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Nagano Prefecture · Kanto

Roadside Station Healthy Terrace Saku Minami

道の駅ヘルシーテラス佐久南

One minute from Saku-Minami IC, this roadside station and farmers' market lets you stock up on seasonal vegetables and Saku flavors before setting off.

Updated 2026-09-30Michi-no-Eki Journal Read in Japanese

Illustrative image — not an on-site photograph

Location

Saku City

Road

National Route 142

Hours

9:00–18:00

These hours are for Furusato Jimankan (produce market, bakery and souvenir shop). The Sakukoi Terrace restaurant and Koibana Cafe are open 9:00–15:30, with last orders at 15:00. Inventory counts and kitchen maintenance may cause shorter hours or temporary closures.

Parking

Cars: 105 / Large vehicles: 30

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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.

See first

Produce and flower displays

Freshly picked vegetables, fruit and cut flowers from the Saku Plain are the stars here. A cooler bag gives you more options for shopping in hot weather.

For a meal

Sakukoi Terrace or Koibana Cafe

For a full meal, consider Saku carp, soba or Shinshu rice-fed pork. For a short break, try Mochizuki Highland soft serve or miso monaka.

To buy

Gorobee rice, prunes and local sake

Beyond vegetables, browse rice, processed Saku carp, Nozawana pickles, apple sweets, local sake, craft beer and wine.

With children

Fit in a short visit to Fureai Park

It has play equipment, a sandbox and lawn, making it useful while waiting for a meal or breaking up a long drive. On rainy days, shifting the outing to sakumo is easier.

Where next

A hot spring or a flower-lined road

For a half-day outing, head to Hirao Onsen Miharashi no Yu; in autumn, try the Saku Kogen Cosmos Road. Stock up on food at the station before setting out.

Chiho's shopping notes

Take home the flavors of Saku even without a restaurant meal.

Chiho Kobayakawa sees this as more than a rest stop by the IC. First scan the market's seasonal displays, then check the bakery and sweets; if there is time for a meal, move on to Saku carp or soba. Even a short detour can yield vegetables for dinner, soft serve for the road, and rice or local sake for home. That range is Healthy Terrace Saku Minami's strength.

Highlights

Roadside Station Healthy Terrace Saku Minami faces Saku-Minami IC on the Chubu-Odan Expressway, at the gateway to a drive through the Saku Plain. Its market receives produce from more than 500 growers. In a short stop you can browse lettuce, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, apples, prunes, cut flowers, Gorobee rice, local sake, craft beer, Shinshu soba, Saku carp and Mochizuki Highland soft serve. To get a feel for the station, visit the market, bakery, sweets counter and Fureai Park as well as the restaurant.

#Saku-Minami IC
#One of Nagano Prefecture's largest farmers' markets
#Saku carp
#Shinshu soba
#Mochizuki Highland soft serve

Practical information

Registration number: 長野-44 | (北-30)
Prefecture: Nagano Prefecture
Municipality: Saku City
Road: National Route 142
Telephone: 0267-78-3383
Closed days: Closed December 31 and January 1 for New Year. The restaurant and cafe have irregular closing days and may close temporarily for kitchen maintenance; check official notices if dining is your main reason for visiting.

Address

7-1 Tomono, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture 385-0061 (長野県佐久市伴野7-1)

Facilities

Furusato Jimankan market hall
Produce market
Souvenir shop
Bakery
Sakukoi Terrace local cuisine restaurant
Koibana Cafe light meals
Fureai Park
Activity room
Free rest area
Information corner
24-hour toilets
Nursing room

4 more facilities listed.

External links

Visit the official website (Japanese)Background information (Japanese)healthyterrace-saku.jp (Japanese guide)healthyterrace-saku.jp (Japanese guide)www.ja-sakuasama.iijan.or.jp (Japanese guide)www.sakukankou.jp (Japanese guide)www.areasaku.or.jp (Japanese guide)www.kanto-michinoeki.jp (Japanese guide)

Why I like it

Reasons to stop here

Start with what's in season at the Saku Plain market

Produce from more than 500 growers is the main attraction. Displays change with the seasons, from lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, cherry tomatoes and Chinese cabbage to apples, prunes and flowers. A lap of the market before lunch helps you decide what to take home.

Plenty of food options, from Saku carp and soba to soft serve

The local cuisine restaurant serves Saku carp, Shinshu rice-fed pork and dishes made with local ingredients. At the light-meal counter, look for Mochizuki Highland soft serve or Hiraga miso ice-cream monaka, a crisp wafer sandwich. If the restaurant is busy, the bakery and sweets offer alternatives.

