When living somewhere, knowing what kind of shops are available and what you can buy there is a crucial point. For example, when it comes to food, having a supermarket nearby where you can buy ingredients is more directly relevant 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 for all occasions and moods. As a writer living within a 5-minute walk of 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, even a little.
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 on weekdays and holidays.
Ishinomaki Genki Ichiba is a large building located along the former Kitakami River, about a 10-minute walk from Ishinomaki Station. There's also a multi-story parking lot in front that's free for up to 2 hours, so those coming by car can rest assured.
As soon as you step inside, 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, they also sell bento boxes. 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. They have products like canned goods and alcohol that can be both souvenirs and everyday 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 365 days a year, mainly with locals. In addition to the food section, there's also a 100-yen shop and a local vegetable store, so you can find all your daily necessities on the first floor.
What's interesting about Aeon Ishinomaki Ekimae Store is that the Ishinomaki City Hall is located on the second floor and above. 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 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 unfamiliar names for Japanese sweets, but the staff kindly explained them when asked.
I bought sweet potato and chattsu (a baked confection made with sencha green tea) to take home. If you're craving a dessert after your meal, be sure to stop by Kasaya Confectionery.
Location: 2-1-13 Chuo, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0822
Next, we'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 of elementary school age came to buy a crepe with their mother before me.
After ordering at the stand and waiting a bit, I received a freshly made crepe. Even at over 30 years old, I felt like a child again as I savored 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 is a fruit shop with colorful fruits painted on its exterior walls. The design is so captivating.
Contrary to what the name and exterior suggest, they sell not only fruits but also various other ingredients and daily necessities, making it, so to speak, "the town's kitchen." You can find everything you need for your kitchen, such as meat, vegetables, and seasonings.
Of course, they also sell a wide variety of fruits. People living alone might not eat much fruit. Buying some for friends or family and sharing them with someone might be a nice shopping experience. Among the shops where you can buy groceries, it's the closest to Roopt Ishinomaki Hiyorigaoka, so those moving into the share house will likely visit often.
Location: 1-6-16 Chuo, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0822
From here, we'll introduce two bento shops.
The first is "Nodaya," located next to the aforementioned Moriya Fruits. The yellow and red "Bento" flags caught my eye, so I went into the shop.
Inside, bento boxes are immediately 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 isn't enough, you're covered!
This place is recommended for those who want to eat a proper lunch but don't have time to cook or eat out, and find convenience store bentos unappetizing. 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," located 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, since it's a different bento every time you go, you can enjoy the anticipation of wondering, "What's today's bento?"
The menu when I visited was keema curry.
When I bought a bento, they gave me a monthly daily menu schedule.
It would be good to stick it on your refrigerator at home.
The lineup is so tempting, from classic nori bento to tandoori chicken, grated daikon hamburg steak, and shrimp chili.
Choosing to go to Sakuraya because "I want to eat this today" is also a pleasure.
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.
And for good reason.
The owner of SONO, who moved to Ishinomaki from Shizuoka Prefecture, is a certified Athlete Food Meister, providing healthy side dishes backed by knowledge.
The in-store pop-ups 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 store that was renovated from a 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 on a one-way street next to Ishinomaki Elementary School, so you might get a little lost the first time you visit the shop.
We recommend using SONO's banner flags and light blue signboard as landmarks.
Location: 1-2-2 Izumicho, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0832
Finally, we introduce "Pan Kobo Feel," a bakery located about a 5-minute walk from Ishinomaki Station.
Previously operating inside Ishinomaki Genki Ichiba, since August 2021, it has been manufacturing and selling handmade bread from its own independent store.
Stepping inside the white, Western-style building, you'll find a calm wooden space with a colorful array of breads.
All the breads lined up in the shop, such as Ishinomaki Anpan, Wakame Salt Bread, and Marumaru Cream Bread, 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 dining-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 grab something to eat 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.
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.
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