A Walk-Through Reading of the Roadside Stations of the Four Provinces: Eat Local Food, Take Specialties Home in Your Bag

Bringing my own reusable bag (shopping bag) when traveling has already become the most natural thing in the world to me; markets and bazaars are always a must on my itinerary, because to get to know the local customs and ways of a place, you just walk into the local market and see what they eat, what they use, and what they buy. I had also been hoping for a chance to take a closer look at just how agricultural produce is sold and distributed on-site in some remote rural areas. Since my April trip to Shikoku, Japan was a drive-around-the-island trip, I finally had the chance to walk into michi-no-eki at the junction of town and countryside.

That's right, they are rest stops beside the highway, much like the rest stops on Taiwan's freeways, with parking lots, restrooms and local specialty product areas for everyone's convenience. But it is not that simple either; Japan's michi-no-eki have a much stronger sense of place. Beyond the physical buildings and sales areas, the items displayed and sold there are tightly embedded in the local industry: there are direct-sales outlets for agriculture, forestry and fisheries products selling fresh local fruits and vegetables, cafeterias serving local specialty dishes, and management teams working jointly with government and the private sector. The vitality of Japan's michi-no-eki truly has to be seen to be believed. Although the autumn wind is already blowing, my recording hand can never keep up with the clock's hands and the calendar on the wall, so this is still a belated essay on a grocery-shopping journey in Japan.

Farm markets: filling every corner with local flavor