30-cm-long, thumb-thick green onions as chopsticks — the must-try "green onion soba" in Fukushima's Gassho Village

Reported and photographed by reporter Tsai Wen-Jun / Japan

Visiting Ouchi-juku, known as the "Fukushima version of a Gassho Village," you can not only admire the 400-year-old thatched-roof houses but also must try the "green onion soba"! Using a green onion over 30 cm long to wrap around soba noodles and slurp them into your mouth, you might accidentally bite off a small piece of the onion — the instant spiciness that explodes in your mouth is intensely lingering, making it both fun and satisfying.

▲ The must-try "green onion soba" in Ouchi-juku.

▲ Using thumb-thick green onions to wrap soba noodles is the most unique experience in Ouchi-juku.

If you want to try green onion soba, the top recommendation is the original shop "Mizusawa-ya." The exterior of Mizusawa-ya is a long thatched-roof house, and the interior largely retains its appearance from 400 years ago, allowing visitors to enjoy their meal in a nostalgic dining space. To preserve the texture, the signature "green onion soba" is only served cold. A large red and black bowl contains Takayama soba noodles topped with plenty of bonito flakes, and an entire green onion — as thick as a thumb and over 30 cm long — lies horizontally across the bowl. To eat the noodles, you have to use the green onion as chopsticks to wrap the noodles and suck them up, combining eye-catching presentation with playful fun.

▲ Remember to stir the bonito flakes and noodles with the green onion before eating.

As a famous local dish of Ouchi-juku, green onion soba isn't just eye-catching — it’s also delicious. Before eating, you must first stir the noodles and bonito flakes with the green onion. Once you take a bite, the soba noodles are chewy and firm, not getting mushy even after soaking in the broth. Occasionally, when you accidentally bite off a piece of the onion, the spicy kick spreads instantly in your mouth. By the time you finish the bowl, there’s little green onion left — making it an unforgettable experience.

▲ The original shop of green onion soba, Mizusawa-ya.

Mizusawa-ya
Address: 26-1 Yamamoto, Ouchi, Shitara, Shimoina District, Fukushima
Business hours: 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM