Among the many roadside stations in Hokkaido, one that has been particularly popular is the "Akkeshi Gourmet Park." It is also known as the Akkeshi Taste Terminal Conchiglie, and if you live in Hokkaido, you may have been blown away by the bizarre commercial in which dancers dance wildly. The oyster-based dishes are so delicious that they leave an unforgettable impression on your mind once you've tried them. Located on a hill overlooking Lake Akkeshi, it also serves as a "disaster prevention roadside station" due to its importance in terms of disaster prevention. Roadside stations with this many functions are rare nationwide, and many tourists visit them every day. In this article, we will introduce the charms of Conchiglie, a roadside station in Akkeshi with many different faces.

Source: "Akkeshi Taste Terminal Conchiglie"

Akkeshi Conchiglie is located on a hill overlooking Lake Akkeshi and the Pacific Ocean. If you go up to the observation deck, you can see the big red Akkeshi Ohashi Bridge, Hokkaido's first sea bridge, and the beautiful natural scenery of the mountains beyond. The shape of the building is based on the image of oyster shells, a specialty of Akkeshi, and has a very unique design. First, let us give you an overview of what kind of facility Akkeshi Conchiglie is. If you have been to Obihiro, Kushiro, or Nemuro, you may have stopped by Akkeshi Conchiglie for a rest. Head along National Route 44 from Kushiro towards Nemuro, follow the signs to the hilltop, and you will see the Conchiglie parking lot. In the Hokkaido Jalan Roadside Station Satisfaction Ranking, it has achieved the remarkable feat of being No. 1 in the food and beverage category for 11 consecutive years. In addition, in the Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau's "Hokkaido Roadside Station Ranking 2020 Selected by Stamp Rally Completers," it won first place in the following categories: This shows that the station has earned a high reputation both inside and outside Hokkaido as a roadside station where you can stay and enjoy delicious oysters. Akkeshi has long been known as a region rich in seafood, and is a very rare place in Japan where oysters are landed all year round. As a result, the restaurant offers a wide variety of original oyster dishes that can be enjoyed regardless of the season. The secret lies in the special environment of Akkeshi. Lake Akkeshi and Akkeshi Bay are ideal for growing delicious oysters, which means oysters can be shipped all year round. Lake Akkeshi, a brackish lake with a salinity between seawater and freshwater, and Akkeshi Bay, which is directly connected to Lake Akkeshi, are environments that are rich in nutrients for oysters. The mixture of plankton-rich seawater from the outside world and nutrient-rich freshwater from the mountains and marshes is ideal for oyster growth. The low water temperatures also slow the growth of oysters, helping to control the cultivation season, creating an environment where delicious oysters can be shipped all year round. Restaurant "Escal" has many popular menu items, and one of them that has maintained its popularity for many years is the "Oyster and Pork Battle Bowl." This innovative bowl of oysters and pork is the second most popular dish as of December 2021, and has attracted many visitors since its introduction in 2010. With one bite of the fried oysters, you can feel the rich flavor and sweetness, and you can enjoy the umami of the oysters even without tartar sauce. The pork used is "Hokkaido Hamanaka Hoeiton", a brand of pork from Hamanaka Town, and the soft, chewy and juicy meat goes perfectly with rice. There is no set order for the oysters and pork to be eaten in, but there is a white plate available for the oysters to sit on, so you can enjoy the oysters separately, without eating them with the pork. The restaurant's consideration for its customers and its casual suggestion of multiple ways to eat the oysters shows its high level of hospitality. By the way, as of December 2021, the No. 1 menu item at Escal is the "Akkeshi Oyster Steak Bowl." The idea of turning oysters into steak is also novel and surprising. It seems that these innovative menu items were often devised by the representatives of each Conchiglie facility, but sometimes ideas would come up during casual conversation, or when staff were on business trips and saw the menus of other restaurants. When I asked other staff members for their recommendations,

Source: Restaurant "Escal"

The "Oyster Bentenjima Bowl" is modeled after "Bentenjima," which is home to Benten Shrine, which has been protecting the safety of the seas since ancient times in Akkeshi.

Source: Restaurant "Escal"

There is a wide variety of delicious, filling dishes available, including the "Zankaki Set Meal," which combines Hokkaido's specialty Zangi with oysters. In Akkeshi Conchiglie, many efforts are being made to make Akkeshi oysters, which are famous in Hokkaido, known nationwide. Gourmet Park values its concept of "excitement and thrills," and offers various ways to eat oysters, including restaurants where you can eat oyster pizza, pasta, and barbecue. At Oyster Bar Pitoresque, you can enjoy fresh oysters and whiskey in a location with a panoramic view of the town of Akkeshi.

Source: "Oyster Bar Pitoresque"

Oyster pizza made with homemade dough, tomato sauce, and Hokkaido cheese,

Source: "Oyster Bar Pitoresque"

This restaurant is recommended for those who want to eat light meals, such as Japanese-style pasta made with plenty of oysters and clams.

