Among the many roadside stations in Hokkaido, one that has been gathering particular attention is the Akkeshi Gourmet Park. Known as the Akkeshi Flavor Terminal Conchiglie, residents of Hokkaido might have been blown away by its quirky commercial featuring wildly dancing performers.

The numerous dishes, centered around oysters, are so delicious that their impact will remain in your heart long after you've eaten them. Located on high ground facing Lake Akkeshi, it also plays a role as a "Disaster Prevention Roadside Station" due to its importance in disaster preparedness.

A roadside station this multifunctional is rare even on a national scale, and it is visited by many tourists every day. In this article, we will introduce the charms of Akkeshi's roadside station, Conchiglie, a place with many faces.

Source: "Akkeshi Flavor Terminal Conchiglie"

Akkeshi Conchiglie is located on high ground overlooking Lake Akkeshi and the Pacific Ocean. If you go up to the observation deck, you can see the large, red Akkeshi Ohashi Bridge, Hokkaido's first sea bridge, and even the beautiful natural mountain scenery beyond it.

The shape of the building is inspired by the shell of an "oyster," Akkeshi's specialty product, giving it a very unique design.
First, let's introduce the overview of what kind of facility Akkeshi Conchiglie is.

If you've ever traveled towards Obihiro, Kushiro, or Nemuro, you may have stopped by Akkeshi Conchiglie for a break. Heading from Kushiro towards Nemuro on National Route 44, follow the signs up the hill, and you'll 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 dining category for 11 consecutive years. Furthermore, in the "Hokkaido Michi-no-Eki Ranking 2020 Chosen by Stamp Rally Finishers" conducted by the Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau, it won first place in the following categories.
This shows that it is highly regarded both within and outside of Hokkaido as a roadside station for extended stays and for its delicious oysters.

Akkeshi, long known as a region rich in seafood, is a very rare place in Japan where oysters are harvested year-round. Because of this, the restaurants offer many original oyster dishes that can be enjoyed regardless of the season.

The secret lies in Akkeshi's special environment. With both Lake Akkeshi and Akkeshi Bay providing the perfect conditions for growing delicious oysters, they can be shipped all year long.
Lake Akkeshi, a brackish lake with a salinity between seawater and freshwater, and Akkeshi Bay, which is directly connected to it, create an environment where oysters can easily absorb abundant nutrients. The mixing of plankton-rich seawater from the open ocean and freshwater containing nutrients from the mountains and wetlands is ideal for oyster growth.

Additionally, the low water temperature slows the oysters' growth, helping to control the farming schedule. This is how the environment for shipping delicious oysters year-round is maintained.
The restaurant "Escar" features many popular items, and one that has maintained its popularity for years is the "Kaki Buta Gassen Don" (Oyster and Pork Battle Bowl). This innovative dish, combining oysters and pork in a rice bowl, was the No. 2 most popular item as of December 2021 and has captivated many visitors since its debut in 2010.

Biting into a fried oyster reveals a rich, deep flavor and sweetness, allowing you to savor the umami of the oyster even without tartar sauce. The pork used is "Hokkaido Hamanaka Hoeiton," a brand of pork from Hamanaka Town, which is tender yet chewy and juicy, pairing perfectly with the rice.
There's no official rule on the order to eat the oysters and pork, but a small white plate is provided for the oysters, so you can also enjoy them separately instead of with the pork. This subtle suggestion of multiple ways to eat the dish shows a high level of hospitality and consideration for the customer.
By the way, as of December 2021, the No. 1 menu item at Escar is the "Akkeshi Oyster Steak Bowl." The idea of making a steak out of oysters is also refreshingly innovative.

Many of these novel menu items were apparently conceived by the managers of each facility at Conchiglie, but ideas also seem to emerge from casual conversations or when staff members get inspiration from menus at other restaurants during business trips.

When we asked about other staff recommendations,

Source: Restaurant "Escar"

there's the "Kaki Bentenjima Don," modeled after Benten Island, where the Benten Shrine has long protected the safety of the seas in Akkeshi, and

Source: Restaurant "Escar"

the "Zankaki Set Meal," which lets you enjoy Hokkaido's famous zangi (fried chicken) and oysters together. There's a whole host of delicious and hearty dishes.

At Akkeshi Conchiglie, numerous efforts are underway to elevate the fame of "Akkeshi oysters," already well-known in Hokkaido, to a national level. Cherishing the Gourmet Park's concept of "excitement and thrills," they propose various ways to eat oysters, with establishments offering oyster pizza, pasta, and barbecue.

At "Oyster Bar Pittoresque," you can enjoy fresh oysters and whiskey in a location with a panoramic view of Akkeshi town.

Source: "Oyster Bar Pittoresque"

Their oyster pizza, baked with homemade dough, tomato sauce, and Hokkaido cheese, and

Source: "Oyster Bar Pittoresque"

their Japanese-style pasta, generously filled with oysters and clams, are recommended for those looking for lighter fare.

