Touring Exquisite Soba Across Japan: A Soba-Loving Former Professor Talks About the World of Discerning Soba (276th Day of Retirement)
Happy New Year. I look forward to your continued support this year.
I am writing this note on the afternoon of New Year's Eve. When it comes to the end of the year in Japan, one of the traditions that comes to mind for many is 'toshikoshi soba' (year-crossing noodles). I would like to talk a bit about soba today. For the past few years, although it is a bit of a luxury, my family has been ordering the 'New Year's hot pot with dashi and soba' from the famous Osaka restaurant 'Dotonbori Imai.' It is technically for one meal, but it has become our custom to spend two 'clever yet luxurious' days: having it as a hot pot dish on the day it arrives, and then as toshikoshi soba the next day. Imai is famous for udon, but I actually like their soba as well, and above all, the dashi is exquisite, making for a happy end to the year.
<Postscript> The custom of eating 'toshikoshi soba' on New Year's Eve is said to have become established in the mid-Edo period. While people often think the length of the noodles symbolizes longevity, the 'ease of cutting' is actually what is important, as it carries the wish to 'cut off the misfortunes of the past year.' There is also a theory that it became established as a 'lucky charm to attract good fortune' because gold leaf artisans used buckwheat flour to collect gold dust.
I am a typical 'soba lover' (soba-kui). Saying this in Osaka requires as much courage as saying 'I'm a Giants fan, not a Hanshin fan,' but I cannot change the taste buds I cultivated from a young age. I first realized the appeal of soba at a standing soba shop on the Joban Line platform at Ueno Station. I don't even remember the name of the shop, but it started when I was shocked by how delicious the tempura soba was. Since I spent my university years in the Kansai region, I was surrounded by udon culture and temporarily drifted away from soba. However, because my first job was at a university in the Kanto region, I was able to return to the home of soba.
When I lived in Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture for over a decade, a friend introduced me to a shop called 'Takeyabu' that overlooks Lake Teganuma. After passing through an elegant gate and climbing a long, winding stone staircase, a hideaway-like shop appears. I was not only moved by the taste of the soba, but also surprised by the meticulous flavor, which paid attention to everything from the production area of the buckwheat to the soy sauce, condiments, and even the water. The owner is considered a master of soba, and I have heard that the 'Takeyabu' lineage has produced many disciples. (Please also see the photo below.)
The world of Edo soba has schools such as 'Yabu,' 'Sunaba,' and 'Sarashina.' Every time I went to Tokyo, I made time to visit soba shops. Among them, 'Kanda Yabu Soba' is particularly impressive. The way the staff calls out 'Seiro, one order!' in a singing voice every time an order is placed makes me feel as if I have traveled back in time to the Edo period. The dipping sauce is a spicy Edo-mae style (it makes sense that connoisseurs dip only about a third of the noodles), and it is truly delicious. There are others that make me hungry just listing them, such as 'Muromachi Sunaba' in Nihonbashi (the ten-zaru is exquisite), 'Yoshida' in Ginza (the long-standing croquette soba), and 'Nagasaka Sarashina' in Umeda, Osaka (which was revived in Osaka). (Please also see the title photo (Note 3) and the photo below.)
Soba also frequently appears in Rakugo, which is my hobby. The masters skillfully use their folding fans to express the act of slurping soba in their stories (photo below). Depending on the master, some look like they are eating udon no matter what, while others are so skilled that just watching them makes you want to stop by a soba shop. The 'Ni-hachi Soba' (a mixture of 80% buckwheat flour and 20% wheat flour) that appears in Rakugo stories like 'Toki Soba' is typically served as a topping dish for 16 mon (two-eight). The 'Toki Soba' by my beloved master Kyotaro Yanagiya is the best.
<Postscript> By the way, in the Kansai region, there is a performance called 'Toki Udon' instead of 'Toki Soba,' and the stage is an udon shop. The part about 'cheating by one mon' is the same, but the rest is different. Two people pool their money to share a bowl of udon, and the sharp-witted Kiyohachi cleverly manages to gain one mon. Master Shijaku Katsura's 'Toki Udon' is very impressive.
I could talk about soba forever. I previously introduced the story of Niigata's 'Hegi Soba' (note, 6/12), but there are still many famous soba dishes all over Japan. I will talk about the rest on another occasion. Please look forward to it!
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Note 1: From the "Takeyabu" website
https://takeyabu.co.jp/kashiwa/
Note 2: From the "Kanda Yabusoba" website
https://www.yabusoba.net/
Note 3: From the DVD "Rakugo Showa Sanpo (Vol. 1)" (Sony Music Direct)
Note 4: From the "Muromachi Sunaba" website
https://www.muromachi-sunaba.co.jp/