Roadside Station, Izumi, in the unexplored region

Yuzu products and flavorful cuisine await you in the secluded hometown of the fallen Heike warriors!

Fureai Center Izumi, a regional exchange facility that opened in Izumi-cho, Yatsushiro City in 1997, was registered as a "roadside station" and began operating as "Roadside Station: Izumi in the Unexplored Countryside" on April 20, 2024. It is the 36th roadside station in Kumamoto Prefecture. It is equipped with a product store, a restaurant, and a conference building for multi-purpose use. It is also the gateway to Gokanasho, where the legend of the fallen warrior Gokanasho is said to have existed, and is hoped that visitors will make use of the station as a base for visiting historical sites and places of interest related to the Heike clan that still remain in the town.

Map of Izumi, a roadside station in an unexplored region

Roadside Station: Gourmet Information of Izumi, the Unexplored Countryside

Local product: Fountain tea

Izumi's specialties are green tea and shiitake mushrooms. The green tea is called "Izumi tea" or "Izumi tea," and according to the station manager, 14 local companies sell their products at the station's product shop. Kumamoto Prefecture is also known as a famous tea production area, and the main type of tea is steamed Tamaryokucha, whose tea leaves are in the shape of a tea caddy. Steamed tama-yokucha, which requires a longer steaming time than sencha, has less astringency and a mellower taste. The majority of farmers are involved in the entire process from cultivation to tea production and sales. The flavor of each tea is slightly different, making it a pleasure to find the green tea that suits your taste.

Yuzu products to buy (1)

Izumi Corporation, a third-sector company that operates the station, has a food processing plant and develops, manufactures, and sells products using locally grown yuzu. The "Kakurezato Yuzu Juice" (756 yen), made by squeezing whole yuzu citrus fruits, can be used as a dipping sauce for nibai-zu or sanbai-zu, or sprinkled on nabe dishes or drinks to add aroma. Kumamoto Akashu Yuzu Ponzu (756 yen) is made with red sake from Yamaga City's Chiyozonoen Sake Brewery and natural soy sauce from Ugi City's Matsuai Soy Sauce Company.

Yuzu products to buy (2)

Yuzu Gosho is the standard when it comes to yuzu flavor with a hot kick. There are three varieties (864 yen each): the red and green "Kakurezato no Yuzu Kosho" and the premium, extremely hot yellow "Kakurezato no Yuzu Kosho.
There are also three types of Yuzusupa (756 yen each), which are similar to Tabasco. Red Yuzusupa is for pizza, pasta, and pickles; Blue Yuzusupa is for sashimi, tempura, and tofu; and Yellow Yuzusupa is for meat dishes and very hot dishes. And one more for those who prefer extra-hot spiciness is the Yuzu no Shizuku Yuzu Kosho Shoyu (648 yen). Premium very hot yellow yuzu kosho with soy sauce added. It can be enjoyed with sashimi, grilled meat, tofu, etc., all with an intensely spicy flavor. (Tax included)

This is the best place to eat. Jami-Naizen and Ryozai-Kenpo-Mo

The menu at the restaurant "Rotan" includes tempura, dago soup, yama-mame (beans), and Aso shochu shochu sake lees pork, all made with local ingredients, as the main side dishes. The main dish of rice is all cereal rice, and a small bowl of seasonal vegetables is also served. The "Shijimi Vegetable Meal" (top photo, 1,850 yen) is a hearty meal featuring grilled soybean (yamame) and tempura of the same name. The "Ryozai Kenmo" (bottom photo, 1,250 yen) is a main dish of dagojiru, a soup with a variety of root vegetables and other ingredients. It is filled with root vegetables and other ingredients, and the dago (dumplings) are chunky. The dago (dumplings) are chunky, and the handmade, gently seasoned soup is a pleasure to eat. The nourishing taste of the ingredients gradually seeps into your body. The seasonal menu is abundant, including bamboo shoots in spring, shiitake mushroom somen tempura set in shiitake mushroom broth in summer, and chestnut set in autumn. Seasonal menus are also available on the website.

Roadside Station: Unexplored Countryside of Izumi

Shaka-in Temple and the largest stone staircase in Japan

If you want to have fun in the area

Shaka-in Temple is located adjacent to Izumi-cho, where the roadside station is located, and the neighboring town of Misato, and is a Tendai sect temple with the official name of "Konkaisan Daenkyoji Shaka-in Temple. It is said to have been founded in 799 (Enryaku 18), and was once known as the Hieizan of the west, with 75 monks and 49 branch temples. It is also said to be a "temple of the gopkiri" where one can die without long illness if one has faith. Another route is to take National Route 443, which takes you to the highest stone staircase in Japan on the Misato Town side, officially called the "Shaka-in Misaka Walkway. It takes 6 minutes by car. However, from this point, you will have to climb 3,333 stone steps. If you are proud of your good health, by all means, give it a try.

Senandan Todoro Waterfall

If you want to have fun in the area

Gojaso is the collective name for the five villages of Shiihara, Nitao, Momiki, Hagi, and Kureko in Izumi Town, which are surrounded by the spine of Kyushu, making them ideal for escaping the pursuit of the Genji clan. Gojaso is still full of unspoiled natural beauty. The 3.4-meter-wide waterfall falls in an unobstructed 80-meter drop from the top of the rock to the basin in a straight line. It is a so-called "direct fall," masculine and very powerful. The name of the waterfall comes from the fact that there used to be a Japanese bead tree near the waterfall. A suspension bridge takes you right in front of the 8-meter-diameter waterfall basin.

Umenoki Todoro Park Suspension Bridge

If you want to have fun in the area

From late October to late November, the Gojaso area is usually covered with maple trees, maples, beeches, and dodan-tsutsuji (azalea) that color the mountains. The Umenoki Todoroki Park Suspension Bridge, which leads to the Umenoki Todoroki Waterfall, is 116 meters long and 55 meters high. With no supporting ropes or pillars, the bridge reflects the seasonal beauty of the valley and is especially spectacular in the autumn foliage. Cross the suspension bridge and continue on the trail to Ume-no-Ki Todoroki Falls, which has a drop of 38 meters. The name comes from the fact that a flying plum tree planted in honor of Sugawara Michizane was dropped into the waterfall on its way to the spring. Below the waterfall, there are also the Nobori-no-Taki Falls and the Ume-ga-eda Falls. It takes about 40 minutes from the roadside station on Route 445.

Momigi Suspension Bridge

If you want to have fun in the area

The two suspension bridges spanning the Kawabe River, named the 72-meter-long "Ayatori Bridge" and the 59-meter-long "Shakunage Bridge," create a beautiful sight in the valley as a father-and-son bridge. The two bridges, named "Ayatori-bashi" (Ayatori Bridge) and "Shakunage-bashi" (Shakunage Bridge), are 72 m long and 59 m long, respectively, and are a beautiful sight in the valley. The "Ayatori Bridge" was built in 1988, and the "Shakunage Bridge" the following year, both made of thick wire ropes and local cedar and chestnut trees. The bridge is a highlight of the autumn foliage season, which begins in late October, when the spectacular beauty of the valley can be seen from the bridge.