Udon & Soba
"Udon is thick, chewy wheat noodles; soba is thin, nutty buckwheat noodles. Both are served hot in broth or cold with dipping sauce. Found at stand-up counters in train stations (tachi-gui) where you slurp quickly and leave, or sit-down restaurants for handmade versions. It's fast, cheap (¥300-800), and light. Popular versions: kake udon (plain hot broth), tempura soba (with shrimp tempura), and zaru soba (cold noodles)."
Logistics
Affordable
Vibe
Fast, simple
Duration
10-15 minutes
Best For
Quick meals
The Backstory
Soba dates to the Edo period (1600s) when it was Tokyo's working-class staple. Udon is older, from the 1300s. Stand-up soba shops at train stations emerged in the 1960s for rushed commuters. Handmade soba became an art form, with master artisans making noodles fresh daily. The slurping sound is traditional—it cools noodles and aerates the broth.
Local Secret
"At stand-up counters (tachi-gui soba), order at the machine, eat in under 5 minutes standing up, and leave—it's rush culture. For sit-down soba, try cold 'zaru soba' with dipping sauce (tsuyu)—dip 1/3 of the noodles, not the whole bite. Finish by drinking the hot soba water (sobayu) mixed with leftover dipping sauce. Top chains: Fuji Soba (24/7), Hanamaru Udon."