# Michi-no-Eki Shichijo Melon Dome

> Three green melon-shaped domes on Route 325 in Kikuchi, filled with local melons, melon sweets and farm produce. One of Kumamoto's most visited roadside stations, and hard to miss from the road.

- Prefecture: Kumamoto
- Type: Michi no eki
- Address: Kikuchi, Kumamoto, Japan
- Opening hours: Mon–Sun 09:00–18:00
- Closed: Closed 1 to 3 January.
- Hours note: The shop, bakery, juice counter and restaurant keep different hours, and the restaurant closes mid-afternoon. Check current notices before visiting.
- Parking and toilets: free, open 24 hours
- Official site: https://www.qsr.mlit.go.jp/n-michi/michi_no_eki/kobetu/shichijyo/shichijyo.html

The roofs are the giveaway: three domes shaped and patterned like netted melons, sitting in the farmland of the old Shichijo town, now part of Kikuchi. Melons are what the area grows, and the shop sells several varieties along with melon-flavored sweets, vegetables labeled with their grower's name, and flowers.

Most people stop for something melon-based to eat on the spot. The soft-serve made with fresh melon and the melon juice are the usual orders, and the bakery's melon bread is made with dough kneaded with Shichijo melon juice, so it actually tastes of the fruit. There is also a restaurant for a proper meal.

Melons are a seasonal crop, so the piles of whole fruit shrink outside the harvest and some melon items may be off the menu. Check before making a special trip for a gift box. The station has a large free car park, but it can fill on fine weekends.

---
Source: Michi-no-Eki Shichijo Melon Dome — Japan Voyage