Essay of My Wonderful Life, Eight virtues of a Soba noodle

Most of the prefectures (States in Japan) have set up so-called antenna shops in

Tokyo, for the purpose of displaying or introducing the elegance of each prefecture to the people in Tokyo. Among such antenna shops, I sometimes visit Kagoshima Prefecture's shop near Marion, Toyama Prefecture and Hokkaido Prefecture in Yurakucho. In addition to these shops, I sometimes go to Yamagata Prefecture's shop in Toranomon. However I am not going to buy anything there. My purpose is only taking Soba (buckwheat) noodles at the Dewakou Restaurant in this shop.

(1) A Soba noodle is tastier than grain, although it is not one of grain.

(2) A Soba noodle has almost all of kinds of nutrition.

(3) The volume of a Soba noodle is rather small, but the guests would feel that they were well treated.

(4) Although the guests had just finished taking meals, you could offer them to take a Soba additionally, because it would not be so big volume.

(5) A Soba is good for digestion, even if you would take quite a big volume.

(6) A Soba has various kinds of nutrition, but some of nutrition will flow out into the hot water, which is used for boiling a Soba. So you'd better to take this hot water.

(7) We would not be bored to take a Soba, even if we would take it every day.
(Note: Frankly speaking, I don't think this is true. I would be boring, if I would take a Soba every day.)

(8) It is said in China that a hermit eats a haze. I think he would eat a Soba, instead of a haze.

At lunchtime, after taking a Soba, I sometimes read the above sentences, with sipping the hot water for boiling soba. Well, I am afraid that this is one of the typical styles of an old aged man.

On the other day, through Internet, I found the background of this Dewakou Soba restaurant in Toranomon. It is the branch restaurant of "Syoji-ya", which is the oldest Soba restaurant, established about 150 years ago, in Yamagata prefecture. This homepage is also well planned and good way of advertising. I would like to quote below.

"The Soba made in Yamagata has been known that it was nationally delicious. However it has been consumed only in the Yamagata prefecture. Only the Soba from Shinano has taken the status of the national brand. So some of the Soba lovers have said that Yamagata people related the Soba industry had been very poor for marketing Soba to other area in Japan.

Time has changed and it is the Information Technology Age now. The Yamagata has been endeavored to let the nation-wide people to know Yamagata Soba. Also the local government assisted us to make the branch restaurant "Dewakou" in Tokyo. In addition to this, a Soba has been known as a healthy food. Through these efforts, Yamagata Soba has been nationally known step by step. Some Soba lovers from whole country have even visited Yamagata for taking a Soba.

Our restaurant is the best Soba restaurant of the longest history in Yamagata. It was established at the side of the moat of the Yamagata castle 150 years ago. Since the beginning, we have devoted ourselves into the hand-made buckwheat noodles, which we should pass to the next generation. The feature of our Soba is having a little black color and nice flavor. It is slightly tough to eat to comparer with other Soba noodle. Furthermore, we prepare for the traditional juice, in which we take a Soba to dip. We will keep making a wonderful Soba noodle of better taste. We wish you enjoy our special Soba noodle."

I am very surprised who would go to the Yamagata Prefecture purposely and take a Soba noodle. Of course it is true that there are some fanatic Soba noodle lovers in Japan. So it might be true that there would be such people. At least, the Soba lovers might be more respected than ramen noodle lovers, who would visit Sapporo or Kitakata to eat ramen noodles.

(June 1, 2004)