Facing the IC, with easy stops before or after Karuizawa, Tateshina and Ueda

The station faces Saku-Minami IC on the Chubu-Odan Expressway and is also easy to reach from National Route 142. Use the 24-hour toilets and parking area for a break; during daylight, browse the market or visit Fureai Park. With more time, add a hot spring or children's facility.

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.

Just after leaving Saku-Minami IC or before heading home

Make a 30-minute shopping break feel like Saku

After the toilets, look first at vegetables, fruit and flowers in the market. Browse the bakery's white bread and rice-flour bread, Gorobee rice and local sake; add soft serve or miso monaka for the car to take a taste of Saku away even on a short stop.

Parking → 24-hour toilets → produce market → bakery → Koibana Cafe → depart

If buying fresh produce, consider the heat and your journey home. Popular bread and seasonal fruit offer more choice earlier in the day.

An adult drive centered on a meal

Enjoy both local cuisine and the market over lunch

At Sakukoi Terrace, consider Saku carp, Shinshu soba or Shinshu rice-fed pork, then browse the market after eating. Dining hours are fairly short, so avoid relying on the lunch peak; leave room to switch to sweets or bread if it is crowded.

Sakukoi Terrace → souvenir shop → produce market → Koibana Cafe

The dining area may close on Wednesdays or irregular days, or change hours for private bookings or maintenance. Check official notices before setting off if the meal is your main goal.

Families with preschool or elementary-school children

Give children a short play break here, then spend the afternoon elsewhere

Locate the nursing room, changing stations and 24-hour toilets first. Let children move around Fureai Park before or after a meal or sweet treat. Instead of planning a full day at the station, shift rainy or very hot afternoons to sakumo Saku City Children's Science Dome, or go to the hot spring later.

Toilets and nursing room → Fureai Park → snack or lunch → sakumo or Miharashi no Yu

Fureai Park is outdoors. Keep the stop brief in midday summer heat, rain or winter cold, and switch to an indoor facility.

A September flower drive

Drive to the Cosmos Road in autumn

After picking up vegetables and a snack at the station, drive to the Saku Kogen Cosmos Road along National Route 254. The flowers are often at their best from early to late September, when events may also take place. Roadside farm stalls let you combine Saku food and scenery.

Healthy Terrace Saku Minami → Cosmos Road → homeward journey or hot spring

Flowering, traffic and event-day parking vary each year. Allow extra time on autumn weekends.

Family

Visiting with children

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

Under 1 year

★★★★☆

The nursing room and baby changing stations make a rest stop easier.

The nursing room is generally available 9:00–18:00; changing stations are in the men's, women's and multipurpose toilets. Using the toilets and nursing room before dining makes the stop easier.

Ages 2–3

★★★★☆

A short chance to move around in Fureai Park.

There are play structures, a sandbox and lawn. Products on market shelves may be within children's reach, so separating shopping from outdoor play can make both calmer.

Ages 4–6

★★★★☆

Sweets, bread and outdoor play help keep the visit varied.

Make Mochizuki Highland soft serve or bread a small goal. In heat or rain, moving on to sakumo Saku City Children's Science Dome gives more scope for play.

Elementary-school children

★★★★☆

Easy to extend from shopping and food to a nearby hot spring or science museum.

Shop and eat at the station, then spend the afternoon at sakumo or Hirao Onsen; in autumn, try the Cosmos Road. It also works as a midway break on a longer drive.

Nursing

Use the nursing room during the facility's opening hours.

Diaper changing

Changing stations are in the men's, women's and multipurpose toilets.

Outdoor play

Play equipment, sandbox and lawn. Adjust the length of your visit for weather and heat.

Rainy days

Make the indoor Saku City Children's Science Dome a separate destination for play.

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

Fureai Park

With play equipment, a sandbox and lawn, it is handy for a short outdoor play break on event days or while waiting for a meal.

Activity room

Advertised as a multipurpose space. Check official notices for classes and community events.

Sales areas around the market

Anniversary celebrations, fairs and local produce sales can overlap with the usual shopping route.

Nearby flower events

In autumn, pair the station with seasonal events such as those along the Cosmos Road for a half-day drive.

Local feel

Reasons to return

Practical ideas and things to consider when spending time here.

Visit the market earlier for more choice

Official information says more than 500 growers supply the market and highlights seasonal vegetables and flowers. Visitor-review trends also point to stops for vegetables and fruit; on weekends or during peak fruit season, browsing before a meal may give you more choice.

