Yoshida udon: Fujiyoshida's firm noodles, prices and shops
Noodles, broth and toppings
What’s in the bowl
Yoshida udon (Yoshida no udon) is a distinctive noodle dish from Fujiyoshida3, the city between Lake Kawaguchi and Lake Yamanaka6. Expect to chew: the noodles are firmer than regular udon3, and first-timers are often surprised2 by it.
Firmer than regular udon3
Here’s what goes in:
- Noodles: made by hand, with a surprisingly firm bite and strong chewiness1.
- Broth: warm, seasoned with miso, or a blend of miso and soy sauce2.
- Cabbage: plenty of it, boiled1. Fujiyoshida’s tourism site says it gives the firm noodles an addictive texture7.
- Meat: horse meat simmered in soy sauce, sugar, sake and mirin7. Some shops keep to horse meat, the traditional way, while the modern style uses pork3.
- Suridane: each shop’s own condiment of sesame seeds, Sichuan pepper and chilli pepper2.
The dish grew out of the land. Fujiyoshida sits at 700–900 m1, where the cool climate and volcanic-ash soil were poor for rice, so wheat and other grains were grown instead. Locals still eat it at Obon, New Year and weddings1, often as the closing dish of a gathering.
On a menu, look for kake udon (udon in broth) or tsuke udon (udon with a dipping sauce)7. Niku udon is the meat8 version.
A weaving-town habit
Why do Fujiyoshida’s udon shops only open at lunch?
The shops open only at lunch because of a tradition dating from the early twentieth century3. Households whose noodles were popular later turned their homes into restaurants3.
Lunch-only since the early twentieth century3
In the early Showa period, textiles were Fujiyoshida’s main industry7. The city’s tourism site says men in weaving households began making udon for lunch so the women running the looms wouldn’t have to stop9, and so their hands, which handled the fabric, wouldn’t get rough.
Where to eat it
Udon shops in Fujiyoshida: hours and closing days
Fujiyoshida has dozens of udon shops: the city’s tourism site lists 40 restaurants as of 20267, while the prefectural site still says about 602. These have hours on an official listing:
40 restaurants listed in 20267
| Shop | Address (Fujiyoshida) | Hours | Closed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sakurai Udon | 5-1-33 Shimoyoshida | 10:00–14:30 | Sundays | fujiyoshida.net (official) |
| Kurechi Udon | 1-18-22 Kamikurechi | 10:00–14:00, or until the noodles run out | Tuesdays and first Monday | fujiyoshida.net (official) |
| Teuchi Udon Musashi | 6-10-19 Kamiyoshida | 10:30–14:00 | Thursdays | yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) |
| Shinhori Udon | Kamiyoshida | 11:00–14:00, or until the noodles run out | Tuesdays | pref.yamanashi.jp (official) |
| Shirasu Udon | 6-1-44 Kamiyoshidahigashi | 11:00–15:00, or until sold out | Sundays | fujiyoshida.net (official) |
| Fujiya | 4-6-9 Matsuyama | 11:00–14:00; 17:30–20:00 Fri–Sun only (as of July 2024) | Tuesdays (as of July 2024) | yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) |
| Michi-no-Eki Fujiyoshida snack corner | Fujiyoshida roadside station | 10:00–16:00, last order 15:45 | Open every day of the year | pref.yamanashi.jp (official) |
fujiyoshida.net (official); yamanashi-kankou.jp (official); pref.yamanashi.jp (official)
If you only get one try, the snack corner at Michi-no-Eki Fujiyoshida, the city’s roadside station, is the easiest to plan around: it opens every day of the year11.
