Handmade Buckwheat Noodles Buckwheat noodles ("soba") have a long history in Japan. They are an iconic Japanese food like sushi or tempura. A great deal of time and effort is invested in making high-quality soba, which is also low-calorie. Both local people and visitors enjoy Kiso soba because of its unique flavor and freshness.

Goheimochi Crushed rice is shaped into patties, smeared with a delicious sauce and roasted on a skewer. This delicacy is traditionally offered at Shinto shrines as a prayer for a good harvest and is often sold at local festivals. A traditional Kiso specialty, ours is especially delicious thanks to the special sauce made from walnuts and sesame seeds.

Soba Buns

Locally-brewed Sake There are five sake breweries strung out along the Kisoji. Made from crystal-clear water, Kiso sake is well-known throughout Japan for its remarkably crisp and dry sensation in the mouth. Finding your own favorite from among the wide variety of Kiso-brewed sake is certainly a great pleasure.

Houbamaki This well-known sweet has been eaten in early summer since the old days. Dough made from kneaded rice powder is filled with red-bean paste, wrapped in magnolia leaves and steamed. The leaves of the white bark magnolia tree have anti-microbial properties and are large, so they are convenient for use as plates or for wrapping food.

Sunki These chopped, pickled turnip leaves are increasingly rare in Japan and are appreciated for their potential health benefits. The leaves are fermented using only lactobacillus and without salt, giving them a distinctive acidic flavor. Here in Kiso, people use them as a topping on noodles, which are then called "Sunki soba."

Touji Soba Soba shops all around Kiso Town serve these delicious buckwheat noodles, fresh from the nearby Kaida Plateau in the shadow of Mt. Ontake. People there eat soba by dipping basketfuls of cooked soba into boiling, savory soup. Visitors can enjoy eating soba this traditional way, just as the local people do.

Tsukemono (Japanese Pickles) Nothing is more typical than Japanese pickles made from local materials by traditional methods. Delicious Kiso pickles are made from various vegetables, including turnips, radishes and a spinach-like green called "Nozawana." A unique kind of Japanese "kimchi" is also made here from high-quality Ontake Chinese cabbage.

Pickled Cherry Blossoms Suhara Post Town dates back to the end of the Edo Period and these salt-pickled cherry blossoms are a specialty there. For celebratory occasions, one perfect flower is floated in a cup of hot water to produce a colorful, sweet-smelling tea.

Kisoji Beer

Acorn Products In Otaki Village, the acorn is called the "hidami." Since the ancient Jomon Period, acorns have been made into food by techniques handed down through the ages. Now, using modern methods, they are processed into coffee and a variety of tasty sweets for you to enjoy.

Ontake Chinese Cabbage The original highland vegetable of this region, this tasty cabbage thrives in the cool climate of Kiso. It is characterized by its large size and crispness.