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Michi-no-Eki JournalMap
Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph

Akita Prefecture · Tohoku

Michi-no-Eki Kotooka

道の駅 ことおか

A Route 7 rest stop in the town of Jomon clay whistles, with fried shrimp and sweets from the farm shop.

Updated Michi-no-Eki JournalRead in Japanese

Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph

Location
Mitane Town, Yamamoto District
Road
National Route 7
Hours
09:00–17:00
Generally 9:00–17:00 from April to October and 9:00–16:00 from November to March. Hours vary by facility and season.
Parking
Cars: 127 / Large vehicles: 0
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How to enjoy

Choose how to enjoy your visit

Eat, shop, play, take in the view or rest. Choose from the station’s strengths to suit your day.

Eat first
Lunch at Takaishino

Aim for lunchtime if you want the fried shrimp set meal. After 15:00, a break and sweets are safer plans than a restaurant meal.

For shopping
Green Pia

Take home Mitane ingredients, from vegetables and broad-bean or plum products to seasonal wild vegetables and melons.

For something sweet
Kohaja and doubanjiang soft serve

Kohaja has the tartness of natsuhaze berries; doubanjiang soft serve reflects the area's broad-bean products. You can sample the station's local flavors without a sit-down meal.

Learn about the area
Clay whistles and the Takaishino site

After seeing the building's shape and the exhibits or activities, continue to the nearby Kotooka Museum of History and Folklore to complete the story.

Go farther afield
Junsai or an onsen

Pick junsai from early summer through summer, or finish a trip with Moritake Onsen year-round. Use the station to plan your Mitane drive.

Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph
Nono's rest-stop notes

Restaurant, farm shop, sweets: remember Mitane through what you eat.

Nono Fujishiro sees this as more than a stop along the highway: one day calls for fried shrimp at lunch, another for a quick kohaja or doubanjiang soft serve, and another for broad-bean or plum products from Green Pia to take home. These different reasons to eat make it easy to begin a trip around Mitane Town.

Highlights

Michi-no-Eki Kotooka, on National Route 7 between Akita City and Noshiro, makes it easy to combine a meal, a farm shop and tourist information. The building recalls pottery excavated at the Takaishino site. A taste of Mitane Town comes through the fried shrimp at Restaurant Takaishino, Green Pia's vegetables and broad-bean products, and sweets such as Kohaja soft serve and doubanjiang soft serve. Whether you want a short break or a longer trip to pick junsai, an edible aquatic plant, or visit Moritake Onsen, the station is a useful point for choosing your next stop.

  • #National Route 7
  • #Green Pia
  • #Fried shrimp set meal
  • #Kohaja soft serve
  • #Junsai
  • #Takaishino archaeological site
Why I like it

Reasons to stop here

01

Enjoy a meal and the farm shop separately

On the Sunbario side, Restaurant Takaishino is the meal option. At Green Pia, the farm shop, look for vegetables, processed broad-bean products, soft serve and crepes. You can stop for a full lunch or make a shorter visit for sweets and shopping.

02

A station rooted in Jomon clay whistles

Jomon-period clay whistles were unearthed at Takaishino, a connection reflected in the station building and its hands-on learning information. After eating and shopping, continue to the nearby Kotooka Museum of History and Folklore to learn more about Mitane Town's past.

03

A starting point for exploring Mitane Town

Tourist information is available on the grounds. For the May–August junsai-picking experience, visitors are directed to register at the tourist information center inside the station before heading to the pond. It is a useful first stop for a drive through Mitane Town.

Route idea

Ways to plan your stop

Spend your time at the station or add somewhere nearby. These ideas help you plan around your companions and the weather.

A travel break between Akita City and Noshiro

Combine lunch and shopping in 45 minutes on Route 7

After parking, use the toilets and have lunch at Sunbario, then choose vegetables or processed foods at Green Pia. Arrive around midday for the fried shrimp set meal. Later in the day, soft serve or a crepe can make for a satisfying shorter break.

Parking → toilets → Restaurant Takaishino → Green Pia → National Route 7

Sunbario and the restaurant are generally closed on the second and fourth Tuesdays. The farm shop has a different closure schedule, so check official information if you are coming for a meal.

Families with primary-school-age children and older; an educational detour on a rainy day

Take a short walk through the town of clay whistles

Look at the station's pottery-inspired design, then drive a few minutes to the Kotooka Museum of History and Folklore. Its Takaishino clay whistles and exhibits about the Kotooka area connect the station's shape and specialties to the area's past.

Michi-no-Eki → Kotooka Museum of History and Folklore → sweets at Green Pia

The museum opens on limited days and closes for winter. Check the town's current opening calendar before going.

