1
Soba Kaido Waremokou

Enjoy rare cuts of Akaushi beef together with handmade soba

Located in Minamioguni Town in the northern part of the Aso area is "Soba Kaido." Near the entrance of this street, where famous soba restaurants gather, is a restaurant specializing in soba and kudzu dishes. Their highly aromatic Edomae-style soba, hand-kneaded using stone-ground buckwheat flour and Aso spring water, is popular.
Among their offerings, the "Akaushi Nanban Soba" is a popular menu item (limited quantity per day). The flavor of the dipping broth, made by lightly searing Aso Akaushi beef rump (a cut near the sirloin and loin) and simmering it in an original sauce, is irresistible. The broth coats the noodles perfectly, and the tender meat is exquisite.

Savor soba and kudzu dishes in a traditional folk-style building

The restaurant's soba is a blend of buckwheat, primarily from Aso, with seasonal selections from Nagano and Hokkaido. They are committed to hand-kneading the noodles from early every morning.
The menu is extensive, featuring the "Suzuran-zen" (1,950 yen), a full-course soba meal, "Jidori Soba" (1,450 yen) with a broth rich in the flavor of local chicken, and the "Kudzu Set" (1,250 yen), a dessert set where you can enjoy kudzu starch noodles, kudzu mochi, and kudzu tofu all at once. Whether you want to casually slurp down a single bowl or enjoy a luxurious soba lunch with a full course, this restaurant offers a variety of ways to enjoy your meal.

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The set also includes buckwheat porridge with a delightful popping texture, kudzu tofu made with Aso Jersey milk, and small side dishes using Aso vegetables. You can enjoy the flavors of Aso even in the side dishes.

Soba Kaido Waremokou

• 3220 Akababa, Minamioguni-machi, Aso-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture MAP
• Approx. 30 minutes by car from JR Aso Station
• 10:30–17:30
• Open every day
• 0967-42-1820
• Free

2
Sobadokoro Sotaroan

Lava-grilled Akaushi beef and horse sashimi. Enjoy the flavors of Aso with soba

A popular soba restaurant in Oda Onsen, located about a 5-minute drive from Kurokawa Onsen. You can enjoy Edohachi soba (80% buckwheat noodles) made by a craftsman who trained in Izumo. A must-try here is the "Matsutaro Kaiseki" course meal.
For the Kumamoto specialty horse sashimi, they choose tender lean cuts. The set also includes lava-grilled triangular rose, a rare cut of Akaushi beef. It is a luxurious kaiseki meal where you can enjoy the flavors of Aso all at once, accompanied by a salad from their own farm and small side dishes made with Aso ingredients. Of course, the flavorful soba is also exquisite. The gentle spiciness unique to fresh wasabi further enhances the aroma of the noodles.

Wariko soba, which allows you to enjoy many different types at once, is also popular.

At this restaurant, they even stone-grind Aso-grown buckwheat inside a hut on the premises. By grinding it slowly without applying heat, the aroma of the buckwheat becomes richer, resulting in a flavor that is even more fragrant than standard Edohachi soba.
The zaru soba features thin noodles that are easy to slurp, while the kake soba is cut thicker to emphasize the texture as it goes down the throat. The "Sanshoku Wariko Soba" (1,100 yen) and "Goshoku Wariko Soba" (1,600 yen), which feature different toppings in small bowls, are also popular for allowing you to enjoy many varieties at once. Enjoy highly aromatic soba while soothing your eyes and heart with the view of the well-maintained Japanese garden.

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On the premises, there are also 5 private baths available for rent by the hour (60 minutes, 1,000 yen rental fee, 500 yen bathing fee for adults, 300 yen for children, 11:00–15:00). You can also enjoy the famous hot springs of Oda Onsen.

Sobadokoro Sotaroan

• 5956 Manganji, Minamioguni-machi, Aso-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture MAP
• Approx. 30 minutes by car from JR Aso Station
• 11:00–14:30
• Open every day
• 0967-44-0108
• Free

3
Umakata Soba-ya

The house-milled 100% buckwheat soba and the incredibly luxurious set menus are the talk of the town.

Located along National Route 57 from Kumamoto City toward Aso City, this is a shop specializing in soba and home-roasted coffee. While their stone-ground, flavorful 100% buckwheat soba is popular, the "Umakata Set" side menu is even more talked about. With curry soup, tempura, salad, several small side dishes, tofu, pickles, and even dessert, the set content is like a full-course meal.
Started with the desire to make sure customers leave full, the portion size has reportedly been increasing year by year. Moreover, since it is prepared by a Japanese cuisine chef, the deliciousness of the time-consuming, handmade dishes is irresistible.

We take pride in our house-roasted coffee, and each table is equipped with its own coffee pot.

