さかい Hé àn レストラン Chá Zāng

Located along a prefectural road just a short distance off Route 354 in Ibaraki Prefecture, this restaurant is situated at the base of the Sakai Ohashi Bridge, which spans the border between Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures. Due to the varying elevation, it may be a bit difficult to spot the entrance at first glance for first-time visitors. This roadside station preserves remnants of its past as a water transportation and ferry terminal utilizing the Tone River. Welcoming guests at the entrance is the town's mascot character, "Sakaitachi." In addition to local agricultural products, processed foods, and sweets, there is also a section dedicated to soy sauce from various regions and local sake. This unique roadside station has established a friendly exchange agreement with a similar facility in Okinawa, serving as an antenna shop for Okinawan products. They also have an Okinawan restaurant on site. Fresh umi budou (sea grapes) are sometimes available here. The facility includes the Sakai Riverside Brewery, where you can enjoy locally brewed beer made with the specialty Sashima tea on the outdoor terrace. The parking lot can be a bit difficult to navigate and somewhat cramped, but there is a second parking area available. Nearby, there are large complexes like a Mega Don Quijote, Onsen facility, Kasumi supermarket, Homac hardware store, and K's Denki electronics store, which tend to get quite crowded on weekends.

As you enter the entrance of Sakai Michi no Eki, you will first see shops selling manju, melon bread, and souvenir sweets. Upon leaving the shops, you will see potted plants lined up and a trendy cafe on the left, offering healthy sandwiches and fruit sandwiches. There are counters and chairs outside the cafe where you can enjoy your meal. It is said that they sometimes sell out early on holidays. Moving on,

This is a roadside station where autonomous buses come and go. I think it's worth stopping by and taking a ride to experience the new era of mobility. The bus is free for round trips. In addition, there are many Okinawan products available at this roadside station, so you can get a variety of Okinawan goods. There is also a craft beer factory on site where you can purchase craft beer. I tried buying and drinking the beer, and found it to be a high-quality product with a citrusy flavor that still allows you to savor the taste of beer. I would definitely like to stop by this nice roadside station again if I have the chance.

道の駅にしては敷地はそれほど広くなく、車の出入りもちょっとしにくい立地にはなっていますが、店内はいろいろと珍しいものも多く、お土産探しが楽しいです。 なぜか醤油の品揃えが素晴らしく、このコーナーのためにしばらく通おうかと思うくらいです。 境町とどんな関係があるのかはわかりませんが沖縄コーナーも充実しています。 タイミングがあえば、ここを走っている無人運転バスにも乗ってみたいです。

沖縄ショップ、沖縄料理が食べられる、ブルワリーがあったり、産直野菜を変えたり、フルーツサンドとケーキを売ってるお店があったり、豊富なサービスがあります。 ブルーシールのアイスが食べられます。 ソーキソバ食べてみたのですが、本場の味とは違う印象を受けました。期待したのでちょっと残念でした。 有料のビニール袋のデザインが可愛かったです。 野菜は葉ものが安いと思いました。 お茶の産地のようで、お茶沢山売ってます。 あと、醤油の種類がすごかった。 こだわりの醤油を探してる方ぜひ訪れてみてください。