The soba noodle is a major staple food of Japan. Typically made from buckwheat and very often served cold, its a dish we have always enjoyed. 
The town of Izushi is one of the best known places in Japan for excellent soba. Depending with whom you speak, Izushi is the birthplace of soba. Perhaps that explains why there are more than 40 soba restaurants in the town. Keep in mind this is a town that has fewer than 3,000 people! Click here for the full video.
It seems everywhere you turn, there’s another soba restaurant. But one thing that makes these restaurants different is that the soba is served on small plates, typically starting off with five at a time. As you finish the five plates, the wait staff will bring another five, then another and another. Basically, its an all you can eat festival, and at the end of the meal, your plates are added up and you pay per the plate.
But in addition to soba, Izushi is a remarkable small town with a lot to offer. There are several blocks of pedestrian friendly streets lined with shops and restaurants. In fact, you can very often see the chef’s making the soba noodles from scratch. There is the Shinkoro Clock tower overlooking a koi filled pond. Then there’s a samurai house as well as the oldest working Kabuki Theater in the entire Kansai region.
Overlooking the town are the ruins of Izushi Castle. The castle was the third castle built in Izushi and it was built in 1603. There are two towers remaining along with massive stone walls and a Buddhist Temple. Getting there is an experience in itself as you walk up the stone steps passing through more than 100 vermillion colored tori gates, reminiscent of the famous Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto. The best part however, is that this one isn’t overrun with tourists.
So if in western Japan and looking for a unique lesser known spot, you should definitely check out Izushi in our video here.
