Roadside Station Miyajidake Scarecrow Village opens

Opened on March 21, 2021!
A closed elementary school building was reborn as a roadside station!

Amakusa City in Kumamoto Prefecture is a "remote island town" that occupies most of the Amakusa Kamishima and Shimojima islands in the East China Sea. Although it is a remote island, it is actually the third most populous in Kumamoto Prefecture, and has the largest population of any remote island municipality connected to the mainland by a bridge. Such an island, like the Shimabara Peninsula in Nagasaki Prefecture on the opposite shore, has a history of latent Christianity, and along with the abundant seafood that is unique to a remote island, there is much to see.
Amakusa City has been focusing on roadside station management, and "Roadside Station Miyajidake Kakashi-no-Sato", which opened on March 21, 2021, is the fifth roadside station in Amakusa City. It is located inland, about 15 minutes by car from Hondo, the center of Amakusa City. The area is a peaceful farming village. Speaking of farming villages, "scarecrows" are a symbol of idyllic scenery. The reason this roadside station is named "Scarecrow" is because the area is actually home to the "Scarecrow Festival. In fact, scarecrows can be seen in the fields near the roadside station. When I visited just before the opening, the fields of rape blossoms around the roadside station were in full bloom. A scarecrow was also standing there.

The "station building" is the former Miyajidake Elementary School building, which was closed down nine years ago. The cozy two-story reinforced concrete school building was reborn as a roadside station. Roadside stations utilizing abandoned school buildings are rare in Japan. In Kyushu, it is thought to be second only to Oita Prefecture's Kamitsuego Seseragi roadside station. Putting that aside, the scarecrow waving from the second floor balcony of the school building is also a scarecrow, and when you enter the old school building, or rather, the station, you will see another scarecrow. The second floor of the school building is a permanent exhibition room for scarecrows. Scarecrows are used to recreate classroom scenes, scarecrow making, and local wedding ceremonies. According to Kanji Matsukawa, president of the management company, there are approximately 530 scarecrows. The faces of the scarecrows are painted with watercolors. Therefore, "when it rains, the outdoor scarecrows put plastic bags over their faces," he says. The scarecrows are important "residents" of the community.

The product hall space features a wide variety of Amakusa's specialties. Seaweeds such as aosa (green laver), mekabu (seaweed), and nori (seaweed), dried bonito shavings, broiled tiger prawn dashi, and instant lobster miso soup are just a few of the seafood products that catch the eye. The restaurant is also proud of its rice and soba noodles. The restaurant is run by a popular local soba restaurant, Lingzhouya, and the owner of Lingzhouya is said to be the owner of this former palace. The owner is a graduate of the former Miyajidake Elementary School. The restaurant opened its branch when the old school was reborn as a roadside station. The restaurant also offers soba noodle making experience.
An abandoned school has been transformed into a roadside station, where people gather and alumni entertain visitors. A simple-looking scarecrow watches over them. It is neither large scale nor gorgeous. But there is something warm and nostalgic about it.