Blue Impulse collaboration facility "Roadside Station Higashimatsushima" open-training flight tour

On the afternoon of November 27, 2024, "Roadside Station Higashimatsushima" opened in Higashimatsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture. The facility will be operated under the theme of the aerobatic flight team "Blue Impulse" of the local Air Self-Defense Force Matsushima Air Base.

Roadside Station Higashimatsushima, whose name was chosen based on a survey of 300 local junior high school students, is adjacent to the Yamoto parking area on the Sanriku Expressway up line, and can be accessed from both expressways and ordinary roads, making it a convenient base for touring the surrounding sightseeing spots.

The interior of the facility features a design inspired by the Blue Impulse hangar, and is divided into areas such as merchandise sales, snacks, food and drink, tourist information, and observation decks. There is also a 24-hour convenience store that is convenient for night drivers.

The observation deck on the second floor overlooks the scenery of Higashimatsushima City and the Air Self-Defense Force's Matsushima Air Base. Depending on the time of day, you can get up close and personal with the Blue Impulse training flight as it takes off from the base. In addition, the sightseeing area is equipped with a Blue Impulse flight VR (virtual reality) experience, and you can listen to recommendations from the resident tourist concierge.

In the product sales area on the first floor, about 1,200 products are on sale, including vegetables such as chijimi spinach from Higashimatsushima, seafood such as seaweed, and Blue Impulse goods.

In an interview with a local TV station on the morning of the facility's opening, Mr. Oyama said, "I hope that many people will stop by and buy a lot of items."

Business hours are 9:00~19:00 for merchandise stores and 24 hours a day for convenience stores. Restaurants are available in the snack area on the 1st floor from 9:00~17:00 and the restaurant on the 2nd floor from 11:00~19:00. The sightseeing area and VR experience corner are open from 9:00~17:00.

Higashimatsushima City, located along Sentaiwan in central Miyagi Prefecture, was severely damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, but 13 years later, a new symbol of regional reconstruction was born.