■ Let's get off at the entrance of Shonai, the Amarume station!

I came to JR Amarume Station in the center of Shonai Town.

There is no station named “Shonai Station” in Shonai Town.
The Amarume Station takes its name from the former town before the municipalities merger. It is the representative station of Shonai Town.

There is no need for transfer from either Sakata and Tsuruoka stations in the surrounding area, and you can get here by changing trains only once from Yamagata station.

In the past, the station was used in the movie Departures.

Since the parking lot is adjacent to the station and can be used free of charge, it is convenient!

The café Amarume Hotto Home in the station building sells souvenirs as well as soft-serve ice cream that you will want to eat when you travel.

Among them, azuki soft serve ice cream is a popular item with refined sweetness, using sweet red bean paste called Ume-no-Miso that is made in Shonai Town.

When you look to the front of the station, there are red bicycles lined up.

This is a sightseeing bicycle rental service run by Shonai Town. You can rent bicycles for free if you apply for it at Amarume Hot Home or the tourist information desk within Classe.

When the weather is nice, we recommend you to rent a bicycle and explore the touristic attractions and enjoy the rich nature.

The large building that you can see right after getting off at Amarume Station is today’s topic.

The modern white tiled roof stands out.

Many azaleas were in full bloom along the way.

It is just less than a minute on foot from the Amarume station.
This is the Shinsangyo Sozokan Classe!

This building is a 80-year-old former rice warehouse made of earthenware and then renovated. It opened in May 2014.

Let’s go inside!

There are many facilities in Classe.

・ Bazaar Addeba
・ Sixth Sector Industrialization rental workshop
・ Sixth Sector Industrialization shared processing plant
・ Restaurant
・ Multipurpose hall
・ Rental office
・ Shonai Town Information Center
・ Tourism Association General Information Center
・ Café Amarume Seipan

We introduce recommended spots in order!

■ Souvenirs to vegetables and crafts at the Bazaar Addeba

The Bazaar Addeba has a large variety of souvenirs from Shonai including special products and handicrafts.

This series of fruits liquor to eat is a popular product made by the Tate-no-Kawa brewery in the neighboring Sakata City.

Among them, Yoko is a special edition blend of junmai daiginjo sake and fresh yogurt!
I like this a lot!

There are a lot of freshly harvested local vegetables and mountain vegetables.

There are always seasonal items available, so many people come just for this!

Gassan bamboo shoots are delicious even if just baked as they are.
They boast a strong popularity in the Shonai region.

■ Sixth Sector Industrialization rental workshop and shared processing plant

At the back of the bazaar, there is a Sixth Sector Industrialization rental workshop that can be used with a contract for a certain period of time, and a Sixth Sector Industrialization shared processing plant that can be used by reservation at a low price.

It is designed so that visitors can peek at the activities within the processing plant from the entrance with the aim of promoting the modern approach of the Sixth Sector Industrialization of Shonai Town.

This way focuses on the development and production of processed foods. The products made here can be purchased at the bazaar.

This is a unique facility as it has a full-scale food processing plant next to the souvenir shop.

■ Yaku-Checciano ~ supervised by the chef Masayuki Okuda (permanently closed)

Next up is the restaurant Yaku-Checciano

This restaurant with the themes of “grilling” and “healthy meal for tomorrow” is supervised by Masayuki Okuda, the owner and chef of the famous Italian restaurant Al-Ché-cciano in Tsuruoka City.

It is a space where the lighting of gentle colors hanging from the high ceiling and the warmth of wood can make you feel calm.

Special attention is spent on the “grilling” method of the selected meat, which comes with matching local vegetables.

The menu I had on this day was the shogayaki set (grilled ginger and komenokobuta pork).

Salad, rice, and miso soup also included for 1,080 yen (with tax).

■ From bread to fruit sandwich! Café Amarume Seipan

And finally, the popular bakery and café Amarume Seipan.

It is always crowded at lunch time.

I am hesitating with all the various sweets and side dishes.

And since this shop also operates as a café, you can enjoy your purchased goods here with a drink!

There is also an abundant variation of drinks on the menu.

You can also relax in the multi-purpose hall on the 2nd floor.

This time I bought wanpaku eggs & tartar sauce!

■ Summary

On such a nice day it’s a great idea to have your favorite baked goods outside and relax!

Make sure to come to Classe if you visit Shonai Town.

Once you’ve got your fill of souvenirs, you can fill up your stomach and carefully plan your trip to Shonai using the bicycle rental service!

It is recommended to get off at Amarume Station.