Omachi/Hakuba (Nagano)
Local Supporter
5 recommended famous hand-made soba restaurants in the Omachi/Hakuba area

The Shingyo and Yasaka districts of Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture, located at an altitude of nearly 1,000 meters, are known as famous soba-producing areas nurtured by a climate with large temperature differences between day and night and the cool, clear water of the Northern Alps. From shops using such high-quality local buckwheat flour to others, Omachi City and Hakuba Village are dotted with shops renowned for their delicious hand-made soba. We will introduce 5 recommended shops that are highly regarded not only for their fragrant, freshly made soba, but also for their dipping sauces and side dishes that enhance the flavor of the noodles.

Enjoy plump char tempura alongside freshly made soba

"Iwana (char) Tempura Zaru Soba" with one and a half char and vegetable tempura, 1,350 yen
"Iwana (char) Tempura Zaru Soba" for 1,350 yen, served with half a char and vegetable tempura.

This is a popular soba restaurant located in the shopping street of Omachi Onsen Village. The hand-made soba is made using buckwheat flour harvested in areas such as Yasaka and Miasa in Omachi City. They also use Nagano-grown wheat flour as a binder, resulting in firm, flavorful 'ni-hachi' (80% buckwheat) soba. Along with the soba, you should try the deep-fried, salt-grilled, or tempura char. The char is caught in nearby valleys, including the Kago River, though farmed fish are used during the closed season from October to February. The tempura is made from filleted fish, making it bone-free and easy to eat, and the fluffy meat is exceptionally delicious.

Also featuring a wide selection of handmade udon and a la carte dishes

The owner stands at the noodle-making station 2-3 times a day to serve freshly made soba
To serve freshly made soba, the owner stands at the noodle-making station two to three times a day.

The owner has over 45 years of experience as a soba craftsman. In addition to soba, the udon noodles, made with Nagano-grown wheat flour, are also highly regarded. A unique feature is the original method of rolling the dough by hand after the order is placed, using a rolling pin only for the final finish. These noodles are also firm and allow you to enjoy the flavor unique to local flour. Furthermore, the menu includes items such as tempura and skewered smelt caught in Lake Kizaki, and grilled eel.
The unpretentious, homey interior features counter and raised seating areas. It is a place where you can also enjoy conversation with the friendly owner.

Soba-dokoro Irori
  • Address2811 Taira, Omachi, Nagano Prefecture MAP
  • AccessApprox. 10 minutes by car from JR Shinano-Omachi Station
  • Bus accessTake the bus from JR Shinano-Omachi Station, get off at "Omachi Onsen-kyo," and walk for about 1 minute
  • Business hours11:30–15:00, 17:00–20:00
  • ClosedThursdays
  • TEL0261-22-8837
  • ParkingFree (Omachi Onsen-kyo shared parking lot)

Savor fragrant soba made with locally sourced buckwheat flour

Zaru soba 800 yen. On this day, it was served with tempura of a wild plant called okanori
Zaru soba for 800 yen. On this day, it was served with tempura made from a wild plant called okanori.

The Shingyo district where the shop is located is a high-altitude area at about 900m above sea level, and it is famous as a buckwheat production area, so much so that a "Soba Festival" has been held there during the new soba season for about 50 years. Founded in 1987 with a theme of local production for local consumption, this shop uses buckwheat harvested from nearby fields, stone-ground at a local mill. Local mothers then knead, roll, and cut the dough, creating flavorful soba entirely by hand. When you order zaru soba, a delightful service is that they include a piece of seasonal tempura, such as dandelion leaves, butterbur leaves, or locally sourced mushrooms.

Relax and feel at ease with the thoughtful hospitality.

Two-bite sized "soba usuyaki" (thin soba pancake) served as a complimentary dessert
Two-bite sized "soba thin pancakes" are served after the meal.

