Shops around Bitchu Kokubun-ji Tenmple in Okayama Prefecture Soja City are being renovated one after another! This area is now bustling with activity due to the synergistic effects. Here is a summary of the shops in the area!
2024.07.02The JA direct sales store will become "Shunkan Hiroba Hare Nochi Hare (JA Hare No Kuni Okayama)" in April 2024, and will be a store that mainly sells locally grown vegetables, fruits, and rice, as well as flowers, meat, fish, and more. Also, "Kibiji Hospitality House" was renovated in June, and now has an Italian restaurant, "IL ottimo," attached to it! The popular bakery "bonbon" and the buffet restaurant "Kibi no Sato Yamate no Ichi" are also within walking distance, making this an area where you can enjoy food all around.
1. Shunkan Hiroba Sunny Then Sunny (JA Sunny Country Okayama)
The Yamate Farmers Market of JA Harenokuni Okayama was renovated in April 2024, and has been bustling with people looking for fresh produce since early in the morning every day. It is easily accessible from Okayama and Kurashiki, and has a large parking lot, making it easy to use.
A spacious store with a wide selection of products
The aisles inside the store are wide and easy to walk around. They not only sell local Soja produce, but also produce from within and outside Okayama Prefecture, so they have a full range of seasonal produce, including vegetables, fruits, rice, flowers, fish, and meat. Although it is a direct sales store, you can do your daily shopping like you would at a supermarket.
Sweet and delicious corn from the local Soja!
Corn production is at its peak in Soja City. Sweet and delicious freshly harvested corn was lined up, and it sold out in a flash. Be sure to come and try the deliciousness of this season!
Shine Muscat is already here!
Okayama is about to enter the peak fruit season. Shine Muscat grapes are already on display! They're still a bit pricey, but they look delicious. Peaches are also in season now. There were culled peaches on display, but I can't wait for them to be in season. Soja City is a major producer of Shine Muscat grapes and peaches, so we'll soon be able to find delicious fruit at reasonable prices!
[Shunkan Hiroba Sunny Then Sunny (JA Sunny Country Okayama)]
Address: 23 Okayama Prefecture , Soja City, Okaya Soja City
TEL: 0866-93-2338
Business hours: 8:00-17:30
Closed: None
Parking: Available
JA Sunny Country Okayama Official Website
2. Kibiji Hospitality House
Located in the heart of the Kibiji area, Kibiji Hospitality House is a place where you can relax while looking out at the five-story pagoda of Bitchu Kokubun-ji Tenmple. The restaurant was renovated on June 6, 2024, changing from Yamate Shokudo to the Italian restaurant IL ottimo. At the restaurant with a view of the five-story pagoda, you can enjoy not only lunch but also a cafe. A Meat Festival is also planned for Sunday, July 14, 2024, where you can savor wild game, hamburgers, curry, and more.
Pasta Lunch
I had a pasta lunch made by a chef who used to work at a popular cafe in Hiroshima Prefecture! Lunch is available as a plate lunch (with soup and salad / 1,500 yen) or a pasta lunch (from 1,100 yen). There are several types of pasta, but I had the "Bisei Beef Ragu Pasta Salad Set" which uses Bisei Beef. The pasta was chewy and filled with chunks of diced Bisei Beef, and both the pasta and the Bisei Beef were very filling. It was lighter than the meat sauce, but had a rich flavor and was delicious. The salad was also very filling and made with locally grown vegetables, making it delicious.
Dessert is a separate stomach!
The meal was so filling that I was full, but I still had room for dessert. The cakes were apparently made by the chef, and were delicious with just the right amount of sweetness. The dessert was also very filling. This may be a special seat where you can enjoy the view of the five-story pagoda of Bitchu Kokubun-ji Tenmple!
Haniwa: A souvenir unique to the Kibiji area
The shop's sales area is filled with local specialty processed condiments, sweets, drinks, and more, making it a fun place to browse. What particularly caught my eye were the small haniwa figures! These are souvenirs unique to the Kibiji area, which is dotted with ancient tombs.
Take-out only "PAGODA BURGER"
"PAGODA BURGER" is an outdoor take-out only restaurant. The patties are made with great care by "Shoun," a Michelin-starred kaiseki restaurant in Okayama City that produces "Kibiji Hospitality House," so you can be sure they're delicious! They're also quite filling, so you'll be satisfied. They also have a variety of delicious drinks.
[Kibiji Hospitality House]
Address: 418 Yado, Soja City, Okayama Prefecture Prefecture
TEL: 0866-94-1048
Business hours: 9:00-16:30
Closed: Tuesdays
Parking: Available
3. Bonbon BREAD
This popular bakery in Soja has people lining up before it even opens, and is located across from Shunkan Hiroba Hare Nochi Hare (JA Hare No Kuni Okayama). They mainly sell hard breads, but they also have sandwiches and cakes. There's an outdoor terrace, so you can enjoy your meal while admiring the five-story pagoda of Bitchu Kokubun-ji Tenmple. They also have a wide selection of drinks, and their parfaits are very popular!
Hard bread is popular
This is a popular bakery, so the freshly baked bread sells out one after the other. The heavy, hard bread is filled with nuts and dried fruit. There are delicious-looking breads on display that look satisfying to eat.
There is also a Toyotomi of breads and side dishes
They also have a Toyotomi of sandwiches and savory breads, making this bakery popular with both children and adults. The cakes in the showcase are slightly larger than the American style.
Terrace seating with a view of Bitchu Kokubun-ji Tenmple
Outside the shop, there is a terrace seating area with a great view of Bitchu Kokubun-ji Tenmple. There is a pleasant breeze blowing, so we recommend enjoying bread and a drink while taking in the view.
[bonbon BREAD]
Address: 7-1 Okayama Prefecture City, Okaya Soja City
Business hours: 10:00-17:00
Closed: Wednesdays and Sundays
Parking: Available
bonbon BREAD | Official Instagram
4. Kibi Village Yamate Market
Located to the south of "Shunkan Hiroba Hare no Kuni Okayama(JA Hare no Kuni Okayama)" is "Kibi no Sato Yamate no Ichi." It mainly sells locally grown vegetables and fruits, but also ingredients from within and outside the prefecture. The adjacent buffet restaurant, which uses local ingredients, is also popular.
Selling fresh local vegetables
The store's sales section was lined with fresh vegetables and fruits from within and outside the prefecture, including locally grown produce, tomatoes, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage.
The store is a treasure trove of ingredients
The store is filled with a wide variety of popular seasonings and ingredients from Okayama, making it fun just to look at them. The most popular items were fruit jelly with Hello Kitty, Snoopy, and Doraemon characters.
Kibikibitei: A buffet of homemade side dishes
Kibikibitei is popular for its lunch buffet, featuring a Toyotomi variety of homemade side dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. The rice is also carefully sourced from Soja, with white rice being Kinumusume and black rice, which is rich in polyphenols. Aka rice and black rice are also grown in the Bitchu Kokubun-ji Tenmple area, and are delicious, so be sure to give them a try.
Adults (junior high school students and above): 1,400 yen
Elementary school students: 900 yen
Ages 3 and over: 600 yen
0-2 years old: Free
[Kibi Village Yamate Market]
Address: 25-1 Okayama Prefecture Soja City, Okaya Prefecture
TEL: 0866-94-2555
Business hours: 9:00-16:00
Closed: Wednesdays
Parking: Available
Kibi no Sato Yamate Market Official Website
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