Source: "Sumiyaki Aburiya"

Additionally, at "Sumiyaki Aburiya," where you can savor freshly caught ingredients barbecue-style, the famous "Ganso Baketsu Kaki" (Original Bucket Oysters), which sells 5,000-6,000 servings a year, is also recommended. This hearty dish features 10 oysters steamed in a bucket with sake and is one of Conchiglie's specialties.

Another charm of Conchiglie is the array of items you can only find in Akkeshi. The souvenir selection is extensive, ranging from classic items to highly original ones.
The "Kin's☆Oyster Premium Series," Akkeshi Conchiglie's original product line, is a luxurious seasoning made from the rich broth of oysters. The Golden Oyster Soy Sauce, when used on simple dishes like tamago kake gohan (raw egg on rice), offers a rich flavor distinct from regular soy sauce.
The Akkeshi Oyster Sauce is another popular item. Unlike typical oyster sauces, it has a light color but a deep flavor, making it versatile for use as a salad dressing, barbecue sauce, or a secret ingredient.
Retort pouch curries made by local companies are also popular souvenirs, featuring a variety of ingredients like snow crab, king crab, scallops, and oysters. You can enjoy the luxurious tastes of Akkeshi even after returning home.

Source: "Akkeshi Distillery Tour"

As a year-round activity, Akkeshi Conchiglie offers the "Akkeshi Distillery Tour," visiting the distillery that began producing whisky in 2016.

Akkeshi's cool and humid climate is suitable for whisky making, and the distillery is equipped with the best facilities, including pot stills and a mash tun from Forsyth's in Scotland, and an aging environment using Mizunara (Japanese oak) casks.

While normally off-limits, the tour allows you to explore the premises with a guide from Conchiglie.

After the tour, you can sample single malt whisky at the Oyster Bar Pittoresque, including brands not available for general sale. As a tour participant bonus, you'll receive a wooden keychain with the Akkeshi Distillery logo.

Source: "Bekanbeushi Wetland Canoe Touring"

Being able to enjoy different activities depending on the season is a unique experience offered by Akkeshi Conchiglie, with its beautiful four seasons. In summer, you can enjoy the "Bekanbeushi Wetland Canoe Touring" to experience untouched nature, the "Clam Digging Experience Tour" where you can take home large clams, and cycling tours to Akkeshi's scenic spots.

Source: "Winter Nature Watching Tour"

In winter, there are programs such as bird watching while walking along the forest road of the Ayamegahara Primeval Flower Garden towards the cape, and hiking with panoramic views of the beautiful scenery of Lake Akkeshi and Akkeshi Bay. On the hike to "Mt. Otomo," you can also see the remains of a "chashi," a fortress believed to have been used by the Ainu people as a base for hunting and burials.

Source: "Akkeshi Flavor Terminal Conchiglie" Facebook

The staff at Akkeshi Conchiglie study in their spare time between their busy jobs to take the "Hokkaido Tourism Master Certification Test." The pass rate for fiscal year 2021 was 42.7%, meaning more than half of the test-takers did not pass.

However, Akkeshi Conchiglie continues to produce successful candidates year after year. The secret is that all staff members taking the test share information obtained from workshops in Sapporo and study together to pass.

The reason the staff take the certification test stems from their sincere desire to be "professionals in Hokkaido tourism for the sake of the people who visit our roadside station." Because they make it their mission to know more about Hokkaido than the tourists, visitors can confidently consult with the staff about their travel itineraries and tourist spots.


Akkeshi Conchiglie became famous, of course, because of its excellent concept as a roadside station, the deliciousness of its food, the comfort of staying there, and the hospitality of its staff. However, one of the catalysts that brought its existence to wide public attention was a certain commercial.


Anyone who watches TV in Hokkaido has probably seen this commercial at least once. It's also available on the YouTube channel "Michi-no-Eki Akkeshi Mikaku Terminal Conchiglie."

With a funky narration repeating the name Akkeshi Conchiglie, viewers unconsciously remember the dancer's moves and the name of the station, making it a highly effective piece of advertising. It was even featured in a TV special, becoming one of the reasons for Akkeshi Conchiglie's rise to fame.

牡蠣で有名な厚岸の道の駅、　#厚岸コンキリエ のCMがTLに流れてきて大笑いする。調べてみたら話題になっとる。そりゃそうだよこのぶっ飛び具合

外国人が軽快ダンス！ 北海道の「道の駅」テレビCMが斬新すぎて、告知が頭に入ってこないhttps://t.co/i3FeNB1p7Jhttps://t.co/HbmolU5Uef

— ちひろ (@tihiro) November 22, 2021

A mysterious, muscular foreign dancer who performs a sensual and powerful dance with a sultry gaze next to delicious-looking oysters and dishes. The impact of the commercial is so strong that some say the product information doesn't register at all.

Indeed, the surprise of seeing this commercial while watching a movie at home might be significant. However, in terms of making viewers wonder, "What is Akkeshi Conchiglie?" it can be considered a great success.

Incidentally, the dancer's nationality, name, and age are all unknown. Neither the commercial production company nor Conchiglie has ever met him.

This is precisely why he stimulates the intellectual curiosity of many as the "mysterious dancer." If he ever finds out his dance is being used in a commercial somewhere in the world, perhaps the day will come when he dances at Conchiglie.