After eating the soba, they also serve a small "soba usuyaki." Usuyaki is a light snack with a fluffy texture made by dissolving buckwheat flour in water and grilling it. Topped with homemade perilla miso, made by grinding locally grown perilla and mixing it with miso, the sweetness of the miso is perfect for after the meal. Seasonal pickles such as nozawana are also served, and you will be comforted by their thoughtful hospitality.
The folk-art style interior features counter seats, table seats, and raised tatami seating, allowing you to spend a relaxing time while gazing at the idyllic rural landscape.

Local Flour Stone-Ground Hand-Made Soba Misato
  • Address14890 Miasa, Omachi, Nagano Prefecture MAP
  • AccessApprox. 15 minutes by car from JR Shinano-Omachi Station
  • Bus accessTake the bus from JR Shinano-Omachi Station, get off at "Shingyo," and walk about 3 minutes.
  • Business hours11:00–15:00 *Closes when sold out
  • ClosedTuesdays (open if a public holiday), year-end and New Year holidays
  • TEL0261-23-1334
  • ParkingFree

Enjoy local buckwheat noodles to your heart's content at this renowned restaurant run by a buckwheat farmer.

Mori soba for 800 yen. The soba dipping sauce, made with high-quality bonito flakes and kelp dashi, is also exquisite. In the back is the "Soba Thin Pancake" for 800 yen.
Mori soba 800 yen. The soba dipping sauce, made with high-quality bonito flakes and kelp stock, is also exquisite. In the back is the "soba thin pancake" for 800 yen.

Located in the Shingyo district of Omachi City, which is said to produce high-quality buckwheat due to its volcanic ash soil, this is a popular soba shop where lines are constant even on weekdays during the new soba season. The buckwheat flour used is stone-ground from buckwheat harvested locally, including from their own fields. The second-generation owner adjusts the binding agent according to the temperature and humidity of the day, finishing it into thin-cut soba. Chilling it firmly with cold spring water pumped from 200m underground is also a secret to its deliciousness. The aroma is enhanced, and the smooth texture as it goes down the throat is excellent.

Spend a relaxing time in a charming country house.

A traditional house tatami room where you take off your shoes to enter. Soba tea is self-service.
A traditional house tatami room where you take off your shoes to enter. Soba tea is self-service.

In the spacious tatami room, you can relax with pickled nozawana and buckwheat tea while waiting for your soba. The most popular item is the simple mori soba, and on some days, limited quantities of 100% buckwheat soba are also available. Other offerings include hot kake soba and "kamaage soba," where hot soba is served with a cold dipping sauce. Be sure to try the local specialty, "soba no usuyaki" (thin buckwheat pancake). It consists of a hot, thin pancake made from buckwheat flour and water, topped with a special green onion miso; when it arrives, the fragrant aroma of the miso will stimulate your appetite. It is a simple dish with a chewy texture that allows you to enjoy the flavor of the buckwheat.

Teuchi Soba Yamashina
  • Address14658 Miasa, Omachi, Nagano Prefecture MAP
  • AccessApprox. 15 minutes by car from JR Shinano-Omachi Station
  • Bus accessTake a bus from JR Shinano-Omachi Station, get off at "Shin-gyo," and walk for about 5 minutes.
  • Business hours11:00 AM until sold out
  • ClosedFridays (open if it falls on a public holiday)
  • TEL0261-23-1230
  • ParkingFree

The specialty is soba inspired by the "Salt Road," a trade route connecting the sea and the mountains.

"Shio no Michi Soba" for 1,700 yen. The light and delicious tempura is also exquisite.
"Shio no Michi Soba" 1,700 yen. The light, delicious tempura is also exquisite.

Founded in 1913 (Taisho 2), this shop near Shinano-Omachi Station is now run by the fourth generation of the family. The street in front of the shop is the "Salt Road," which was once used to transport salt and seafood from the Sea of Japan to the inland areas. Inspired by this, the shop's signature dish is "Shio no Michi Soba" (Salt Road Soba). The buckwheat flour is made from whole buckwheat grown in Hokkaido, ground at a local mill that the shop has trusted since its founding. The firm, smooth-textured ni-hachi soba (80% buckwheat) is topped with shrimp tempura and wild vegetables like bracken, offering a bounty of both sea and mountain delicacies. It is served refreshingly with grated daikon radish, which resembles salt, and a cold dipping sauce.

