When living somewhere, one important factor is what kind of shops are available and what can be bought there. For example, when it comes to food, whether there's a supermarket nearby where you can buy ingredients is more directly related to daily life than restaurants where you can eat out.
Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, with a population of about 140,000, especially the urban area around Ishinomaki Station, has a variety of shops that can be used for any occasion or mood. As a resident of the area within a 5-minute walk from Ishinomaki Station, I have never had any trouble with shopping so far.
This time, we will introduce 9 shopping spots in Ishinomaki, focusing on food-related shops. We hope this column will help clarify your image of daily life here.
First up is "Ishinomaki Genki Ichiba," where seasonal ingredients and local specialties from Ishinomaki gather. It's literally a "market where the town's energy gathers," bustling with locals and tourists alike, regardless of weekdays or holidays.
Ishinomaki Genki Ichiba is a large building located about a 10-minute walk from Ishinomaki Station, along the Old Kitakami River. There's also a multi-story parking lot in front that's free for up to 2 hours, so car users can rest assured.
As soon as you enter, a plethora of local ingredients catches your eye. From fish to vegetables, fruits, and rice, you can truly feel the richness of Ishinomaki's food culture. If you feel like cooking at home, coming to Ishinomaki Genki Ichiba to gather ingredients will surely make cooking more enjoyable.
In addition to ingredients, bento boxes are also sold. Discount stickers start appearing in the evening, so if you want to buy bento boxes at a good price, the evening is the best time to go.
Also, the variety of souvenirs is wide, so please stop by before returning home or traveling. There are canned goods, alcoholic beverages, and other products that can be both souvenirs and daily stock.
Location: 2-11-11 Chuo, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0822
Aeon is nationally famous, so no explanation is needed. Aeon Ishinomaki Ekimae Store is located right in front of Ishinomaki Station and is bustling with locals 365 days a year. In addition to the food section, there's also a 100-yen shop and a local vegetable store, so you can find everything you need for daily life on the first floor.
What's interesting about Aeon Ishinomaki Ekimae Store is that the second floor and above house the Ishinomaki City Hall. A city hall integrated with a commercial facility is quite rare nationwide, isn't it?
Furthermore, it's directly connected to Ishinomaki Municipal Hospital, and there's also a dispensing pharmacy on the first floor of Aeon Ishinomaki Ekimae Store, so it might be a place that residents of Ishinomaki will frequent.
Location: Ishinomaki City Hall 1st Floor, 14-1 Kokucho, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0825
Walking south from Ishinomaki Genki Ichiba for about 2 minutes, you'll see "Kasaya Confectionery," a traditional Japanese confectionery shop. The green flag with "Mame Daifuku" written on it catches the eye.
Inside, delicious Japanese sweets such as their signature wakame mame daifuku, sweet potato, and castella manju are lined up. There were some Japanese sweets with unfamiliar names, but the staff kindly explained them when asked.
I bought sweet potato and chatsu (a baked confection made with sencha green tea). If you're craving a dessert after a meal, be sure to stop by Kasaya Confectionery.
Location: 2-1-13 Chuo, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0822
Next up, after Japanese-style sweets, I'll introduce Western-style sweets. After passing through the bar district, you'll see "B.B. Crepe & Cafe," characterized by its pink signboard.
As the name suggests, crepes are the main offering, and they also sell tapioca drinks. Perhaps attracted by the cute design, a child around elementary school age came to buy a crepe with their mother before me.
After ordering at the stand and waiting a bit, a freshly made crepe was handed to me. Even at over 30 years old, I felt like a child again as I devoured the crepe. There are several benches near the shop, so if the weather is nice, I recommend sitting on a bench and eating it fresh.
Location: 1-3-6 Tachicho, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0824
Moriya Fruits, a fruit shop with colorful fruits painted on its exterior walls. Its good design is captivating.
Contrary to what the name and exterior suggest, it's a "town's kitchen" that sells not only fruits but also various other ingredients and daily necessities. You can find everything you need for your kitchen, such as meat, vegetables, and seasonings.
