A renowned restaurant specializing in 100% buckwheat soba noodles! "Harapeko," a beloved local spot [Shiwa-cho, Shiwa-gun, Iwate Prefecture]

Located in Shiwa Town and established over 40 years ago, "Harapeko" is a popular soba restaurant that often has long lines, known for its 100% buckwheat soba noodles (made without any binding agents) and cold soba noodles

This incredibly popular soba restaurant, which is always crowded regardless of the day of the week and has many regular customers who travel all the way from Morioka, is featured in this on-the-ground report

Please note that the prices shown in the images within this article are as of June 3, 2026

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The eye-catching exterior of "Harapeko" and the interior filled with comments

As you drive along National Route 4 in Shiwa Town, a large red demon sign catches your eye, and as you get closer, you'll see a plethora of advertising signs piled up as if to say, "Take that!"

The restaurant is plastered all over the walls with explanations and advertisements about soba noodles, as well as signed autographs from celebrities who have visited, creating a spectacular sight

There are no menus on the tables, so you order by looking at the menus posted around the restaurant

The name "Harapeko" (meaning "hungry") comes from the founder's wish to "serve delicious and safe 100% buckwheat soba noodles to hungry people until they are full."

The ultimate "100% buckwheat soba" made using a uniquely developed method

We serve soba noodles made with locally sourced buckwheat from Shiwa Town, using our own specially developed "all-purpose noodle-making machine," ensuring they are "freshly ground, freshly made, and freshly boiled."

The following five types of soba noodles can be enjoyed at "Harapeko":

• Sarashina: Made with the finest flour, which contains most of the center of the buckwheat grain, resulting in a white, elegant aroma and flavor.
• Nanbu: Has a firm texture, and boasts the savory aroma and simple flavor of soba noodles.
• Stone mill: The buckwheat flour used is ground in the shop's own stone mill, resulting in a strong flavor of freshly ground buckwheat.
• Gozen: Made using only the core of the buckwheat grain, this is the finest quality soba, with a more refined aroma than Sarashina soba.
• Tartary buckwheat: Its characteristic bitterness has been adjusted to make it easier to eat, and it contains 50 to 100 times more rutin than regular buckwheat.

Furthermore, "Harapeko" incorporates healthy buckwheat into all of its dishes, in a way that doesn't alter the color or taste

In addition, there are three types of "specialty soba" available: sesame soba, matcha soba, and poppy seed soba, each allowing you to enjoy the flavor of the ingredients kneaded into the dough

We recommend the "Two-Color Mori Soba," which lets you compare two different types of soba noodles!

"Harapeko" serves 100% buckwheat soba noodles that are long and thick, and the portions of mori and zaru soba are considerably larger than those at other soba restaurants

The "Two-Color Mori Soba" is an even larger portion, almost enough for two people, so we recommend coming with an empty stomach

The condiments include plenty of finely chopped green onions, grated daikon radish with chili pepper, and wasabi, and the buckwheat noodles are served with a quail egg

However, the wasabi was the kind you'd find in a package at the fresh fish section of a supermarket, which was a bit disappointing considering how delicious the soba noodles were

However, grating fresh, fragrant wasabi every day is labor-intensive and expensive, so perhaps it can't be helped

As part of the service, there is free daikon radish juice available. If you quickly dip the soba noodles in it before dipping them in the broth, the grated radish flavor will be added, allowing you to enjoy a change of taste

The soba dipping sauce is neither too sweet nor too spicy, with a mellow flavor, and it's served in a large sake carafe, so you'll have plenty to use

The soba broth served at the end of the meal is a yellowish-green color, perhaps due to the buckwheat flour, and has a smooth texture

As of June 1, 2026, the following 12 combinations of "Two-Color Mori Soba" are available in regular and large sizes

• A: Sarashina + Nanbu
• B: Sarashina + Stone Mill
• C: Sarashina + Gozen
• D: Gozen + stone mill
• E: Dattan + Sarashina
• F: Dattan + Sesame
• G: Dattan + Southern
• H: Sarashina + Sesame
• I: Stone mill + sesame
• J: Stone mortar + Tartary oak
• K: Stone mortar + Southern
• L: Set meal + Dattan

Is it actually the most popular? "Soba Reimen" (cold soba noodles) is said to have originated from a manga

The noodles, served generously in a large bowl, are considerably firmer than those served in mori or zaru soba, offering a texture similar to "reimen" (cold noodles)

Apparently, they adjust the cooking time to achieve a texture similar to Morioka Reimen (cold noodles)

The soup has a sweet and sour flavor, like a bonito broth used for soba noodles with added acidity, and it pairs perfectly with the firm, chewy noodles

Just like the "separate spiciness" of Morioka Reimen, kimchi (radish and napa cabbage) is provided as a topping, allowing you to enjoy changing the flavor by adding it little by little

The toppings on the noodles include plenty of seaweed and green onions, a boiled egg, fish cake, thinly sliced ​​cucumber, three slices of chicken thigh char siu, and watermelon, a summer fruit

The sweet and savory chicken chashu is simmered in the restaurant's secret sauce and pairs perfectly with the refreshing "soba cold noodles."

The watermelon may be replaced with apples depending on the season, but the inclusion of fruit is a feature of the same presentation as Morioka Reimen (cold noodles)

Although the store's POP display ranked it 4th in their top 5, this ranking is somewhat outdated, as from what I observed, half of the customers were ordering "soba cold noodles."

"Soba Reimen" is said to have originated from the manga "Oishinbo"

A sign inside the restaurant indicates that Tetsuya Kariya, the author of the manga "Oishinbo," visited the restaurant on October 27, 1987, and created the "soba cold noodles" dish during that visit

However, soba hiyashi (cold soba noodles) is also a Korean dish, and there are yakiniku restaurants in Morioka City that serve it, so it's unclear whether this is Mr. Kariya's original recipe

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summary

The aroma of 100% buckwheat soba is very strong, making it an irresistible treat for soba lovers

As a result, long lines form even on weekdays before the store opens, and it can take more than 30 minutes from the time you order, so it's a good idea to allow plenty of time when you go

Furthermore, the restaurant is currently recruiting "100% buckwheat noodle trainees" to spread its unique 100% buckwheat noodle making method, and a branch may open in the future

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