Roadside Station Tanoura opens

Oita Prefecture's 26th roadside station Tanoura opened for business on July 7, 2024!

A new roadside station opened on July 7 on Route 10 along Beppu Bay. It is the 26th roadside station in Oita Prefecture and the third in Oita City, following Saganoseki and Notsuharu. It is located near "Umitamago" and "Takasaki Shizen Zoo," and only 5 minutes away from Beppu City, one of the most famous hot spring resorts in Japan. The location is ideal for sightseeing, and the area is already bustling with visitors.

A new roadside station opened on July 7 on Route 10 along Beppu Bay. It is the 26th roadside station in Oita Prefecture and the third in Oita City, following Saganoseki and Notsuharu. It is located near "Umitamago" and "Takasaki Shizen Zoo," and only 5 minutes away from Beppu City, one of the most famous hot spring resorts in Japan. The location is ideal for sightseeing, and the area is already bustling with visitors.

Passing on memories of the community, familiar space.

　Michi no Eki Tonoura is located with National Route 10 behind it and the blue waters of Beppu Bay in the background. The front entrance is along the JR Nippo Main Line. The two-story, chalk-white building has a roof and part of the sheathing in the motif of waves. Entering from the main entrance, an old streetcar catches the eye. In fact, this is an actual tramcar, Type 500, No. 506 of the Oita Kotsu Betsudai Line, which was discontinued in 1972.
　The Beppu Line was Kyushu's first streetcar line, which began operation on May 10, 1900. As the name suggests, it connected Beppu City and Oita City, running 18.4 km between Oita and Kamegawa at its peak. The two-tone Type 500 No. 506, with moss green lower body and beige upper body, was manufactured in November 1959. The interior of the car is open for tours, and anyone can sit in a seat and experience the interior of a nostalgic streetcar. An elderly woman was looking at the car with nostalgic eyes, saying, "I miss it. The tracks have been extended to the parking lot, and on sunny days, the exhibit is displayed outdoors. It is the significance of a roadside station to preserve and pass on the memories of the region, and to have visitors experience it for themselves.

Loaded with a wide variety of local products Demonstrates the charm of a roadside station

The main attraction is the Tanoura Market, which is also a product center. Although it is a medium-sized roadside station in terms of scale, it offers a full lineup of products. According to Yuichi Sato, the station manager, there are 1,200 varieties of agricultural and marine products and 700 to 800 varieties of processed products throughout the year. The marine products include fresh fish from the prefecture, such as yellowtail from Saiki City's Kabae, as well as retort-pouch fish products for easy consumption. In addition, there is "Osakana 350 (Sangomaru)," which sells fresh fish directly from Saiki City's Kabae, and seafood bowls and pickled rice bowls are available for takeout.
　Also, don't miss the original processed products available only at Michi-no-Eki Tanoura. The lineup includes six kinds of retort-packaged products of Oita's prized meat, seafood, and agricultural products, such as Bungo beef stewed in a broth, herb chicken stewed in a broth, grilled mackerel rice with Seki mackerel, Beppu Bay chirimen rice, and more. For more information, please visit the Michi no Eki Tanoura page. We hope you will buy some of these products.

Good food is a must A sweet tooth is another thing

　Now, to the food court on the second floor. The tenants here are "Ganso Masumoto Oita," which serves hot and spicy noodles that originated in Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture, and "Umaimon Mekketa," which serves Oita's specialty dishes. While hot and spicy noodles are popular in Oita Prefecture, it is the local Oita cuisine that is of particular interest. The menu includes six Oita specialties such as toriten set meal, chives and pork set meal, and shirasu rice bowl, as well as a children's menu and curry dishes. Among them, the local dish "Ryukyu-don" (1,750 yen) is a dish suitable for eating at a roadside station facing the sea. It is a bowl of rice topped with pickled horse mackerel and other fish in a sweet and spicy soy sauce sauce. It is said to have originated as bribes for fishermen and was learned from Ryukyuan fishermen. That is why it is called "Ryukyu-don.
　For dessert sweetness, we chose the "Imo-imo Parfait" (670 yen) at Imoya Kinpu, a sweetpotato store on the first floor. A mix of milk soft serve and purple sweet potato soft serve, topped with a large sweet potato, purple sweet potato red bean paste, and honey, it is truly a mountain of sweet treats. The sweetness can be flipped and eaten on a separate stomach.

Western Music in Japan began in Oita City?

　Another feature of Michi no Eki Tonoura is the "Oto no Kikoeru Hiroba," an exchange and cultural space on the second floor. Including the multipurpose room and studio room, it occupies the majority of the second floor. The "Piano for Everyone" is set up on the second floor, where people can freely play the piano. Gorgeous drapes hang from the ceiling, reminding one of a theater.
　In fact, Oita City is considered to be the birthplace of Western music, with the first Western music performed in Japan by missionaries in the late 16th century. This space was established to commemorate this event. On August 6, one month after the opening, the rental space became available for rent. The space can be used for meetings, music practice, etc. Michi no Eki not only sells local products, but also conveys the history and culture of the area. Michi no Eki Tono Urara reminds us of this.