Source: "Sumiyaki Aburiya"

Also, at "Sumiyaki Aburiya," where you can enjoy freshly caught ingredients at the barbecue, we recommend the specialty menu item "Original Bucket Oysters," which sells 5,000 to 6,000 meals a year. This hearty dish consists of 10 oysters steamed in sake in a bucket, and is one of Conchiglie's specialties. Another attraction of Conchiglie is that it offers a wide range of products that can only be found in Akkeshi. They have a wide selection of souvenirs, from standard items to unique items. Akkeshi Conchiglie's original product series "Kin's☆Oyster Premium Series" is a luxurious seasoning made from the rich broth of oysters. When used in simple dishes such as eggs and rice, Kin's Oyster Soy Sauce has a rich flavor that is different from the soy sauce you usually use. Akkeshi oyster sauce is also a popular product. Unlike regular oyster sauce, it is not dark in color but has a strong flavor, so it can be used in a wide range of applications, such as as a salad dressing, a sauce for grilled meat, or as a secret ingredient. Ready-made curry made by a local company is also a popular souvenir, containing a variety of ingredients such as snow crab, king crab, scallops, and oysters, allowing you to enjoy the luxurious flavors of Akkeshi even after you return home.

Source: "Akkeshi Distillery Tour"

At Akkeshi Conchiglie, the Akkeshi Distillery, which began distilling whiskey in 2016, offers a tour as an activity that can be enjoyed all year round. Akkeshi's cool, humid climate is ideal for making whiskey, and the distillery is equipped with the finest facilities, including pot stills and mash tuns made by Forsyth of Scotland, and an aging environment using Mizunara oak barrels. This is an environment that is normally inaccessible, but on tours you can explore the grounds with a Conchiglie guide. After the tour, you can sample single malt whiskey at Oyster Bar Pitoresque, including brands that are not generally available. As a bonus for participating in the tour, you will receive a wooden keychain with the Akkeshi Distillery logo.

Source: "Bekanbeushi Marsh Canoe Touring"

Enjoying different activities depending on the season is an experience that can only be found in Akkeshi and Conchiglie, where the four seasons are beautiful. In summer, you can enjoy the untouched nature of the "Bekanbeushi Marshland Canoe Touring," the "Clam Digging Experience Tour" where you can bring home large clams, and cycling tours that take you to the spectacular views of Akkeshi.

Source: "Winter Nature Watching Tour"

In winter, there are programs such as bird watching along the forest path of the Ayamegahara Primeval Flower Garden towards the cape, and hiking that offers a panoramic view of the beautiful scenery of Lake Akkeshi and Akkeshi Bay. On the hiking trail to Otomoyama, you can see the remains of a "chashi" (a castle) that is thought to have been used by the Ainu people as a base for hunting and burial.

Source: "Akkeshi Taste Terminal Conchiglie" Facebook

The staff at Akkeshi Conchiglie study for the Hokkaido Tourism Master Examination in between their busy work schedules. The pass rate for the 2021 exam was 42.7%, meaning that more than half of the test takers failed. However, Akkeshi Conchiglie has been producing successful candidates every year. The secret is that all staff members who take the exam share the information they gain from the seminar in Sapporo, and study together to pass the exam. The reason why all the staff take the certification exam is because they sincerely want to be Hokkaido tourism professionals for the people who come to the roadside station. The staff's mission is to know more about Hokkaido than tourists do, so tourists can feel at ease consulting the staff about itineraries and tourist spots. Akkeshi Conchiglie became famous because of its excellent concept as a roadside station, the delicious food, the ease of stay, the hospitality of the staff, etc. However, one TV commercial was one of the reasons that it became widely known. If you watch TV in Hokkaido, you may have seen this commercial at least once. In fact, it is also available on the YouTube channel "Roadside Station Akkeshi Taste Terminal Conchiglie." The funky narration repeats the name of Akkeshi Conchiglie, and viewers unconsciously remember the dancers' movements and the name of Akkeshi Conchiglie, making this a very effective commercial. It was even featured in a special TV program, and became one of the catalysts for raising awareness of Akkeshi Conchiglie.

I laughed out loud when I saw a commercial for #AkkeshiConchiglie , a roadside station in Akkeshi that is famous for its oysters, on my timeline. I looked it up and it was a hot topic. No wonder it's so crazy. Foreigners dancing lightly! Hokkaido's "Roadside Station" TV commercial is so innovative that I can't remember the announcementhttps ://t.co/i3FeNB1p7J https://t.co/HbmolU5Uef