"Umakata Soba" takes its name from a common term used in the Edo period for buckwheat that was coarsely ground with its husks intact. You can enjoy 100% buckwheat noodles made from buckwheat grown in Kumamoto Prefecture (or Hokkaido, depending on the season), which are, true to their name, coarsely ground using a stone mill, resulting in a dish packed with flavor and nutrients. In addition to standard cold and hot soba dishes, the menu also features unique varieties such as "Aso Takana Spicy Soba" and "Mozzarella Cheese and Bacon Soba."
Furthermore, the shop offers house-roasted coffee beans sourced from all over the world, which you can enjoy freshly brewed. It is a wonderful shop where you can feel the warmth of hospitality in every detail.

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On weekends, some people start lining up after 10:00 AM for the limited 50-serving "Umakata Set." It is said that many customers even skip breakfast just for this.

Umakata Soba-ya

• 1351-1 Nagakusa, Aso City, Kumamoto Prefecture MAP
• Approx. 15-minute walk from JR Ichinokawa Station
• 11:00–15:00
• Fridays (open on public holidays)
• 0967-35-1040
• Free

4
Teuchi Soba Minamiaso Kuginoan

Our home-grown Kukino native buckwheat soba has an exceptional flavor and texture!

Located in Kugino, Minamiaso Village, one of the leading buckwheat-producing areas in Aso, this soba restaurant offers magnificent views of the Aso Five Peaks. You can enjoy Edomae-style (ni-hachi) soba made primarily from home-grown Kugino native buckwheat, as well as carefully selected buckwheat flour from nearby prefectures like Takachiho.
The noodles are carefully ground in a stone mill and hand-kneaded every morning using spring water from Minamiaso. A perfect blend of finely ground flour for a smooth texture and coarsely ground flour for aroma results in thin, 1.2mm noodles that pair perfectly with a firm, sharp dipping sauce. The dish is crafted to allow you to experience the rich, unique flavor of native buckwheat with all five senses, from your tongue to your nose.

Experience the soba that can only be tasted in Kukino with all your senses.

The most popular dish is the "Tempura Seiro Soba," which comes with two shrimp and five types of seasonal vegetables fried to a crisp. Other cold and hot menu items include "Duck Seiro Soba," "Oroshi Soba," "Duck Nanban Soba," and "Kakiage Tempura Soba." Additionally, the "Sobagaki" (buckwheat dumplings), made by kneading buckwheat flour, offers a simple, enchanting flavor that allows you to fully appreciate the wonderful aroma of the flour.
The interior, filled with the warmth of wood, also features an attached soba-making workshop. It is a premier soba restaurant where you can fully immerse yourself in the unique flavor of soba that can only be tasted here, amidst the scenery unique to Kugino.

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The "Sobagaki" is about the size of a fist. We also recommend the buckwheat-based sweets "Sobagaki Zenzai" and "Sobagaki Kinako Kuromitsu" (660 yen each)!

Teuchi Soba Minamiaso Kuginoan

• 266-2 Kain, Minamiaso Village, Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture MAP
• Approx. 25-minute drive from Aso Kumamoto Airport
• 11:30–15:30 (L.O. 15:00), 17:00–20:30 (L.O. 19:30)
• Tuesdays, 4th Wednesday
• 0967-67-0373
• Free

5
Shikisokuzeiku

Enjoy crispy yet chewy kawara soba amidst the nature of Aso.

Nishihara Village is located in the southwestern part of the Aso area. At this popular restaurant in the mountains, you can enjoy Kawara Soba (roof tile soba), a rarity in Kyushu, along with wild vegetable dishes. To ensure the noodles are grilled to a crisp and retain their heat for a long time, each serving is carefully grilled one by one using authentic, traditional roof tiles.
The tea-infused soba noodles, sourced from Okayama Prefecture, offer a perfect balance of tea flavor, a crispy-yet-chewy texture after grilling, and a wonderful harmony with the dipping sauce. For the topping, you can choose from the most popular beef, as well as wild vegetables or mushrooms. Mix it well and enjoy it at your preferred level of crispiness.

Founded in 1989, the first owner fell in love with the taste of a famous restaurant in Yamaguchi Prefecture, trained there, and opened this shop. Its delicious flavor and the novelty of Kawara Soba in Kyushu became a hot topic, making it a popular spot that often has lines out the door.
You can also enjoy Aso-style side dishes such as "Dago-jiru" (a local dumpling soup) finished with slightly sweet miso, rice balls made with local rice, a homemade assortment of pickles using seasonal local vegetables, and salt-grilled yamame trout. The beautiful garden scenery, featuring a stream diverted from the "Shiraito Falls," is another highlight. You can enjoy your meal in a spacious, relaxed tatami room.

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Located about a 5-minute drive from the shop is "Shiraito Falls," a popular power spot and autumn foliage destination. Since you are in the area, we highly recommend stopping by.

Shikisokuzeiku

• 2281 Kawahara, Nishihara-mura, Aso-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture MAP
• Approx. 20 minutes by car from Mashiki-Kumamoto Airport IC
• 11:00–15:00 (L.O. 14:00) *Until 16:00 (L.O. 15:00) on Saturdays and holidays
• Sundays, Mondays
• 096-279-2919
• Free
• This is a Kawara Soba specialty restaurant. Please note that we do not serve regular soba noodles.