[Chikugo City/Oki Town Day Trip] Introducing Must-See Sightseeing Spots and Recommended Food, Including Popular Hot Springs!

Hello. I'm YOKO, a travel and food writer.

As a travel writer with 29 years of experience, I'd like to suggest some day trip driving courses that you can easily take from Fukuoka.

This time we will be visiting the Chikugo City/Oki Town area, which is just over an hour's drive from central Fukuoka City.

Pray for a good relationship! Koinoki Shrine (Chikugo City), the only shrine in the country dedicated to Koimochi.

It's a 10-minute drive from Yame IC on the Kyushu Expressway. We start at Koinoki Shrine, which has been enshrined since the Kamakura period as a branch shrine (a shrine attached to the main shrine) of Mizuta Tenmangu Shrine in Chikugo City.

This is a rare shrine in Japan that enshrines Koi-no-Mikoto as its deity. Worshippers who are troubled by love come from all over Japan and even overseas to seek the blessings of the "god of happiness and good relationships" and the "god of love"!

The torii gate features ten heart-shaped inome patterns, a traditional Japanese design. This pattern is often used in the carvings of shrines and temples, and at Koinoki Shrine, the inome pattern is used as the shrine crest. It is also used to decorate the shrine building, and heart patterns are scattered throughout the shrine, including on the Koi Sando path lined with heart-shaped ceramic panels and the heart-shaped Koinoki Stone Lantern.

Photo courtesy of Fukuoka Tourism Federation

The fortune slips are, of course, heart-shaped. The "Aisare Mamori" (four types, 800 yen each) come in four colors: red, pink, yellow, and blue. It's said to be good to carry around in your wallet.

Image: YOKO

In one corner of the shrine grounds, there are "Love-Musubi Couple Dolls," and it is said that stroking them will bring you good fortune. Women should stroke the husband doll, and men should stroke the wife doll, so lovers or married couples visiting the shrine should stroke both. May your wishes come true!

Photo courtesy of Fukuoka Tourism Federation

Be sure to check out the various events held throughout the year, such as the "Good Matchmaking Festival" on March 3rd and November 3rd, and the "Love Making Festival" on July 7th.

<Spot information>
■ Koinoki Shrine
Address: 62-1 Mizuta, Chikugo City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Visiting hours: Open all day (8:30-17:00 at the shrine office)
HP:https://www.mizuta-koinoki.jp/koinoki/

Enjoy lunch, shopping, and even mushroom harvesting! "Roadside Station Ooki" (Ooki Town)

Roadside Station Ooki is a 15-minute drive from Koinoki Shrine. As a writer who loves roadside stations, it's a must-visit spot.

The reason for this is the comprehensiveness of the facilities. Not only can you purchase fresh vegetables and prepared foods harvested in Oki Town and the surrounding area, but you can also enjoy lunch and photogenic sweets, try harvesting rare mushrooms, and even meet animals.

Image: Ooki Roadside Station

Enjoy 50 different dishes to your heart's content at "Deli & Buffet Kururun"

First up is lunch! The buffet-style restaurant "Deli & Buffet Kururun" located inside the roadside station offers an array of homemade dishes made with seasonal vegetables harvested in and around Oki Town.

The admission fee is 2,000 yen for adults, 1,200 yen for elementary school students, and 700 yen for children aged 3 to preschool age.

There are always 40 to 50 different dishes on offer, including seasonally changing menu items, so you can enjoy them to your heart's content.In addition to Western dishes, there is also a wide selection of healthy Japanese prepared foods, such as "Korokoro Eringi" mushrooms stir-fried in a special sauce, and "Mottainai Kakiage" (a type of tempura made with vegetable skins and roots), which uses all the vegetable skins and roots.

Every Wednesday is "Bread Day" and they serve special bread baked in-house.

Image: Ooki Roadside Station

<Store Information>
Deli & Buffet Kururun
Business hours: 11:00-15:00 (last orders 14:00)
Closed: First Wednesday of every month, New Year's holidays

More fun than you'd imagine! "Mushroom Picking Experience"

Oki Town's specialty is mushrooms! Fukuoka Prefecture is the third largest producer of mushrooms in Japan, after Nagano and Niigata, and Oki Town in particular is said to be the largest mushroom producing area in western Japan.

For this reason, there is a "mushroom picking experience" corner in one corner of the store at "Ooki Roadside Station."

Choose your favorite mushroom from the rows of pots where they are growing, bring it to the register, and after paying, you can try picking it yourself.

Image: Ooki Roadside Station

In addition to "Eringi" (120 yen), "Enoki" (190 yen), and "Buna-shimeji" (120 yen), you can also harvest the rare "Hakata Sugitake" (130 yen, back left in the photo below).

Image: Ooki Roadside Station

Harvest by gently holding the fruit in both hands.

The aroma, texture, and taste of freshly harvested mushrooms are exceptional.

This unique experience is sure to delight children.

"Rabbit Square" is very popular with children!

There are rabbits and goats in the outdoor "grass park."

It is a relaxing space that both adults and children can enjoy together.

Image: Ooki Roadside Station

Beautiful rose-themed gelato! "Aphrodite"

Finally, of course, sweets.

The gelato shop "Aphrodite" has a wide selection of menu items using local specialties from Oki Town and neighboring cities and towns. Some of the flavors are unusual, such as "asparagus" and "mushroom"! (These flavors change depending on the season.)

