When living somewhere, knowing what kind of shops are available and what you can buy there is an important factor. For example, when it comes to food, having a supermarket nearby where you can buy ingredients is more directly related to daily life than having 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 writer living 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, even a little.
First up is "Ishinomaki Genki Ichiba," where seasonal ingredients and specialty products from Ishinomaki gather. It's truly 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 about a 10-minute walk from Ishinomaki Station, along the former Kitakami River. 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 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, 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 extensive, so please stop by before returning home or traveling. They have items like canned goods and alcohol, which 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 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 two 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-looking Japanese sweets such as the 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 sweet treat after a meal, be sure to stop by Kasaya Confectionery.
Location: 2-1-13 Chuo, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0822
Next, after Japanese-style, I'll introduce Western-style sweets. Beyond the bar district, you'll find "B.B Crepe & Cafe," characterized by its pink sign.
As the name suggests, crepes are the main offering, and they also sell tapioca drinks. Perhaps drawn by the cute design, a child of elementary school age was buying a crepe with their mother in front of me.
After ordering at the stand and waiting a short while, a freshly made crepe was handed to me. Even at over 30, 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 Tatecho, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0824
Moriya Fruits is a fruit shop with colorful fruits painted on its exterior wall. Its appealing design is truly eye-catching.
Despite its name and appearance, which gave no hint, it sells not only fruits but also various other ingredients and daily necessities, making it a "town 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 often eat fruit. It might be nice to buy some for friends and family and share them together. Among the grocery stores, 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 will introduce two bento shops.
The first is "Nodaya," located next to the aforementioned Moriya Fruits. The yellow and red "Bento" flag caught my eye, so I went into the shop.
Inside, bento boxes are immediately lined up, all handmade in the kitchen at the back. Also, onigiri and cup ramen are sold next to the register, so those who feel "a bento alone isn't enough!" can rest assured.
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 unappetizing. You can buy it quickly and easily satisfy your hunger.
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.
Sakuraya produces and sells a different bento 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 menu chart.
It would be good to stick it on your refrigerator at home.
The lineup was so tempting, with classic bentos like nori bento, tandoori chicken, grated daikon and shiso hamburger, and shrimp chili.
Choosing "I want to eat this, so let's go to Sakuraya today" 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 store 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 and provides healthy side dishes backed by their knowledge.
The pop-up displays in the store also contain information about nutrition and other topics.
It's both delicious and educational.
One of SONO's unique points is its building.
It's a store that renovated and utilized a former barbershop, and it's charming how it retains traces of its past while clearly establishing its identity as a side dish store.
If you're interested in vacant house utilization 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 when visiting the store for the first time.
We recommend looking for SONO's banner flag and light blue sign 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 within Ishinomaki Genki Ichiba, since August 2021, it has been manufacturing and selling handmade bread from its own independent store.
Stepping into the white Western-style building, you'll find a calm, woody space lined with colorful breads.
Ishinomaki Anpan, Wakame Salt Bread, Manmaru Cream Bread, and all the breads in the store are handmade on-site, each with 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 lovely to chat over bread on the terrace.
Location: 2-2 Sengokucho, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0827
This time, we introduced shopping spots related to food and drink in Ishinomaki.
We hope this will be helpful in various situations, such as when you want to cook, when you want to buy something and eat it quickly, 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 center.
Try walking around the town, dropping into shops that catch your eye, and chatting with the owners to discover your favorite shops and spots.
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