A new michi no eki “Haneji no Eki” opened in Yanbaru!

In the district of Haneji, Nago City in the northern part of mainland Okinawa, a new michi no eki (literally translated as roadside station), “Haneji no Eki” made its grand opening on May 15!  Mainly dealing in agricultural and livestock products in 15 communities of the Haneji District, from Genka in the north to Isagawa in the south, the shop is a farmer’s market which has a large assortment of selected specialty products from Yanbaru (the northern mountainous area of mainland Okinawa) covering the neighboring municipalities of the Haneji District (Motobu Town, Nakijin Village, Kunigami Village, Ogimi Village, and Higashi Village).

In the northern part of Okinawa including Haneji, they produce mangoes and pineapples in summer while delicious fruits like citrus fruits in winter.  Henaji is originally popular for its agriculture & livestock Industries.  The Inamine Community in the Haneji District is “a birth place of chicken farm” in Okinawa.  Fresh eggs from Inamine Egg Farm, where they breed 210,000 poultry, are sold at “Haneji no Eki.”  Also Haneji Chicken is popular, and you can buy it as well as enjoy meals using Haneji Chicken or eggs in the restaurant that is built on the property. 

The most popular menu item using Haneji Chicken is “Oyako Soba with Haneji Chicken.”  It is Okinawa soba noodle topped with teriyaki Haneji Chicken and tamagoyaki (Japanese Omelette), whose soup is made of dashi mixed with torigara (chicken soup), pork bone, bonito flakes, and kelp.  With small dishes of jiimamii dofu (tofu-like food made from peanut and starch) and aemono (dressed dish), the soba noodle costs 680 yen.  In addition to that, “Oyako Don (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl) with Haneji Chicken” (680 yen) and “Chicken Leg Curry and Rice” (880 yen) are popular. 

A very popular section at “Haneji no Eki” is a shop for Okinawa tempura and kamaboko “Yumenaikai.”  Their healthy tempura using Okinawan herbs like sakuna (chomeiso or Peucedanum japonicum), fuuchibaa (yomogi or Japanese mugwort), nigana (Crepidiastrum lanceolatum), iichoobaa (Fennel[), etc. have been extremely popular.  As the price is reasonable, just 60 yen per each, almost all the tempura are sold out by the evening.

Another very popular item is “New Half,” a fish cake made of minced meat of fish and chicken (130 yen)!  “New Half” is a deep-fried kamaboko (fish cake) with full of vegetables on a skewer.  “I was happy when a customer told me her son who hated to eat vegetables said “Vegetables also taste good!” after he ate our “New Half”,” said the owner of the shop.  “Instead of snack or sweets, it would be very healthy to eat vegetable kamaboko or vegetable tempura for snack time!”  It tastes excellent if you eat freshly-fried kamaboko and tempura!

The second floor of “Haneji no Eki” is an observatory deck where you can look over Haneji Inland Sea.  The place has such a breathtaking landscape that it is called as one of “the eight most beautiful scenic places in Okinawa.”   In addition to a calm, beautiful, blue sea, golden-colored sunset reflected on the surface of the sea is gorgeous.

Now we have a new spot that we want to stop by on the way driving up to Kouri Island or further north!

“Haneji no Eki”

Address: Along Highway 58, 763-1, Makiya, Nago City, Okinawa
TEL: 0980-58-235
Opening Hours: 10:00 to 19:00
Restaurant: 11:00 to 17:00（Last Order）
Opens 365 Days a Year

Okinawa CLIP Photo Writer  Hiroshi Kuwamura (KUWA)