Relax in the cozy, authentic Japanese-style interior.

In addition to table seating, there is also raised tatami seating, which is popular with families.
In addition to table seating, there is also raised tatami seating, which is popular with families.

In addition to the "Shio no Michi Soba," the "yamakake soba" and "tororo soba," which use long yam shipped directly from farmers in Yamagata Village, Nagano Prefecture, are also popular. They are seasoned with a secret sauce perfected through years of research, attracting many repeat local customers. For tourists, the "Komatsuri Set" is well-received, which includes mori or kake soba, "soba gayu" (buckwheat porridge), and "ego," a seaweed-based food eaten at ceremonial occasions in northern Nagano Prefecture.
The pure Japanese-style building, constructed about 30 years ago, has a calm and chic atmosphere. Since the shop is open continuously until the evening, it is also recommended for a late lunch.

Teuchi Soba-dokoro Kobayashi
  • Address3210 Nishina-cho, Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture MAP
  • AccessAbout a 3-minute walk from JR Shinano-Omachi Station
  • Business hours11:00–17:00
  • ClosedWednesday
  • TEL0261-22-1200
  • ParkingFree

Flavorful ni-hachi soba served with three types of dipping sauce.

"Ko-soba Zanmai" for 1,350 yen, which comes with a regular serving of cold soba and three types of dipping sauce. The "Soba Zanmai" with a large serving of soba is 1,620 yen.
"Ko-soba Zanmai" 1,350 yen, which comes with a regular serving of cold soba and 3 types of dipping sauce. The "Soba Zanmai" with a large serving of cold soba is 1,620 yen.

Since opening in 1998, this restaurant has been renowned in Hakuba Village for serving exquisite soba. Their thin-cut ni-hachi soba, made with Hokkaido-grown buckwheat flour, is a masterpiece with a firm texture and rich flavor that deepens with every bite. We recommend the "Soba Zanmai," which allows you to enjoy the noodles with three different dipping sauces: a bonito and kelp dashi broth, a fragrant walnut sauce made by grinding walnuts, and the juice of spicy daikon radish. The spicy daikon is harvested in Hakuba Village and neighboring towns, offering an addictive flavor where the sweetness of the radish spreads through the sharp heat. You can also enjoy a milder taste by dissolving miso into the spicy daikon juice.

The fluffy, chewy, and smooth "sobagaki" (buckwheat dumplings) are also popular.

The "Sobagaki Zenzai" comes with "Otari-zuke," a locally familiar pickle (500 yen).
"Soba-gaki Zenzai" comes with "Otari-zuke," a local favorite pickle (500 yen).

The charming name of the shop comes from the fact that it used to be a greengrocer. As it also operates as a ryokan in the winter, you take off your shoes at the spacious entrance to find a relaxing area with both tatami mat seating and tables.
In addition to soba, the menu includes "sobagaki" (buckwheat dumplings), made by quickly kneading buckwheat flour in boiling water, as well as savory "fried sobagaki" and "soba-no-mi nameko" (buckwheat kernels with nameko mushrooms). A perfect dessert is the "sobagaki zenzai," where you can enjoy sobagaki together with a generous serving of red bean soup. The crunchy texture of the topped roasted buckwheat tea adds a delightful accent.

Soba Kobo Ringoya
  • Address5289 Hokujo, Hakuba Village, Kitaazumi District, Nagano Prefecture MAP
  • AccessApprox. 5 minutes by car from JR Hakuba Station
  • Bus accessTake a bus from JR Hakuba Station, get off at "Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal," and walk for about 3 minutes.
  • Business hours11:00 AM – 1:30 PM (L.O.) *Ends when sold out
  • ClosedIrregular holidays
  • TEL0261-71-1566
  • ParkingFree
*The information provided is current as of the date of the article's update. Please check in advance as it may be subject to change.