At the main entrance of Conchiglie, there's a framed shot of the mysterious dancer in the middle of a passionate dance. At first, I thought it was a judo athlete from Akkeshi, but upon closer inspection, I remember being unable to hide my surprise, exclaiming, "It's the guy from the commercial!"
In the lobby, he makes his presence known next to the Christmas tree. Are the presents under the tree from the dancer's fans?
Next to the vending machine corner near the stairs, there's a photo stand-in where you can become the dancer. It seems the mysterious dancer is helping to liven up Akkeshi from all corners of Conchiglie.

Besides being a gourmet park, Akkeshi Conchiglie has another important mission: to serve as a "Disaster Prevention Roadside Station." A Disaster Prevention Roadside Station is defined as "a roadside station designated as a wide-area disaster prevention base in the prefectural regional disaster prevention plan."

By being selected as a Disaster Prevention Roadside Station, it receives focused support from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to fulfill its role as a disaster base. Furthermore, there are strict requirements for selection that must be met. In Hokkaido, only three other locations besides Akkeshi Conchiglie are designated as Disaster Prevention Roadside Stations.
Next, let's explore Akkeshi Conchiglie from a disaster prevention perspective.

The high ground where Akkeshi Conchiglie stands is walkable all around, with evacuation stairs installed in two locations: on the road side and the residential side. Steel staircases extend from the bottom to the top of the hill, allowing for swift evacuation from low-lying areas to Conchiglie.
In Akkeshi Town, where tsunamis from earthquakes in the Japan Trench and Kuril Trench subduction zones are a major concern, tsunami response is particularly emphasized, and Conchiglie is expected to function as a disaster prevention base.

The building is fully equipped for emergencies, with floodlights, generators, portable toilets, jet heaters, and a tourism disaster prevention Wi-Fi station.

On the 4th floor of Akkeshi Conchiglie, there is an observation deck with a panoramic view of Akkeshi town. While it's a lovely viewpoint for tourists, during the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, it served as the command center for Akkeshi Town's disaster response.

While Lake Akkeshi and Akkeshi Bay bring blessings to the residents, they also make the area susceptible to earthquakes in the Pacific Ocean, necessitating preparations for tsunamis following major quakes.

Source: Akkeshi Town "Tsunami Hazard Map"

The image above is a part of the Akkeshi Tsunami Hazard Map.

The center of Akkeshi Town is divided into the Kohoku district to the north and the Konan district to the south of the Akkeshi Ohashi Bridge. Since each district faces either the sea or the lake, most residential areas are predicted to experience "tsunami inundation of 5-10 meters."

The grounds of Conchiglie correspond to areas ① and ② on the hazard map. This shows that Conchiglie, being located near the lake and on high ground, is a crucial evacuation site for the residents of the Kohoku district.

An important evacuation site for the Konan district of Akkeshi Town is "Mt. Otomo," a mountain with an elevation of about 80 meters. However, it's not just an evacuation site; it's also a must-see spot for Akkeshi tourism.

The observation deck on Mt. Otomo is arguably one of the best scenic spots not just in Akkeshi but in all of Eastern Hokkaido—a hidden gem. In the past, you had to climb wooden stairs, but it has now been developed as a tsunami evacuation site, and steel stairs have been installed.
The landings are equipped with solar-powered night lights, so you can see your footing even on dark nights. The large number of steps makes it feel like a short hike, but you can conserve energy by resting on the landings as you climb.
As you climb the stairs, the town gradually gets smaller below. Anticipation for the view from the observation deck builds.
After climbing all the stairs, I found a wide area covered with gravel. This must be the designated evacuation area.
On the way to the observation deck across a bridge, I saw a sign.
So, a bridge was needed to cross the moat ruins because the chashi functioned as a "shika-otoshi" (deer drop), a cliff used for hunting.
After crossing the bridge and proceeding further, a wooden observation deck came into view! It seems you can also climb up and down like on an adventure course using ropes, but this time I used the stairs inside to get to the top.
The view from the observation deck is breathtaking, leaving me speechless at the beauty of the Akkeshi Ohashi Bridge and the grandeur of Lake Akkeshi. While trying to photograph the lake from various angles, I discovered a small shrine.
This small shrine is the "Benten Shrine," which has watched over Akkeshi for centuries, built on an island made of oyster shells.

In the past, a sanatorium and restaurants were built next to the shrine, making it a very lively place, but as land subsidence progressed, only the shrine was left behind. However, a seated statue of Benzaiten is enshrined within, and it continues to protect the people of Akkeshi to this day.

Conclusion

We've introduced Akkeshi's roadside station, Conchiglie, including information about the surrounding area.
Akkeshi Conchiglie captivates the palates of many tourists as a gourmet park, but it also offers a full range of activities and plays a crucial role as a disaster prevention base. A roadside station with so many different faces is surely a rarity nationwide.

For those not just considering tourism but also thinking of moving to Hokkaido, Akkeshi, with its well-established disaster prevention system, might be an attractive option.

If this has piqued your interest, don't hesitate—Come on down to Akkeshi Conchiglie!!