Chichibu Soba: Where to Eat, Prices & Hours (Saitama)

Ringed on all sides by the Chichibu Mountains, the Chichibu basin enjoys the sharp day and night temperature swings of a valley and clear water seeping from the surrounding peaks, and it has long been known as a home of buckwheat. On steep terrain poorly suited for rice, soba, which grows even on lean fields, supported the lives of local people through the ages. Served in the santate manner, freshly milled, freshly kneaded, and freshly boiled, each plate boasts a rich aroma and a firm, satisfying bite.

Highlights

The blend of flour and the kneading style vary by shop and shape the flavor. At places that use whole buckwheat carefully ground on a stone mill, the fragrance that rises through the nose is especially vivid. Beyond cold soba on a bamboo tray, a warm bowl topped with mountain vegetables or mushrooms conveys the bounty of the Chichibu hills. In some areas you may meet a rustic inaka soba made with little binding flour.

Enjoying the Seasons

The new harvest generally reaches the shops in autumn, the season when freshly harvested buckwheat is milled anew and its fresh fragrance peaks. Winter calls for a warm bowl to heat the body, while spring and summer invite cold soba for a smooth, refreshing finish. The dish shifts its character through all four seasons.

Access and Basic Information

Seibu Chichibu Station on the Seibu Chichibu Line or Chichibu Station on the Chichibu Railway serves as the base. Notable shops also dot the valleys a short way from the town center. Combining a visit with Chichibu Shrine, the natural monument gorge of Nagatoro known for its rock terraces, or Mitsumine Shrine and its walks is a fine way to spend the day.

Practical Travel Notes

Many soba shops center on lunchtime and close once the day supply of noodles runs out, so aiming for midday rather than late is safer. Prices start from the several hundred yen range for a tray of zaru soba as a guide. Popular shops and the new harvest season can bring waits. Hours and closing days differ by shop and change easily, so checking each shop current information before visiting is the surest approach.

A Quick Tip

Finishing with the hot buckwheat cooking water is the connoisseurs way. Mixed with the remaining dipping sauce, it warms you to the core.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Best season: As well as the new-crop soba of autumn, in the Arakawa district of Chichibu City the spring-sown "spring soba" is harvested by late July and served as new-crop soba from early to late August (JA Chichibu).
• Public facility where you can try it: JA Chichibu Soba Dojo Arakawa-tei (1431 Arakawa Kamitano, Chichibu City) / 10:00-15:00, closing as soon as the soba runs out. Closed on Tuesdays (the following day when Tuesday is a public holiday). Tel. 0494-54-1251. The soba-making experience requires a reservation and costs 6,600 yen for one set serving four people.
• Another place to try: You can also eat it at "Chichibu Soba Shoraku, Roadside Station branch" inside the Michi-no-Eki Chichibu roadside station (4625 Omiya, Chichibu City; 9:30-17:30; closed January 1; 0494-21-2266).
• Event: The New Soba Festival is held in early November at Sobadokoro Chichibu Hanami-no-Sato (413-3 Arakawa Kamitano, Chichibu City).

* Opening hours and prices differ from one establishment to another.

(Sources: JA Chichibu official website, Chichibu Tourism Association official website, official website of the roadside stations of Chichibu, and the official website of the Chichibu Region Omotenashi Tourism Organization)

Information Sources

This article is compiled from Saitama Prefecture's tourism information and from information published by the individual establishments. Prices, menus and seasons can change, so please check each establishment's official information for details.

Sightseeing Checklist

• Budget guide: A few hundred yen to somewhere in the thousand-yen range for mori soba or tenzaru soba
• Where to eat it: Soba restaurants in the Chichibu region (Chichibu City, Ogano, Nagatoro and elsewhere)
• Recommended time of day: Mainly at lunchtime, combined with sightseeing or hiking
• Avoiding the crowds: Popular restaurants are busy at lunchtime, so shift your timing
• Enjoy it together with: Walnut dipping sauce and mushroom soba, Chichibu local sake, Chichibu Shrine, and Hitsujiyama Park