Michi-no-Eki Hida Asahimura is a roadside station located in Mangoku, Asahi Town, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, along National Route 361. Surrounded by abundant natural beauty, it is a popular destination where visitors can enjoy local specialties while taking in views of Mount Norikura and Mount Ontake.
The station’s restaurant, Hōan, is best known for its signature dish, Original Hida Yomogi Udon, made with locally harvested mugwort. Fresh mugwort collected in spring is kneaded into the noodles, giving them a vivid green color and a distinctive, aromatic flavor.
Another popular choice is the Kei-chan Set Meal, featuring a traditional chicken dish from the Hida region. It is a great opportunity to sample the area’s local cuisine.
The specialty shop offers a variety of local products, including pickled Jerusalem artichokes and a traditional Asahi Town delicacy called Bijō Mochi. This distinctive, stick-shaped rice cake is made from non-glutinous rice and has long been enjoyed by local residents.
Fresh seasonal vegetables are also available. New produce arrives every morning from June through early November, giving visitors the chance to discover ingredients grown in the surrounding countryside.
The roadside station has a farm produce market where visitors can purchase fresh vegetables and other agricultural products grown in the local area. There are sales areas both outside the building and inside the shop, offering a selection of locally grown produce.
Asahi Town has many tomato farmers, and locally grown tomatoes are particularly popular for their excellent quality and reasonable prices. They are sometimes sold at prices lower than those found in supermarkets, and their delicious flavor has earned them a strong reputation among visitors.
Other notable products include carefully cultivated rice that has won awards at national rice competitions and Suzuran Daikon, a sweet and flavorful radish grown in an area with significant differences between daytime and nighttime temperatures.
The selection is seasonal, so the market may not always have every vegetable available in a typical supermarket. However, the opportunity to find fresh produce at its best makes the market well worth a visit.
The roadside station offers different varieties of fresh local produce throughout the year.
Spring: Orina greens, garland chrysanthemum, and wild mountain vegetables.
Summer: Eggplants, cucumbers, daikon radishes, carrots, tomatoes, blueberries, green peppers, and corn.
Autumn: Green onions, red turnips, taro, and Chinese cabbage.
Winter: Perilla seeds, soybeans, adzuki beans, cold-dried daikon radish, and dried mugwort.
Among the most recommended items are freshly harvested local tomatoes, corn, daikon radishes, and Chinese cabbage. Grown in Asahi Town’s rich natural environment, these vegetables offer a taste of the region’s seasonal bounty.
Asahi Town produces a wide range of specialties using high-quality mugwort harvested locally at the beginning of spring. One particularly unusual product is mugwort shōchū, a distinctive spirit that is rarely found elsewhere in Japan.
Other popular products include Original Hida Yomogi Udon, which is recognized as a recommended souvenir by Gifu Prefecture, flavorful mugwort tofu, and mugwort daifuku rice cakes that combine sweetness with a pleasant hint of bitterness.
These products reflect the natural environment and food traditions of Asahi Town and are popular with visitors looking for distinctive regional souvenirs.
In the Hida region, rice cakes are traditionally called appo. Michi-no-Eki Hida Asahimura sells a variety of locally made rice cakes, including mugwort rice cakes, bean rice cakes, and seasonal horse chestnut rice cakes.
Bijō Mochi is particularly noteworthy. Made from non-glutinous rice, it has a pleasantly firm and chewy texture that distinguishes it from ordinary rice cakes.
The shop also sells tomato jam made with locally sourced ingredients, offering another way to enjoy the distinctive flavors of Asahi Town.
Original Hida Yomogi Udon is one of the signature products of Michi-no-Eki Hida Asahimura. It is available in both thin and thick varieties, each offering a different texture. Freshly made raw noodles can be purchased at the roadside station or enjoyed at the Hōan restaurant.
Bijō Mochi is a famous specialty of Asahi Town, made using Koshihikari rice. Its distinctive firmness and chewy texture set it apart from conventional rice cakes. It is also enjoyed in school lunches and at care facilities for older adults.
Kine-tsuki Appo refers to traditionally pounded rice cakes, using the Hida Takayama dialect word for rice cake. Varieties include mugwort, bean, and plain white rice cakes. The mugwort version is especially popular for its use of locally harvested mugwort.
The farm produce market offers fresh vegetables grown by local farmers. Highlights include Asahi Town tomatoes and the sweet Suzuran Daikon radish, whose flavor develops under the area’s considerable temperature variations. Visitors can discover seasonal produce carefully cultivated by local growers.
Asahi Town is known for its range of products made with locally harvested mugwort, including mugwort shōchū, mugwort daifuku, and seasonal mugwort tofu. These distinctive products are among the roadside station’s most popular specialties.
The roadside station also has Asahinosato Ground Golf Course, a ground golf facility covered entirely with Korean grass. Visitors can enjoy a relaxing game while looking toward distant Mount Norikura and taking in the surrounding natural scenery.
During summer, a sumo ring is set up on the grounds, which are also used for children’s sumo events.
Travelers with pets can make use of the dedicated pet play area. Although the area is closed during winter, it provides a pleasant place for pets and their owners to relax together during the other seasons.
Kurumi Island Campground is located at an elevation of approximately 1,850 meters, in a beautiful natural setting with impressive views of Mount Ontake.
The campground has seven cottages and 59 tent sites, making it an appealing destination for visitors who enjoy camping and outdoor activities.
During winter, the nearby town of Asahi hosts the Frozen Forest Ice Festival, which takes advantage of temperatures below freezing. The event features fantastical ice sculptures that attract visitors with their otherworldly beauty.
Michi-no-Eki Hida Asahimura is located at an elevation of approximately 744 meters and is about a 20-minute drive from central Takayama City.
The area has historical significance as part of routes known during the Edo period as the Edō Kaidō and the Buri Kaidō, or yellowtail road. These routes played an important role in regional travel and transportation.
The magnificent views of Mount Norikura and Mount Ontake from Asahi Town are another highlight, making the roadside station an appealing stop for travelers exploring the Hida region.