Michi-no-Eki Chokai

On the coast road between Sakata and Akita, Michi-no-Eki Chokai (everyone calls it Furatto) is where Yuza sells its fish. The station sits at the foot of Mt Chokai, close to the Sea of Japan, and it has a produce market, a fish market and a canteen under one roof.

Go to the fish counter first. Genki na Hama-ten grills fish at the counter, and the grilled silver flounder is the one people come back for. You can carry what you buy to the Furatto canteen and add a rice set, which makes a very local set meal. The canteen also has its own set meals and rice bowls. Wild iwagaki rock oysters from Fukura are a summer thing; in autumn and winter look at what the boats brought in instead.

The station is on Route 7, about five minutes from Yuza-Chokai IC via Route 345, and about 20 minutes south of Kisakata IC. It is open every day except 31 December and 1 January, with an earlier close from November to February.