| Place | Area | Type | Hours and season | Google rating | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Hotou Fudo Kawaguchiko StationPhoto: Google Maps | Kawaguchiko Station | Hoto noodle restaurant | Mon–Sun 11:00–19:00 | 3.8 (2,834 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026 | |
 Fuji Tempura IDATEN KAWAGUCHIKOPhoto: Google Maps | Kawaguchiko Station | Tempura restaurant | Mon–Sun 10:00–22:00 | 4.2 (4,757 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026 | |
 HOUTO LABO KAWAGUCHIKOPhoto: Google Maps | Kawaguchiko Station | Hoto noodle restaurant | Mon–Fri 11:00–18:00; Sat–Sun 11:00–19:00 | 4.1 (1,538 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026 | |
 Kosaku Kawaguchiko Hoto NoodlesPhoto: Google Maps | Kawaguchiko Station | Japanese regional restaurant | Mon–Sun 11:00–19:30 | 4.2 (6,942 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026 | |
 Hotokura Funari KawaguchikoPhoto: Google Maps | Kawaguchiko Station | Hoto noodle restaurant | Mon–Sun 11:00–20:30 | 4.2 (3,649 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026 | |
 APPLE PIE labPhoto: Google Maps | Kawaguchiko Station | Dessert shop | Mon–Sun 09:00–17:00 | 4.2 (1,659 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026 | |
 IDATEN BETTEI HontenPhoto: Google Maps | Kawaguchiko Station | Halal restaurant | Mon–Sun 11:00–22:00 | 4.9 (3,033 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026 | |
 Restaurant KonamiPhoto: Google Maps | Kawaguchiko Station | Japanese restaurant | Mon–Sun 11:00–15:00, 17:30–19:30 | 4.2 (1,176 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026 | |
 Ramen KaneyukiPhoto: Google Maps | Kawaguchiko Station | Ramen restaurant | Mon–Sun 11:30–19:30 | 4.4 (990 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026 | |
 Houtou Fudou Kawaguchiko North Main ShopPhoto: Google Maps | Oishi Park (north shore) | Hoto noodle restaurant | Mon–Sun 11:00–20:00 | 4 (4,694 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026 | |
 Lake Kawaguchi Sweets GardenPhoto: Google Maps | Oishi Park (north shore) | Cafe | Mon–Sun 09:00–17:00 | 4 (361 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026 | |
 Oishi Park CafePhoto: Google Maps | Oishi Park (north shore) | Ice cream shop | Mon–Sun 09:15–16:45 | 4.3 (350 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026 | |
 Cafe mimiPhoto: Google Maps | Oishi Park (north shore) | Cafe | Mon–Sun 09:00–17:30 | 2.9 (518 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026 | |
 CISCO CoffeePhoto: Google Maps | Oishi Park (north shore) | Cafe | Mon–Tue 09:00–17:00; Wed closed; Thu–Sun 09:00–17:00 | 4.5 (982 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026 | |
 Lake Bake CafePhoto: Google Maps | Oishi Park (north shore) | Bakery | Mon–Tue 10:00–16:00; Wed–Thu closed; Fri–Sun 10:00–16:00 | 4.2 (1,185 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026 |
What you pay
How much does a bowl cost in Fujiyoshida?
A bowl costs around ¥5004 (about US$3), which Fujiyoshida’s tourism guide calls a reasonable price. Shop prices from the city guide:
Around ¥500 a bowl4
- Sakurai Udon: kake udon ¥450 (about US$3), half portion ¥3008 (about US$2)
- Kurechi Udon: kake udon ¥450 (about US$3), niku udon ¥550 (about US$3), the signature Kurechi udon ¥7008 (about US$4)
- Teuchi Udon Musashi: kake udon ¥500 (about US$3), the signature Musashi udon ¥70013 (about US$4)
- Michi-no-Eki Fujiyoshida snack corner: kake udon ¥450 (about US$3) (checked October 2026), Yoshida niku udon ¥550 (about US$3), large portion ¥10014 (under US$1) extra
The city’s Kurechi Udon page is undated, as is its Sakurai Udon page8, so treat these prices as a guide.
For the truly hungry
The Udon Master challenge
298 Masters by February 20267
Fujiyoshida has a challenge for the truly hungry: eat at every restaurant on the city’s udon map and you’re certified as a Yoshida no Udon Master9. Proof goes to the tourist information counter at Michi-no-Eki Fujiyoshida7. By February 2026, 298 people7 had earned the title.
From the lake
Planning lunch from Lake Kawaguchi
Plan your bowl as a lunch stop, not dinner, and build the rest of your day in Fujiyoshida around it. There’s more on Fujiyoshida and what to see there on its own page.
Staying out at Lake Saiko? Leave the lake by late morning so you reach a shop in good time; there’s more on Lake Saiko on its own page. For the region’s other noodle, read about hoto noodles around the lake, or go back to the Kawaguchiko food overview.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons. Authors and licences: image credits
Checked against 18 sources · last checked October 2026
- maff.go.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- mlit.go.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- fujiyoshida.net (official) · checked October 2026
- European Central Bank (official) · checked October 2026
- Wikivoyage · checked October 2026
- fujiyoshida.net (official) · checked October 2026
- fujiyoshida.net (official) · checked October 2026
- fujiyoshida.net (official) · checked October 2026
- yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- pref.yamanashi.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- fujiyoshida.net (official) · checked October 2026
- fujiyoshida.net (official) · checked October 2026
- yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- fujiyoshida.net (official) · checked October 2026
- fujiyoshida.net (official) · checked October 2026
- Google Maps listings via DataForSEO · checked October 2026
Page history · last changed 19 October 2026
- First written
