Michi-no-Eki Oga

Ogare opened in July 2018 together with the new JR Oga Station building, at the end of the Oga Line from Akita. That makes it one of the few michi-no-eki you can reach comfortably by train: walk out of the station, cross the square and you are at the market, with Funakawa port just behind it. Namahage, the masked New Year visitors of the peninsula, turn up on signs, souvenirs and packaging throughout.

The fish counter is the reason to come. It stocks whatever came into Oga's ports that day, and staff will fillet a fish for a small fee if you have somewhere to cook it. Local vegetables, processed foods and crafts fill the rest of the hall. A restaurant serves seafood meals, and a snack corner sells seasonal gelato and soft-serve. The Namahage Museum and the peninsula's coast road are a drive away, not on site.

Winter is quieter and the hours shrink. The shop generally runs 9:00 to 17:00, but February weekdays close at 16:00, and the station closes on 1 and 2 January and on some days in February and March. The fish selection depends on the day's catch, so it is worth checking with the station if you are after something specific.