Of course, many fruits are also sold. People living alone might not eat fruits often. Buying some for friends or family and sharing them with someone else could be a nice shopping experience. Among the shops where you can buy food, it's the closest to Roopt Ishinomaki Hiyorigaoka, so those who move into the share house will likely visit often.
Location: 1-6-16 Chuo, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0822
From here, I'll introduce two bento shops.
The first is "Nodaya," next to Moriya Fruits mentioned earlier. The yellow and red "Bento" flag caught my eye, so I went inside.
As soon as you enter, bento boxes are lined up, all handmade in the kitchen in the back. Also, onigiri and cup ramen are sold next to the register, so even if a bento box isn't enough, you'll be fine!
This is recommended for those who want to eat a proper lunch but don't have time to cook or go out, and find convenience store bentos uninspiring. You can buy it quickly and easily fill your stomach.
1-6-12 Chuo, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0822
The other bento shop is "Sakuraya," just across the street from Nodaya.
It's a bento shop with a simple and refined exterior design.
At Sakuraya, they make and sell different bento boxes every day.
Although only one type is offered per day, it's always a different bento, so you can enjoy anticipating "What's today's bento?" when you go.
The menu when I visited was keema curry.
When I bought a bento, they gave me a monthly menu schedule.
It would be good to stick it on your refrigerator at home.
The lineup is tempting, with classic bento like nori bento, tandoori chicken, grated daikon hamburger, and shrimp chili.
Choosing "Sakuraya today because I want to eat this" is also a fun way to decide.
Location: 1-4 Chuo, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0822
Ishinomaki Elementary School, where the cheerful voices of children can be heard from morning. Eating the side dishes from "SONO," a specialty side dish shop behind it, will energize both your mind and body.
Eating the side dishes from "SONO," a specialty side dish shop behind Ishinomaki Elementary School, where the cheerful voices of children can be heard from morning, will energize both your mind and body.
And for good reason.
The owner of SONO, who moved to Ishinomaki from Shizuoka Prefecture, is a certified Athlete Food Meister and provides healthy side dishes backed by knowledge.
The pop-up displays in the store also contain information about nutrition and more.
It's both delicious and educational.
One of SONO's unique points is its building.
It's a renovated former barbershop, and it's charming how it retains traces of its past while clearly establishing its identity as a side dish shop.
If you're interested in utilizing vacant houses or renovation, please visit and buy some side dishes.
By the way, it's located in a secluded spot at the end of a one-way street next to Ishinomaki Elementary School, so you might get a little lost when visiting for the first time.
We recommend looking for SONO's banner and light blue sign as landmarks.
Location: 1-2-2 Izumicho, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0832
Finally, I'll introduce "Pan Kobo Feel," a bakery located about a 5-minute walk from Ishinomaki Station.
Previously operating within Ishinomaki Genki Ichiba, since August 2021, it has been manufacturing and selling handmade bread from its own independent store.
Inside the white Western-style building, colorful breads are lined up in a calm, woody space.
Ishinomaki Anpan, Wakame Salt Bread, Marumaru Cream Bread, and all the breads in the shop are handmade in-store, and all have a chewy texture.
It's a bakery you'll want to visit regularly.
At Pan Kobo Feel, you can eat inside or on the outdoor terrace.
On warm days, it would be fun to chat while eating bread on the terrace.
Location: 2-2 Sengokucho, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0827
This time, we introduced food-related shopping spots in Ishinomaki.
We hope this will be helpful in various situations, such as when you want to cook, when you want to quickly buy and eat something outside, or when you're feeling a little hungry.
In addition to the shops introduced this time, there are many other shopping spots in Ishinomaki city. Please try walking around the town, casually stepping into shops that catch your eye, and talking to the owners to discover your favorite shops and spots.
Please try walking around the town, casually stepping into shops that catch your eye, and talking to the owners to discover your favorite shops and spots.
FIND YOUR STAY
Feel free to contact us for inquiries about accommodation reservations, move-in consultations, viewing appointments, interviews, etc.
Contact Us
