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Michi-no-Eki Konze no Sato Ritto

Attraction

Prefecture

Shiga

Type

Attraction

N/A

0 reviews

Free

Entry Fee

Free Entry Restaurant Cafe

About This Destination

A roadside station in the Konze hills of Ritto, with a farm shop of local Shiga produce and specialties, a restaurant known for wild-boar shishi-don, fig soft-serve ice cream, and access to the Konze Alps hiking trails.

Michi-no-Eki Konze no Sato Ritto is a roadside station in the Konze hills on the southern edge of Ritto in Shiga, along Prefectural Route 12. Its farm shop sells fresh local produce and Shiga specialties, including jam and other products made from Ritto's prized figs, Konze miso, Ritto arare rice crackers, and handmade pickled plums. The restaurant is known for shishi-don, a rice bowl topped with locally caught wild boar, alongside lighter set meals, and admission is free, so it makes an easy stop on a drive through the hills south of Lake Biwa. The signature treat is a fig soft-serve ice cream (about 400 yen, or 350 yen for plain vanilla). There is a foot bath on the site, but it is not always running and the water can be cold, so treat it as a bonus rather than a reason to visit. The station is also the main gateway to the Konze Alps, a range of easy day-hikes that lead to ridgeline viewpoints and the Komasaka rock-carved Buddha. Reaching it really needs a car: it is about 20 minutes from the Meishin Expressway Ritto interchange, while the seasonal bus from JR Ritto or Kusatsu runs only in spring and autumn.

Location

Prefecture: Shiga

Address: Ritto, Shiga, Japan

Nearest Station: Ritto Station

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Visitor Information

Credit Cards: Unknown

Food Options: The restaurant serves shishi-don (wild boar rice bowl) and set meals (roughly 11:00 to 15:00), plus light cafe items and the fig soft-serve ice cream. The farm shop sells local produce, fig jam, Konze miso, and Ritto arare to take home.

Official Website

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Michi-no-Eki Konze no Sato Ritto and what is there?

It is a roadside station (michi-no-eki) in the Konze hills of Ritto, Shiga. It has a farm shop selling local produce and Shiga specialties (fig jam, Konze miso, Ritto arare, pickled plums), a restaurant known for wild-boar shishi-don, light cafe items including a fig soft-serve ice cream, tourist information, and a foot bath. Entry is free.

How do I get to Michi-no-Eki Konze no Sato Ritto?

By car it is about 20 minutes from the Meishin Expressway Ritto interchange along Prefectural Route 12; there is free parking for around 28 cars. There is no convenient train access: JR Ritto and Kusatsu stations are about 30 minutes away by taxi, and the local bus to the station runs only in spring and autumn. A car is by far the easiest way to visit.

What should I eat or buy there?

The signature dish is shishi-don, a rice bowl of locally caught wild boar. The signature snack is the fig soft-serve ice cream, made with Ritto figs, at about 400 yen (plain vanilla is about 350 yen). For souvenirs, the farm shop stocks fig jam, Konze miso, Ritto arare rice crackers, handmade pickled plums, and seasonal local produce.

Is the foot bath worth it?

Do not count on it. There is a foot bath on the site, but it is not always in operation and the water can be cold, especially in summer, so it is a nice bonus if it happens to be running rather than a reason to make the trip. Come for the shop, the food, and the Konze Alps trailhead instead.

When is it open, and when is it closed?

The shop is open 9:00 to 17:00 and the restaurant runs roughly 11:00 to 15:00 (a little later on weekends and holidays). It is closed on Wednesdays (open if Wednesday is a public holiday, closed the next day instead) and over the New Year period (December 29 to January 4). Check the official site before a special trip, as hours shift seasonally.