Nagano Prefecture · Kanto
道の駅 アルプス安曇野 ほりがねの里
Take a taste of Azumino's fields home with freshly picked vegetables and rice balls.
Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph
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Eat, shop, play, take in the view or rest. Choose from the station’s strengths to suit your day.
Many local shoppers come for freshly picked vegetables, and shopping moves quickly just after opening.
Plan your stop around the eatery's hours to enjoy a meal at Kaasan no Omusubi no Mise.
For a short walk, follow the canal; for half a day, add the national park or a wasabi farm.
Start by seeing what has come in from the fields, then head to the eatery. Think vegetables in the morning, rice balls at noon, and Jikkasegi or an onsen in the afternoon. Deciding what to eat and buy first gives the Azumino stop a purpose that stays with you on the drive onward.
Choose vegetables and fruit first. In popular seasons, shoppers move quickly, so it is easier to browse before lunch.
Plan for the eatery from 11 a.m. If you especially want the rice-ball set meal, allow some flexibility to avoid the busiest period.
Add Jikkasegi, the national park or an onsen. One more stop brings more of Azumino into the day.
In the Horigane countryside, with views of Mount Jonen, this roadside station brings together freshly picked vegetables, handmade processed foods, and Kaasan no Omusubi no Mise, a rice-ball eatery. Its farm shop has the bustle of a place where local people do their everyday shopping, rather than a conventional souvenir stop. Browse vegetables and fruit in the morning, have a rice-ball set meal at lunchtime, then visit the Jikkasegi irrigation canal or Alps Azumino National Government Park in the afternoon and an onsen hot spring in the evening. Food and shopping make an easy starting point for a day in Azumino.
Azumino City describes a farm shop where shoppers line up before opening for freshly picked vegetables. From apples, onions and summer vegetables to handmade processed foods, the pleasure is shopping for everyday meals rather than only for tourist souvenirs.
The rice-ball set meal is also recommended by the Kanto Roadside Stations guide. Alongside rice bowls and noodles, you can shop for vegetables and eat at the station, making it easy to stop for lunch while driving toward Hakuba or Hotaka.
Horigane is farming country at the foot of the Northern Alps. After the station, continue to the Jikkasegi irrigation canal or Alps Azumino National Government Park to connect eating, shopping and scenery in one outing.
Spend your time at the station or add somewhere nearby. These ideas help you plan around your companions and the weather.
Arrive around opening time and browse vegetables, fruit and handmade processed foods first. A cooler bag helps if you find apples or summer vegetables to take onward.
Parking → local products center → coffee and soft-serve ice cream → next destination
Fresh produce varies by season and time of day. If you have something particular in mind, a morning visit is best.
Visit Kaasan no Omusubi no Mise after 11 a.m., then take another look at the farm shop after eating. Enjoy local rice and vegetables as familiar everyday food.
Eatery → farm shop → short walk toward Jikkasegi
The eatery stops taking orders fairly early. If lunch is your main reason to visit, plan your arrival time first.
Have lunch and shop at the station, then drive to Alps Azumino National Government Park. In seasons with summer water play, flower fields, and indoor or outdoor activities, it adds much more to the day after lunch.
Roadside station → Alps Azumino National Government Park, Horigane–Hotaka Area → onsen in the evening
The park has Monday closures and seasonal opening hours. On event days, allow extra time for parking and the return journey.
If the mountain views or waterside walk are less appealing, shop at the farm shop, eat at the restaurant or snack counter, then relax in the baths at Holiday You Shiki no Sato. This keeps an Azumino stop in the plan despite the weather.
Roadside station → Holiday You Shiki no Sato → Azumino Interchange area
The last admission time for day bathing and closure days can change. Check official information before an evening visit.
Hours listed by Azumino City for the facility; they may change with seasons or events.
If you are coming for lunch, plan to arrive well before orders stop.
Useful for a short break or a treat for children.
The official social media sometimes lists these farm-shop hours for mid-April to mid-December.
Stars show the editorial recommendation for each age group on a five-point scale. Read the reasons alongside each rating.
Suitable for a short stop for the baby changing bed and toilets.
