We exited the ETC toll road at the Obama-nishi IC. We got on National Route 27 and headed west. The road skirted the coast and passed through a number of quaint seaside towns. We were surprised as there were quite a few roadside stations in close proximity to each other. Roadside Station Seaside Takahama was less than 4 km away and Roadside Station Wakasa Obama was 15 km away. We decided to stop by Roadside Station Uminpia Oi in Fukui Prefecture.

The roadside station was in close proximity to Nagaihama Beach and was located within a larger commercial seaside complex. The seaside complex looked relatively new and featured a supermarket, drug store, home improvement store, onsen, hotel, technology museum, children’s hall, skate park, as well as a trendy shopping area with a number of boutique shops. We were pretty surprised to see this much development as the town of Oi was pretty small.

The roadside station itself was quite small. It was just one long building with only a couple dozen parking spaces in front. The restrooms were located outside on the right. They were a bit dated, but clean. The building was separated into two different wings.

The first thing we saw when we entered was this beautiful view of Wakasa Bay. The building featured floor to ceiling windows that brought in the maximum amount of natural light. It was a perfect day to come. We were surprised with how blue the water was.

Roadside Station Uminpia Oi Local Products Store

The left side of the roadside station featured an omiyage shop with a wide assortment of locally produced goods. The general theme seemed to be products related to the sea. They had a section of freshly caught raw fish from Wakasa Bay which we learned changed daily based on the days catch and the season. We were surprised with the variety of handcraft items they had for sale. We can imagine that the roadside station provided great exposure for local artisans to showcase their goods to a large audience.

Roadside Station Uminpia Oi Restaurant

The other wing of the building housed a gelato shop/café and a restaurant. The gelato shop had a good variety to choose from and included seasonal flavors like chestnut, ume, and yuzu. The restaurants menu included the standard fare of soba, udon, katsu curry, etc.. In addition they had a nice selection of sashimi bowls and plates to choose from. They even had a special set of miso soup and rice that could be eaten with any of the sashimi that was purchased at the omiyage shop across the way. The seating arrangement consisted of simple tables and chairs which all had great views of the water.

Final Thoughts

The view from the roadside station and the location were wonderful. The view of the protected cove of Wakasa Bay with the green hills in the background was beautiful. Since it was a protected cove the water was very calm. This roadside station was quite small, but it was quaint and had a charming seaside town vibe which we enjoyed. We can imagine that this is a popular destination during the summer.

More to Come…

Here is the link to their website.