Located in Noda, Ogata, Soeda-cho, Tagawa-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture, this sweet shop is inside the Michi-no-Eki "Kanyusha Hikosan." Their specialty is mochi, which is quite rare. The menu includes zenzai, kinako mochi, anko mochi, shiromochi, isobe-yaki, sugar-coated yellow powder, shaved ice, warabi mochi, mochi pizza, tempura, soft serve ice cream, iced coffee, hot coffee, and more. This time, I ordered the small size kinako mochi for 200 yen. The small size kinako mochi comes with 2 pieces of fairly large mochi. The surface is quite crispy, while the inside is chewy mochi. The kinako has just the right amount of sweetness, not too overpowering. I easily finished both pieces. At 200 yen, it's great value for money. Interestingly, they also sell fried chicken and sweet and savory burdock root dishes at the storefront. Thank you for the meal.

On the way to Mt. Hikosan, I stopped by a place called Kanyusha Hiko. I had been curious about this mochi shop but hadn't tried it until now. I thought it would be indoors, but when I peeked inside, I saw that the entrance was open to the outside. It was cold, but it had a certain charm to it. I felt like having something warm, so I ordered zenzai and isobe-yaki. The zenzai wasn't too thick, you could see the bottom of the bowl slightly. It was quite sweet, and the mochi was soft and chewy. The isobe-yaki had a soy sauce glaze with a small piece of seaweed on top. It wasn't surprising, but it was a comforting taste on a cold day. I'll definitely come back again.

I drove to Mt. Hikosan and stopped by a roadside station for some snacks. It was a cold day, so it was mostly outdoors and quite cold. I charged up with some energy and then climbed the stairs to Hikosan Shrine!

I started a casual trip to a roadside station using an Android app that allows you to enjoy roadside stations in Kyushu. This time, I visited "Kanyusha Hikosan" in Fukuoka. The roadside station has various facilities. You can pay to draw natural spring water at the foot of Mt. Hiko. There is also a foot bath facility, which is also paid. I enjoyed soft serve ice cream at the same facility, and I wanted to review this shop as well. The shop sells mochi made by a local women's group called "Nonohana-kai," including anko mochi and okara karinto, and they also serve zenzai (a sweet red bean soup) for 100 yen per cup on weekends and holidays. When I visited in the evening, the remaining products were being sold at discounted prices. I was surprised when the lady selling the products tried to put the item I touched into a bag to purchase it. I quickly withdrew my hand, feeling a bit overwhelmed by her strong sales approach. Although it was nice to get a discount, the quantity was too much for me to purchase. The remaining products were anko mochi in packs of 4-5 pieces. I noticed a poster advertising an eat-in menu, so I decided to stay and ordered kinako mochi for 120 yen and zenzai for 100 yen. They also provided complimentary hot tea. The freshly made mochi in the kinako mochi was delicious, and the zenzai was perfect for the chilly weather in the mountains. The zenzai also contained mochi, which was a nice touch. Overall, I was very satisfied with the taste and price. I don't like pushy salespeople, but I was lucky to find something delicious. Thank you for the meal!

While traveling from Miyako Town, I stopped by at Michi no Eki Hikosan for a break. A prominent sign near the entrance caught my eye - "1 bowl of zenzai for 150 yen." Even though it was already May, the temperature was still chilly, so I decided to go for something warm and headed towards the Mochi Workshop building. The building only had a kitchen and an office (register). The dining area was outside, with handmade wooden tables giving it a rustic feel. In reality, it was more like an exposed DIY table in the open air. There were three elderly ladies inside the building, but only one was attending to customers. The other two seemed to be taking a break and showed no sign of moving. The customer service was lacking, to say the least. The lady attending to us was also very slow-paced. Despite the cold weather and the wait, I couldn't resist the allure of zenzai for 150 yen. Finally, I got my hands on the zenzai. Now, let's give it a try. The sweet and salty balance of the zenzai was amazing! There was one piece of mochi in the bowl, with a great texture and chewiness. The quality of the zenzai was excellent. Honestly, it was delicious. If you were to have something of this quality at a dessert shop or tea house in Fukuoka city, it would cost at least 500 yen. So, the price being less than a third of that was a great value for money. Despite the lack of hospitality, the zenzai itself was enjoyable. It felt like a place where they were pursuing their own enjoyment (hobby) rather than focusing on customer convenience or service skills. Thank you for the meal.