— Chihiro (@tihiro) November 22, 2021

A mysterious, muscular foreign dancer performs a sensual and powerful dance next to delicious looking oysters and other dishes, with a seductive gaze. The commercial has such a strong impact that some people say they can't remember any of the product information. It's true that it may be quite a surprise to see this footage in a commercial while watching a movie at home. However, on the other hand, it was a great success in making viewers wonder, "What is Akkeshi Conchiglie?" By the way, the nationality, name, age, etc. of this dancer are unknown. He has no personal acquaintance with either the commercial production company or Conchiglie. That is why he is known as a "mysterious dancer" and stimulates the intellectual curiosity of many people. If he knew that his dance was being used in a commercial somewhere in the world, perhaps one day he would dance for Conchiglie. At the main entrance of Conchiglie, there is a shot of a mysterious dancer dancing passionately. At first, I thought it was a judo player from Akkeshi, but when I saw it up close, I remember being surprised and saying, "It's the guy from the commercial!" The lobby has a strong presence alongside the Christmas tree, and the presents placed under the tree are probably from the dancers' fans. Next to the vending machine corner near the stairs, there is a photo booth where you can take pictures of yourself as a dancer. The mysterious dancers liven up Akkeshi in every corner of Conchiglie. In addition to being a gourmet park, Akkeshi Conchiglie also has another important role as a "disaster prevention roadside station." A disaster prevention roadside station is a roadside station that is positioned as a wide-area disaster prevention base in the regional disaster prevention plans of prefectures, etc. By being selected as a disaster prevention roadside station, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will provide focused support to help the station fulfill its role as a disaster prevention base. In addition, there are strict requirements that must be met for the selection, such as the following: In Hokkaido, apart from Akkeshi and Conchiglie, there are only three other designated disaster prevention roadside stations. Next, let's take a look at Akkeshi Conchiglie from the perspective of disaster prevention. The hill on which Akkeshi Conchiglie is built can be walked all around, and there are two evacuation stairs, one on the road side and one on the residential side. A steel staircase runs from the bottom to the top of the hill to enable quick evacuation from low-lying areas to Conchiglie. In Akkeshi Town, where tsunamis caused by trench-type earthquakes around the Japan Trench and the Kuril Trench are a major concern, particular emphasis is placed on responding to tsunamis, and Conchiglie is expected to function as a disaster prevention base. The building is fully equipped with facilities such as floodlights, generators, portable toilets, jet heaters, and a tourist disaster prevention Wi-Fi station, so you can be fully prepared for any emergency. There is an observation deck on the 4th floor of Akkeshi Conchiglie, which offers a panoramic view of the town of Akkeshi. It is a wonderful observation deck for tourists, but during the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011, it played the role of a control center for disaster prevention measures in Akkeshi town. While Lake Akkeshi and Akkeshi Bay bring many benefits to the residents, they are also vulnerable to the effects of earthquakes off the Pacific coast, so it was necessary to prepare for tsunamis following a major earthquake.

Source: Akkeshi Town "Tsunami Hazard Map"

The image above is part of the Akkeshi tsunami hazard map. The center of Akkeshi Town is divided into the Kohoku district in the north and the Konan district in the south by the Akkeshi Bridge. As each district faces the sea or a lake, most residential areas are predicted to be inundated by tsunamis of 5 to 10 meters. The Conchiglie site falls under numbers ① and ② on the hazard map. This shows that Conchiglie, located close to the lake and on high ground, was an important evacuation site for residents of the northern part of the lake. The important evacuation site for the Konan area of Akkeshi Town is the mountain "Otomoyama," which is about 80 meters above sea level. However, it is not only an evacuation site for residents, but also a must-see spot for tourists in Akkeshi. The observation deck at Otomoyama is one of the best hidden view spots, not only in Akkeshi but also in eastern Hokkaido. In the past, you had to climb wooden stairs to get there, but now it has been developed as a tsunami evacuation site and a steel staircase has been installed. The landing is equipped with a solar-powered night light, so you can climb the stairs while checking your footing even at night. There are many steps, so it feels like a bit of a hike, but you can conserve your energy by taking a break at the landings as you climb. As you climb the stairs, the town gradually becomes smaller. Your expectations for the view from the observation deck grow. At the top of the stairs, there was a gravel-covered square, which was likely used as an evacuation site. As we crossed the bridge and headed towards the observation deck, we saw a sign. Since the castle served as a deer trap, a bridge was needed to cross the remains of the trench. After crossing the bridge and going further in, we came across a wooden observation deck! It seems that you can climb up and down the deck like an athletics course using ropes, but this time we took the internal stairs to reach the top. The view from the observation deck is overwhelming, and the beauty of the Akkeshi Bridge and the grandeur of Lake Akkeshi leave me speechless. While trying to take pictures of the lake from various angles, I found a small shrine. This small shrine is Benten Shrine, which has been watching over Akkeshi since ancient times, and is built on an island made of oyster shells. In the past, a resort and a restaurant were built next to the shrine, and it was apparently very lively, but as the land began to sink, the shrine was left behind. However, inside the shrine is a seated statue of Benzaiten, who continues to protect the people of Akkeshi to this day.

summary

Above, we have introduced Akkeshi's roadside station, Conchiglie, along with information about the surrounding area. Akkeshi Conchiglie is a gourmet park that captivates the taste buds of many tourists, but it also offers a wide range of activities and plays an important role as a disaster prevention base. A roadside station with such a diverse range of faces is rare even nationwide. Akkeshi, with its well-established disaster prevention system, may be an attractive option not only for tourists but also for those considering moving to Hokkaido. If your interest is piqued, don't hesitate to come to Akkeshi Conchiglie!