This is not a place for extended play, so also plan feeding or naps around the car or your next stop.
Soft-serve ice cream and a brief shopping trip can make a good change of pace.
The farm shop can get busy with fast-moving shoppers. Hold hands and keep the visit short.
Combine rice balls and vegetables with a nearby canal walk to keep the outing varied.
For room to run around, add the national park by car.
Add Jikkasegi or the national park for a day of eating, shopping and walking that can also be a learning experience.
Bring water and sun protection in summer; in winter, watch road conditions and the cold near the mountains.
The eatery offers choices such as rice balls, rice bowls and noodles for a family meal.
For extended play, combine the station with the national park or a walk beside Jikkasegi.
Keep the farm-shop and eatery stop short, then consider an onsen or a facility with indoor activities for a longer stay.
There are spaces for 162 regular cars. On mornings when the farm shop is busy or on event days, plan on spaces near the entrance filling first.
Look at fresh produce, processed foods and the eatery in that order so a busy visit is less tiring.
Choose one place that is easy to reach by car, such as the Jikkasegi waterside or an onsen.
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.
This is a likely place for notices about seasonal arrivals, limited menus and the summer festival. Check the official website and social media before visiting.
From the mid-April produce season onward, the displays change with rapeseed flowers, summer vegetables, sunflowers and apples.
Look for dated specials such as a menu for the Day of the Ox, a day in Japan’s traditional calendar, or weekly specials.
Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.
Instead of browsing carefully arranged tourist souvenirs, you join local shoppers choosing vegetables and prepared foods. Apples, onions and seasonal vegetables come up often, making a morning visit especially appealing.
Travel-site patterns suggest that many visits last less than an hour. Decide what to buy and eat; for a half-day outing, add the park or waterside outside the station.
The eatery has limited hours, and farm-shop visitors add to the crowds. If lunch is busy, shop first, switch to a snack, or take a nearby walk after eating.
The countryside with Mount Jonen and Mount Chogatake behind it sets the scene. On cloudy or rainy days, focus more on the eatery, farm shop and onsen than on the view.
Spring rapeseed flowers, summer vegetables and fruit, autumn apples and harvest time, and seasonal events such as a thank-you festival change both the shopping and the crowds. Check arrival notices as well as event names.
The station centers on food and shopping. For elementary school children, add Jikkasegi or the national park; for preschoolers, soft-serve ice cream and a short walk can break up the drive.
Opening and closure days, individual businesses and facilities for children or dogs can affect your plans.
Specialities, places to eat, sweets and bakeries can all give you a reason to stop. Check individual menus for current prices and availability.
A meal, a sweet treat, market shopping or something to take away: choose a focus for the day instead of trying everything at once.
If you choose one food experience here, start with this set meal of onigiri (filled or seasoned rice balls). It is an easy way to enjoy local rice and a homemade feel during a road trip.
The eatery is generally open from 11:00, with last orders at 14:30.
Good when some in your group want options beyond rice balls. Those focused on the farm shop and those ready for lunch can each find something to do.
Check the official eatery information for the current menu.
An easy choice if you arrive outside lunchtime or want a treat for the children.
Serving hours differ from those of the shop and eatery.
The farm shop is a large part of this station's character. Shop for your table at home as well as for souvenirs from the trip.
There is generally more fresh produce to choose from in the morning.
When the official products bulletin or social media posts new arrivals, visit the farm shop before the eatery. Seasonal goods can make even a short stop feel distinctly Azumino.
Popular or limited-quantity items may sell out. If you arrive in the afternoon, consider a snack or nearby walk as well.
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Take a taste of Azumino's fields home with freshly picked vegetables and rice balls.
After the farm shop, take a short detour through Azumino's fields and waterways.
After lunch at the station, extend the day with flower fields, water play and activities at a large park.
Explore Azumino's water and food on a walk through wasabi fields.
For adding Azumino's waterways and mountain views after a meal
For a day when children need plenty of play, or you want flowers or water activities
For adding a classic Azumino sight or continuing a day of food and waterside scenery
For resting on a rainy day, in the evening, or after visiting the national park
Send your travel companions a possible stop.