We recommend the "Gelato Bouquet" (cup 900 yen, cone 1,000 yen), which is a rose-shaped gelato made with fruits and vegetables from Oki Town.

It's really as cute as a bouquet and looks great in photos.

Image: Aphrodite

<Store Information>
Aphrodite
Business hours: 11:00-17:00
Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays
Instagram:＠aphrodite_gelato

In addition to the things introduced this time, Ooki Roadside Station also has Kururun Farm, where you can experience harvesting seasonal vegetables and fruits (reservations required), a trailer house where you can stay overnight and play, and an RV park, a space exclusively for sleeping in your car! You can have plenty of fun in one place and be very satisfied! We highly recommend it.

<Store Information>
■Ooki Roadside Station
Address: 1331-1 Yokomizo, Oki-machi, Mizuma-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture
Business hours: 9:00-18:00
Closed: None
HP:https://ookimichieki.com/
Instagram:@michinoeki_oki

A bakery full of love, "Nicopan" (Oki Town) - A bakery that will make you smile!

If you come to Oki Town, you should definitely stop by the hugely popular bakery "Nicopan." The shop is marked by a large smiley face logo that stands out against the blue sky, and is visited by fans from far and wide, as well as locals.

It opened in 2011. It is a renovated brick building that was once used as a bank and coffee shop, so there is a retro atmosphere everywhere.

Image: Nicopan

There are always around 30 types of bread baked by the owner, Kitajima, on display.

In addition to sweets such as the "Tsubu Anpan" (200 yen) and "Kuri Anpan" (220 yen), which are made with Hokkaido red beans and have a refined sweetness, there is a wide variety of breads available, including savory dishes, hard breads, and meal breads.

The "Bagels" (from 200 yen) with a cute smiley face logo are very popular and come in a wide variety.

Image: Nicopan

There is also a stylish miscellaneous goods corner in one corner of the store. The selection was made by Kitajima's wife, Mika. There is also tableware and clothing, so be sure to check it out.

Image: Nicopan

<Store Information>
■Nicopan
Address: 82-1 Yokomizo, Oki-machi, Mizuma-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture
Business hours: 10:00-18:00
Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays
Instagram:＠nikopan_yome

Enjoy the hot springs and sauna at the popular new spot "SPA & SAUNA COCOCHI"! (Oki Town)

Our final recommendation is SPA & SAUNA COCOCHI, which opened in December 2024. It is a hot spring resort facility that combines a sauna with natural hot spring water (sodium bicarbonate spring) that springs from 1,300 meters underground.

Advance reservations are required. Reservations can also be made on the day if there is availability, but we recommend making your reservation early.

All 13 rooms are completely private, so you can spend a luxurious time without being disturbed by anyone!

The theme is "A healing space nestled in the forest." The landscape, created by landscape architect Konishi Noriaki, is bathed in sunlight filtering through the trees, creating a stunning harmony between nature and architecture.

Image: SPA & SAUNA COCOCHI

There are two types of rooms.

One is the Natural Hot Spring & SAUNA (1 room for 2 adults / 90 minutes from 8,800 yen). There are 6 rooms in total, 2 of which have an indoor sauna as well as an outdoor "Round Cube" sauna.

This sauna was made in Estonia, the home of saunas in Northern Europe, and has a unique mirrored glass exterior. Inside, there are three benches and a self-louver.

The room in the photo is "Ebony" (1 room for 2 adults / 90 minutes 12,800 yen). The sauna room is also equipped with a Bluetooth wireless speaker.

Image: SPA & SAUNA COCOCHI

The other is a natural hot spring and open-air bath (from 3,800 yen for 60 minutes, 3 adults per room). You can enjoy natural hot spring water directly from the source in elaborately designed bathrooms, such as those styled after a Japanese garden or cave bath.

The photo shows the "Suna" room, where the indoor and outdoor baths are connected (3 adults per room, 3,800 yen for 60 minutes). The room is equipped with a 40-inch monitor and a large sofa, so you can relax after your bath.

Image: SPA & SAUNA COCOCHI

Towels and amenities are provided, so you can come empty-handed! Also, if you're a repeat visitor, the annual pass is a great deal. For a yearly fee of 3,000 yen, you can get a 1,000 yen discount on weekdays and a 500 yen discount on weekends.

<Store Information>
■SPA&SAUNA COCOCHI
Address: 1371-1 Okumuta, Oki-machi, Mizuma-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture
Business hours: 12:00-24:00
Closed: None
Price: [Natural hot spring & open-air bath] 1 room for 2 adults, 60 minutes from 3,800 yen, [Natural hot spring & SAUNA] 1 room for 2 adults, 90 minutes from 8,800 yen
*Two children for one adult. Additional charges for adding to the room capacity are: [Natural hot spring & open-air bath] 500 yen for adults, 250 yen for children [Natural hot spring & SAUNA] 2,000 yen for adults, 1,000 yen for children
HP:https://www.cocochi-spa.com/
Instagram:@cocochi_spa_sauna

The Chikugo City/Oki Town area is a place where you can spend a fulfilling time.

Take a leisurely drive and head out for an autumn holiday that will satisfy both your heart and your stomach! (Text by YOKO)

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