A May–August activity drive

Explore Mitane more deeply in junsai season

Visitors are directed to register at the tourist information center inside the station before going to a pond for junsai picking. Afterwards, return for sweets or shopping, or continue to Moritake Onsen: see the ingredient, pick it and then relax.

Station tourist information center → junsai pond → Green Pia or Moritake Onsen

Junsai picking depends on the season, booking and weather. Check the tourism association's latest fees and registration instructions.

A late arrival or short break before the return drive

Do not rely on a restaurant meal in the evening

Visitor reports also suggest that the restaurant may have finished serving by evening, so plan lunch earlier if a meal is your priority. On a late arrival, use the farm shop, soft serve, tourist information or toilets as your reason to stop along Route 7, subject to each facility's hours.

Parking → toilets → Green Pia → sweets or a drink → departure

Closing time is generally earlier in winter. From November through March, plan around the town's listed 16:00 closing time, while confirming the facility you need.

Hours

Opening hours

Sunbario
9:00–17:00 / winter 9:00–16:00

Mitane Town's official guide lists the earlier closing time from November through March.

Restaurant Takaishino
Lunch 11:00–15:00

The tourism association also lists cafe hours of 9:00–18:00 in March–October and 9:00–17:00 in November–February. These differ from the town's Sunbario building hours, so confirm access before relying on the later cafe times.

Green Pia
9:00–17:00 / winter 9:00–16:00

The town lists winter hours as November–March; Akita Prefecture's farm-shop guide lists November–February and says 9:00–17:00 resumes in March. Confirm March hours directly before visiting.

Junsai Stand PETIT BATEAU
9:30-16:30

Eat-in service is generally 10:00–15:00, with Monday and Tuesday listed as closed days.

Rest area
24 hours

Jalan and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism list the rest area as available 24 hours.

Tourism association reception
9:00-17:00

These are the Mitane Town Tourism Association's approximate reception hours; the desk is a starting point for activities such as junsai picking.

Family

Visiting with children

Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph

Stars show the editorial recommendation for each age group on a five-point scale. Read the reasons alongside each rating.

Age 1 and under
★★★☆☆

Best for a toilet break and brief shopping. Check on site for a place to feed or change a baby rather than planning a long stay.

Published information gives little detail on dedicated infant facilities, so plan a shorter stop.

Ages 2–3
★★★☆☆

The farm shop and sweets can offer a change of pace, but the station is not primarily a play area for running around.

With many product shelves, it can help to have one adult shop while another watches the child.

Ages 4–6
★★★★☆

The pottery-like building, soft serve, crepes and brief exhibits can make an engaging rest stop.

If you plan a hands-on activity or museum visit, check opening days and the time needed in advance.

Primary-school age
★★★★☆

Children at this age can explore the stories of the Takaishino site, clay whistles and junsai picking.

Pair junsai picking in May–August with the trip, or visit the Kotooka Museum of History and Folklore at other times when it is open.

Plan meals around midday

For the restaurant, lunch is generally 11:00–15:00. Later, switch to sweets or the farm shop if they are open.

Save active play for another stop

The station centers on shopping, food and tourist information. Head to a park or an activity site when children need to move around.

Bring cooling and water in summer

A cooler bag and drinks help when buying fresh food at the farm shop or going to pick junsai.

Check winter closing times early

The town lists 16:00 closing from November to March. Keep an evening arrival brief and confirm individual facilities.

Event

Make an event part of your visit

Permanent spaces and dated events are listed separately. Events can change both the atmosphere and crowds; use the official links for details.

Checking event dates.

Spaces used for events

Michi-no-Eki Kotooka Festival

Mitane Town's annual events information lists this as an autumn event. Dates change from year to year, so check town and tourism association announcements before an autumn visit.

Junsai-picking experience

A seasonal experience generally offered from May to August. Visitors are directed to register at the tourist information center inside the station and then travel to the activity site. Junsai is an edible aquatic plant harvested from ponds.

Hands-on learning room

Information mentions clay-whistle making and pressed-flower activities. Offerings may vary, so confirm in advance if an activity is your main reason for visiting.

Observation deck

Views are described toward the Hachirogata reclaimed land and the Oga Peninsula. It is a short change of scene on a clear day.

Local feel

Reasons to return

Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.

Lunch at the restaurant; switch to the farm shop and sweets later

Restaurant Takaishino generally serves lunch from 11:00 to 15:00. Visitor accounts also mention finding it closed in the evening. If you arrive late, make the farm shop, soft serve or a toilet break your plan instead of relying on a restaurant meal, subject to their opening hours.

Source: Mitane Town Tourism Association and patterns in traveler reviews

Start a junsai experience at the station's tourist desk

Akita's official tourism site directs visitors to register for junsai picking at the tourist information center inside Michi-no-Eki Kotooka before traveling to the pond. In May–August, the station can be the starting point for this Mitane activity.

