Nagano Prefecture · Kanto
道の駅 今井 恵みの里
A roadside station in Matsumoto's farming district: shop at the produce market in the morning and fit handmade soba into your day.
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.
Apples, grapes, pears, peaches, prunes, and Matsumoto Ippon Negi change with the seasons. Come earlier in the day if shopping is the main goal.
Breakfast is approximately 8:30–10:00 and lunch 11:00–15:00. Around lunchtime, you can swap the order of dining and market shopping.
Use the station briefly for toilets, food, and shopping. For room to run, continue to Shinshu Sky Park or Seinan Park.
Cut outdoor play short and make a compact itinerary around soba, soft-serve ice cream, the market, and a bathing facility.
Matsumoto IC and Shiojiri IC also provide access. It is a convenient break alongside airport, park, or southern Matsumoto plans.
Chiho Saegusa sees this station as a starting point for quickly picking up Matsumoto produce, rather than a place for a family to linger all day. Choose what is in season at the market, have soba or a rice dish at the dining hall, then take the children to Sky Park or Seinan Park. On a rainy day, keep the meal and shopping brief before switching to a bathing facility. Separating those activities makes Imai Megumi no Sato easier to use.
Michi-no-Eki Imai Megumi no Sato is a roadside station centered on a produce market along the Alps Green Road in Imai, Matsumoto City's largest farming district. Browse vegetables and fruit first in the morning, then head to Imai Shokudo for handmade Shinshu soba or a meal with local vegetables at lunchtime. For a family day, use the station for shopping, food, and a toilet stop, then continue to Shinshu Sky Park or parks around the airport. The operator says that, from October 1, 2026, the current multipurpose exchange facility will serve as a temporary shop during renovation, with reopening planned for May 2027. Rentals of the multipurpose exchange facility are suspended from July 13, 2026, through May 31, 2027.
Orchards and farmland are prominent in Imai, even by Matsumoto standards. The market sells vegetables, fruit, and processed foods; apples, grapes, pears, peaches, prunes, and Matsumoto Ippon Negi, a local long green onion, take turns in season. Visitor accounts suggest stock may run low by evening, so a morning stop works well when shopping is the main purpose.
Imai Shokudo focuses on locally produced food, serving handmade Shinshu soba, rice dishes, udon, and soft-serve ice cream. There is a gap between the breakfast and lunch menus, so time your arrival if a meal is your main reason for visiting. If it is busy, shop at the market first and eat a little outside the lunch rush.
The station itself mainly serves shoppers and diners. For children who need to move, Shinshu Sky Park or Matsumoto City Seinan Park is a few minutes away by car, with lawns, play equipment, and aircraft watching. If rain or fatigue cuts the outing short, a meal and toilet stop here can be followed by a visit to a bathing facility.
The adjacent experience farm describes growing and harvesting rice, apples, grapes, corn, and sweet potatoes. Activities vary with the year and crop conditions. Check official announcements and contact the farm before including an activity in your plans.
Spend your time at the station or add somewhere nearby. These ideas help you plan around your companions and the weather.
Go to the market soon after it opens and first browse seasonal fruit, vegetables, and processed foods. Look for fruit and corn from summer into autumn, and apples and green onions from autumn into winter, to take home a taste of Imai.
Park → toilets → produce market → choose items needing cooling last → depart
Popular items may be scarce by evening. A cooler bag makes the summer drive home easier.
Arrive at Imai Shokudo during the 11:00 hour and choose from soba, udon, a vegetable stir-fry set meal, or Megumi pork rice bowl. After eating, buy fruit or juice at the market for a short taste of the station.
Park → Imai Shokudo → produce market → soft-serve ice cream or processed foods → depart
The breakfast and lunch menus have separate service times. Check official notices for Wednesday and New Year closures.
Use the station for toilets, food, and shopping, then continue to Shinshu Sky Park for more play. Aircraft, lawns, play equipment, and cycling activities can make the outing satisfying without a long stay at the station.
Station → Shinshu Sky Park or Seinan Park → bathing facility if a rest is needed
Sky Park is large, so choose the area you want before going. Keep outdoor play short in rain or strong wind.
The adjacent experience farm describes apples, grapes, rice, corn, and sweet potatoes. Crops vary by year, so contact the facility before planning a visit around an activity.
Check official information and make contact → check in or shop at the station → experience farm → dining hall or nearby park
Entry by lottery and paid activities may apply to events, and conditions change. Activities also change after the harvest season.
Skip extra park time in the rain and stop briefly at the market, Imai Shokudo, and for soft-serve ice cream. If you want a longer rest, drive on to a day-use bathing facility.
Meal and shopping at the station → drive toward Ringo no Yuya Obu
Check the bathing facility’s hours, fees, crowding, and rules for children before setting out.
Generally closed Wednesdays, but daily opening is announced from August 1 through December 30. On September 29 and 30, 2026, market hours are shortened to 14:00 (with a smaller sales area on the 30th). From October 1, the market moves to a temporary shop in the current multipurpose exchange facility.
Menus and prices can change. Time your arrival if lunch is your main purpose. The dining hall is announced to operate as usual until 15:00 on September 29 and 30, 2026. Check the operator’s latest notice for its service arrangements during renovation.
