# Michi-no-Eki Aito Margaret Station

> A roadside station on Route 307 that grew out of a farmers' market. Come for the gelato made with local milk and fruit, then pick flowers in the fields next door when they are in season.

- Prefecture: Shiga
- Type: Michi no eki
- Address: Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan
- Opening hours: Mon–Sun 09:00–17:00
- Closed: The produce hall closes on Tuesdays from December to April, and from 31 December to 3 January.
- Hours note: Most facilities close on Tuesdays (irregular closing days in the summer school break); the produce hall opens daily from May to November. Check the official notices before visiting.
- Parking and toilets: free, open 24 hours
- Official site: https://www.aito-ms.or.jp/

Aito Margaret Station started as a place for Aito farmers to sell what they grew, and the produce hall is still the center of it. Vegetables, fruit and rice from the eastern Shiga countryside fill the shelves. It is about 4.5 km from Yokaichi IC on the Meishin Expressway, along Route 307 toward Hikone.

Most people stop for the gelato. The Rapty workshop makes it with milk from a nearby dairy farm and local fruit and vegetables, so the flavors change through the year. The fields beside the station are planted with rapeseed, lavender and cosmos in turn, and picking is allowed in season.

Check before you go. Most of the station closes on Tuesdays, with irregular closing days during the summer school break instead, and the produce hall stays open daily from May to November. Blooming dates move with the weather.

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Source: Michi-no-Eki Aito Margaret Station — Japan Voyage