Roadside Station Kiyo-Kawa

If you want to buy products that can only be found here
Clean Peach and Golden Sesame!

Located in the center of Bungo-Ono City in the southwestern part of Oita Prefecture, this roadside station is marked by a monument of Ontake-ryu Kagura (Shinto music and dance). The Kiyokawa Furusato Product Center sells freshly picked and safe vegetables, fruits, and processed goods produced in Kiyokawa. The rich and fragrant "golden sesame" and "clean peaches," which sell out as soon as they hit the store shelves, are prized specialty products that have fans throughout Japan. The "Kiyokawa Momo Juice" (180 ml, 400 yen), available year-round, is also very popular. There is also a full lineup of stores selling tofu, bread, and handmade sundries. Don't miss the weekend buffet on sale by weight.

Roadside Station Kiyo-Kawa Map

Roadside Station Kiyokawa Gourmet Information

Local product: Clean Peach

The "Clean Peach," a brand-name peach grown by "waika-growing," in which peach trees are grafted onto yuzuraume (Prunus dulcis), is well-known. When the cultivation began, it was unprecedented in Japan. The characteristic of the Clean Peach is its sugar content, which is 3 to 6 degrees higher than that of ordinary peaches. Harvesting begins at the end of June, and customers rush to the store shelves from July to August. They are so popular that the number of strawberries one person can purchase is limited at the product stands, especially right after harvest.

This is the one to buy. Golden Sesame

Kiyokawa's second brand "Golden Sesame". Compared to black and white sesame, it is creamier with more oil content. It also has a strong aroma. It also boasts a richer flavor than regular sesame when used in cooking. Ninety-nine percent of sesame consumed in Japan is imported, meaning that only 1% of sesame is produced domestically, which is a rarity. In addition, Kiyokawa is the only place in the world that produces sprouted golden sesame. Moreover, since 2006, they have been cultivated without agricultural chemicals.

Around Roadside Station Kiyokawa

Kagura Hall

I'm proud of this one too.

The southern area of Oita Prefecture, centering on Bungo-Ono City, is a region where many folk performing arts, including kagura, have been handed down. The Kagura Hall adjacent to "Roadside Station Kiyokawa" is a hall of fame for these folk performing arts. Regular performances are held once a month, and kagura troupes from various regions perform. Kagura fans visit from inside and outside of the prefecture. At the restaurant of Michi no Eki Kiyokawa, you can order a Kagura bento for 780 yen (tax included), which you can enjoy between performances by the kagura troupes.

Chinkage Falls and Ruins of Chinkage Power Plant

If you want to have fun in the area

The male waterfall is approximately 100 m wide with a height difference of approximately 20 m, and the female waterfall is approximately 4 m wide with a height difference of 18 m. It is said that the waterfall was located approximately 240 m downstream from the current location at the end of the Edo period. The position of the waterfall is said to have moved due to repeated collapses of the riverbed and surrounding strata. Sesshu, a Muromachi period (1336-1573) monk, painted "Chinden Falls" and it became well known to the public. The remains of the stone Chinkage Power Plant, built in 1909 and recognized as a modern cultural heritage, are also located adjacent to Chinkage Falls. The power station was built by Bungo Electric Railway Company to power the trains running between Oita and Beppu. Today, only the brick outer wall remains. It is a registered national monument.

View of Iwato (Iwado)

If you want to have fun in the area

Iwato" is a great cliff of "columnar joints" 50 m high and 500 m long located at the confluence of the main stream of the Ono River and the Okudake River. This precipice is located between JR Bungo Kiyokawa Station and JR Mie-cho Station, and a tunnel dug in the rock wall is connected to a railway bridge crossing the river. Therefore, when a train passes by, it appears as if the train is jumping out of the rock wall. This is a must-see spot for railroad fans, who can be seen holding up their cameras.