Rentals are suspended from July 13, 2026, through May 31, 2027. It will be used as the temporary shop during renovation.
Basic facilities are available even for a brief break on a long drive.
Stars show the editorial recommendation for each age group on a five-point scale. Read the reasons alongside each rating.
Good for a toilet break and quick shopping; spend longer elsewhere.
The station centers on the market and dining hall. A brief stop for parking, toilets, and shopping may work better than a long visit with a stroller. Ask the operator about nursing and diaper-changing facilities before visiting.
Food and a sweet treat work well; arrange a separate place to run.
Watch children closely around the market’s many shelves. After eating, head to Shinshu Sky Park or Seinan Park to let them use their energy outdoors.
Combine choosing fruit, eating soba, and watching planes.
Choose fruit at the market, eat lunch at the dining hall, then play at a park near the airport rather than trying to spend all day at the station.
Pair the visit with a farm activity or airport park to learn about the area.
The experience farm’s crops, Imai’s orchards, and aircraft at Shinshu Sky Park offer things to talk about. Harvest activities change each year, so check participation conditions.
Consider Shinshu Sky Park, Seinan Park, or the airport observation deck.
A stop before eating or shopping makes it easier to move around the market.
Breakfast is approximately 8:30–10:00 and lunch 11:00–15:00.
Focus on food and shopping instead of forcing an outdoor park 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.
The official station site says trading will move to a temporary shop in the current multipurpose exchange facility on October 1, 2026, for renovation. Work is planned from October 2026 through the end of April 2027, about seven months, with reopening planned for May 2027. Matsumoto City says the exchange facility will be used as the temporary shop during improvements that include measures against high temperatures; facility rentals are suspended from July 13, 2026, through May 31, 2027.
The adjacent farm describes rice, apples, grapes, prunes, plums, corn, and sweet potatoes. Crops and whether harvesting is possible vary by year and season, so contact the facility first if an activity is your reason for visiting.
As of September 26, 2026, the official event list showed no current events. Monthly notices and Instagram updates may carry market news, so check shortly before visiting.
Spring vegetables, summer corn, autumn grapes and apples, and winter green onions change the market’s focus substantially even without a named event. Match your visit to the season if shopping is your goal.
Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.
Travel accounts and reviews often describe a busy local market and vegetables or fruit running low by evening. If produce is the goal, browse the market before lunch rather than after.
Imai is known for apple and grape growing, and visitors also mention seasons with apples, grapes, pears, and peaches on sale. The market is more than a spring-vegetable stop; summer and autumn fruit offer another reason to visit.
The official menu lists soba, udon, ramen, set meals, pork rice bowls, and soft-serve ice cream. Adults wanting soba and children preferring another noodle or rice dish can find options in the same dining hall.
The official site lists a bus stop, while visitor information cautions that the community bus has limited services. For families or shoppers, a car also makes carrying purchases and keeping them cool easier.
Family-oriented information about Shinshu Sky Park highlights lawns, play equipment, and aircraft watching. Use the roadside station for toilets, food, and shopping, then continue to a park to play.
The station’s main activities are inside the market and dining hall. If rain or strong wind disrupts a Sky Park visit, shop and eat here, then switch to a bathing facility or another indoor stop.
Matsumoto City says rentals of the multipurpose exchange facility are suspended from July 13, 2026, through May 31, 2027. If you hoped to use the sports hall or meeting room, avoid those dates or ask the facility.
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.
Handmade soba is a mainstay at Imai Shokudo. Even a short lunch break can include a characteristic Matsumoto meal.
Prices are based on the official menu as of April 1, 2026, and may change.
There are options besides soba, so family members with different tastes can eat in the same dining hall. Noodles may be an easy option to share with younger children.
Allow extra time for seating and service when it is busy.
The 8:30–10:00 breakfast menu suits a light meal before traveling and can be paired with an early visit to the market.
Breakfast and lunch are served at separate times; take care when planning a meal during the 10:00 hour.
Choose ingredients for dinner or souvenirs at the market. In fruit season, look for apples, grapes, pears, peaches, and prunes.
Consider cooling in summer or on a long journey. Sellouts and selection vary by time of day.
Even without a full meal, you can take a short break after shopping before heading to a park.
Service follows the dining hall’s hours, so check the time.
If the map does not load, open it in Google Maps
A roadside station in Matsumoto's farming district: shop at the produce market in the morning and fit handmade soba into your day.
After eating and shopping at the station, let children use their energy watching aircraft and playing on lawns in a large park.
See aircraft even on a short stop; an option when rain or heat changes outdoor plans.
Add a short play session on the equipment and open ground after the market and dining hall.
End a rainy-day stop or a visit before the drive home with a bath after food and shopping.
Good for families who want lawns, play equipment, and aircraft watching after eating, rather than a long play session at the station.
For days without time for a long park visit, a quick look at aircraft, or shorter outdoor play because of rain or heat.
For families who want a little time on play equipment and open ground after eating without exploring all of Shinshu Sky Park.
For families or adults who want a bath and a rest on rainy days, after park play, or before the drive home.
Send your travel companions a possible stop.