Source: Official website, JA Saku Asama and visitor-review trends

Plan around the shorter dining hours

The restaurant and cafe are generally listed as 9:00–15:30, though a 16:00 closing and Wednesday closure also appear in dining information. Private bookings, kitchen maintenance and inventory counts can shorten hours. If lunch is the main goal, allow the option of bread, sweets or market shopping instead.

Source: Official notices and JA Group farm-market information

For families, a short station stop is easier to plan than a long stay

Fureai Park, a nursing room and baby changing stations support a break and brief outdoor play. Since play is mainly outdoors, divide the day between the station and sakumo Saku City Children's Science Dome or a hot spring in extreme heat, rain or winter cold.

Source: Official facility information and Saku City tourism information

Facing the IC gives the station different uses going and returning

Just off Saku-Minami IC, the station works for last purchases before heading toward Karuizawa, Ueda, Tateshina or Lake Shirakaba, and for gifts on the return. A practical split is snacks and toilets on the way out, then vegetables, rice and sake on the way home.

Source: Official website and Saku City tourism guide

The fruit and flowers change with the seasons

Tourism information highlights highland vegetables, corn, cut flowers, fresh prunes and apples. Leafy vegetables and flowers draw visits from spring into summer; corn, prunes and apples from summer into autumn; and the Cosmos Road adds another reason to stop in autumn.

Source: Saku City tourism guide and official website

Event days have a different rhythm from ordinary shopping days

Official social media and JA Saku Asama announce anniversary celebrations, fairs, food trucks and tastings. Events are enjoyable, but parking and food queues may grow; deciding when to use the toilets, shop and get sweets helps you move around.

Source: Official Instagram and JA Saku Asama notices

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.

Furusato Jimankan is generally open 9:00–18:00. Inventory counts, private bookings and kitchen maintenance can mean shorter hours or temporary closures; check official notices if dining is your main reason to visit.
Toilets are available 24 hours. The nursing room is generally open 9:00–18:00, while baby changing stations are listed as available 24 hours.
The official facility overview lists 105 standard-car spaces, 30 large-vehicle spaces and priority spaces. Another official roadside-station listing gives 141 standard-car spaces; check the current parking situation before relying on a count.
If buying fresh produce, fruit or flowers, plan for a cooler bag and a way to keep purchases upright, especially if you will make more stops on the way home.
The area around Mt. Kokuzo can have snowy trails in winter. Check footwear and trail conditions before adding a hike; if conditions are poor, stay at the station or go to the hot spring.

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.

Local cuisine
Sweet-simmered Saku carp and arai (thin slices of rinsed carp)
Check availability at Sakukoi Terrace
Meal
Fresh Shinshu soba made with locally milled flour
During the dining area's opening hours
Sweet treat
Mochizuki Highland soft serve
For a short break at Koibana Cafe
Sweet treat
Hiraga miso ice-cream monaka
A sweet-and-savory local specialty
Bakery
Komugi no Takumi white bread and rice-flour bread
White bread is generally ready around 11:00 a.m.
Shopping
Gorobee rice, processed Saku carp and local sake
For meals after you get home

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.

A full lunch

Saku carp, soba and Shinshu rice-fed pork at Sakukoi Terrace

For a day when you want to try Saku's local cuisine. Dishes also use seasonal ingredients from the market, so lunch can help guide your shopping.

Last orders are generally at 15:00. Watch for temporary closures or private bookings.

A quick sweet treat

Mochizuki Highland soft serve and Hiraga miso ice-cream monaka

Even without sitting down in the restaurant, these treats give a short break a taste of this station. They also offer children an easy reason to stop.

Fresh from the oven

Komugi no Takumi white bread and rice-flour bread

The bakery adjoins the sales floor. Komugi no Takumi white bread is generally ready around 11:00 a.m., and reservations are advertised.

Limited-quantity products offer less choice later in the day.

To take home

Saku Plain vegetables, fruit, cut flowers and Gorobee rice

Displays change with the seasons, from lettuce, broccoli and cherry tomatoes to prunes, apples and flowers. Pick up dinner ingredients and gifts together.

Alcohol and processed foods

Local sake, craft beer, wine, Nozawana pickles and apple sweets

Handy for extra purchases before or after heading toward Karuizawa or Tateshina. Also good for choosing gifts for people other than the driver.

Access

Location and surroundings

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Roadside station

Roadside Station Healthy Terrace Saku Minami

One minute from Saku-Minami IC, this roadside station and farmers' market lets you stock up on seasonal vegetables and Saku flavors before setting off.

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.

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