came third. However, all of Oita’s michi-no-eki offer a pleasant place to rest and refresh oneself.