Source: Akita Fan and Mitane Town Tourism Association
Before your visit

Things to check before setting out

Opening and closure days, individual businesses and facilities for children or dogs can affect your plans.

  • The general hours are 9:00–17:00 in April–October and 9:00–16:00 in November–March. Arrive earlier in winter or late in the day, and check the hours of the facility you need.
  • Sunbario and the restaurant are generally closed on the second and fourth Tuesdays each month. Green Pia has no regular closed day in the town guide, but Akita Prefecture lists January 1–3 as closed. Check each facility when planning a meal.
  • Restaurant Takaishino's lunch service is generally 11:00–15:00. After 15:00, plan for sweets, shopping or a break if those facilities are open.
  • Junsai picking is generally offered from May to August and depends on reservations, registration and weather. Check the tourism association's latest guidance if the activity is your reason for visiting.
  • The Kotooka Museum of History and Folklore opens on limited days and closes in winter. Though close to the station, check whether it is open before heading there.
  • When buying fresh produce or sweets at the farm shop, consider a cooler bag in summer and the time until you get home.
Food

Eating and shopping

Specialities, places to eat, sweets and bakeries can all give you a reason to stop. Check individual menus for current prices and availability.

  • Meal
    Fried shrimp set meal
    A Restaurant Takaishino recommendation. Check the facility's current hours.
  • Sweet treat
    Kohaja soft serve
    Tart soft serve made with natsuhaze berries, locally called kohaja; suited to a short break.
  • Sweet treat
    Doubanjiang soft serve
    An unusual farm-shop sweet linked to Mitane's processed broad-bean products and its doubanjiang chili-bean paste.
  • Light snack
    Namahage crepe
    A quick-food option featured by the tourism association; Namahage refers to Akita's masked folk figures.
  • Shopping
    Green Pia vegetables and processed foods
    Broad beans, plums, wild vegetables, melons, other vegetables and processed foods vary with the season.
Food mood

What would you like to eat?

A meal, a sweet treat, market shopping or something to take away: choose a focus for the day instead of trying everything at once.

Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph
A full lunch

Restaurant Takaishino's fried shrimp set meal

Lunch service is generally 11:00–15:00. A set meal with large fried shrimp is a reason to eat at the station.

A quick sweet treat

Kohaja soft serve, doubanjiang soft serve and seasonal crepes

Taste something distinctive to Mitane without sitting down in the restaurant. On a hot day, finish it before getting back into the car.

Take something home

Green Pia vegetables, broad-bean and plum products, seasonal wild vegetables and melons

Shop for the dinner table at home. A cooler bag is useful in summer.

Explore the town's food culture

Junsai Stand PETIT BATEAU and the junsai-picking experience

Start with the tourist information center at the station to explore Mitane's junsai culture. Check each business's schedule, including Monday and Tuesday closures where listed.

Access

Location and surroundings

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1
Roadside station
Michi-no-Eki Kotooka

A Route 7 rest stop in the town of Jomon clay whistles, with fried shrimp and sweets from the farm shop.

Open in Google Maps
2
Farm shop and sweets
Green Pia Farm Shop

Take Mitane flavors home: broad beans, plums, wild vegetables, melons and even soft serve from this farm shop inside the station.

Open in Google Maps
Food outlets and the market on the station grounds share the station pin. Nearby places are separate destinations to combine with your visit.
Nearby

Places to visit nearby

Farm shop and sweets
Green Pia Farm ShopJapanese guide
Inside the stationA short walk

Good for a quick stop without a restaurant meal, shopping for ingredients to take home, or a sweet treat.

History and culture
Mitane Town Kotooka Museum of History and Folklore: Jomon Hall and Mitane HallJapanese guide
About 1.2 km from the stationAbout 3 minutes by car or 16 minutes on foot

For learning with primary-school-age children and older, a brief rainy-day detour, or a closer look at the area's clay-whistle history.

Seasonal activity and food culture
Junsai-picking experienceJapanese guide
Register inside the station; travel by car to the activity siteTravel to a pond about 10 minutes by car from JR Moritake Station

For a family activity from May to August or a deeper taste of Mitane's food culture.

Day-use hot spring and lodging
Moritake Onsen YuparuJapanese guide
About 15 minutes by car from the stationA final stop after a meal or activity

For easing the fatigue of a long drive, relaxing after junsai picking, or ending an adult-focused trip.

Nature and outdoor play
Hanegawa Forest ParkJapanese guide
About 4.7 km from the stationA short drive

For a day when children want to move around, a post-meal walk in good weather, or a shorter stay inside the station.

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Updated 2026-09-29Explore the nationwide map →