
Azumaya Honten is a long-established restaurant that originated wankosoba! Their summer-only salad soba is also popular! [Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture]
Higashiya, a long-established soba restaurant famous as the birthplace of Wanko Soba in Morioka, can be reached in about 3 minutes on foot from Sakana-machi Shopping Street.
In Iwate, it has long been customary to serve soba noodles at banquets. This tradition has its roots in Morioka's wankosoba, which first appeared on the menus of soba restaurants in the 1950s
Azumaya Honten has a history of over 100 years
Three Morioka restaurants, including Azumaya, teamed up to develop a menu with the aim of revitalizing the town
Azumaya is a representative example of a long-established restaurant that first started serving wankosoba. Its history is quite old, having been established in 1907 (Meiji 40) as a branch of the famous Morioka restaurant "Oshimizu Taga."
The year after the restaurant was founded, the name was changed to "Azumaya" by taking one character from the name of the first owner, Tokichi Doi
Azumaya has now established itself as a well-established restaurant, but it has not always been smooth sailing. In the early Showa period, the restaurant was completely burned down in a fire. The restaurant overcame this crisis with the generous support of the Taga Group
A famous restaurant that continues to offer exceptional flavors
The current main store is made entirely of cypress, and was rebuilt after being completely destroyed by fire
The soba noodles and dashi made by skilled craftsmen have a truly exceptional taste
However, wankosoba isn't the only dish loved by the people of Morioka. Katsudon is also a popular menu item. Katsudon comes with a small bowl of soba noodles. The set is also attractively priced at just 945 yen
In the summer, the limited-time menu item "Salad Soba (882 yen)" is especially popular until August
This is a summer staple that has been enjoyed by Morioka residents for over 30 years, and the soba noodles are delicious, having been thoroughly chilled in cold water
It is also effective in preventing summer fatigue as it contains plenty of vegetables such as myoga, chicken, cucumber, and radish
Higashiya<Information>
- Name: Higashiya main store
- Address: 1-8-3 Nakanohashi-dori, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, 020-0871
- Phone number: 019-622-2252
- Official URL:https://wankosoba.jp/




![[Iwate Prefecture] A good old retro trip! 5 spots to experience Morioka's history! JR Morioka Station](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/30235522_m-150x150.jpg)
![A new landmark in Morioka! "Morioka Central Park Viva Terrace," a relaxing spot in the heart of the city, also boasts a great selection of gourmet food! [Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture] Open grassy field with small white flowers and a line of low wooden buildings with metal roofs in the distance under a blue sky with fluffy clouds.](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/0c470587f5dcc51f8e143563612b1e9c-1-150x150.jpg)
!["monaka" in Sakana-machi, Morioka City, celebrates its 2nd anniversary! A gourmet review of the popular tenant restaurants! [Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture] Modern glass-front shopping building with a gray upper block and a red heart logo, busy street in front with cars and pedestrians under a blue sky.](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/1fc3a0016e1fc2123f674ee5efb748ee-150x150.jpg)
![A comparison report of yakitori chain restaurants in Morioka's Odori area where you can enjoy a cheap drink and snack! [Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture] Street view of a Japanese storefront with illuminated red lanterns and bold black signboards, bicycles parked along the curb](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/11b71ffb85e44000ffbcbc37ab964046-150x150.jpg)
!["Sanuki," "Hakata," and "Inaniwa": Three must-try brand udon noodles in Morioka! [Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture] Bowl of thick udon noodles with tempura shrimp, a lemon wedge, and chopped green onions in broth on a wooden table](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/023a643c26fa8fcdcc9c61d527c96759-150x150.jpg)
![The next big thing after Morioka's three famous noodle dishes is this! Try the new genre, "Morioka Udon"! [Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture] Morioka Udon Catch](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/023a643c26fa8fcdcc9c61d527c96759-150x150.jpg)
![We asked the staff at Fukuda Pan, a soul food shop in Morioka, about their top 3 most popular breads! (Cooked breads) [Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture] Fukuda Bread Cooking Catch 1](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/125730576cebe43c83cb7e17a8222e05-150x150.jpg)
![Introducing delicious tofu and tofu dishes from Morioka, the "City of Tofu"! [Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture] Morioka Tofu Catch 2](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/a7664c4b4fbbbbb3933afdf428903bc7-150x150.jpg)










