Japanese Soba Maker Aims for Guinness Record Next Month

Soba noodles
A company in Fukui Prefecture wants to set the first-ever Guinness World Record for soba eating. Here's how your hungry self can help.

Want more UJ? Get our FREE newsletter 

Need a preview? See our archives

How many bowls of soba could possibly be sold in a day? Find out by keeping a lookout for a new Guinness World Record challenge next month.

First-ever soba challenge

Soba from Megumi in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture
Picture: Jay Allen, Unseen Japan

A Japanese noodle manufacturer is attempting to set the first-ever Guinness World Record for the most soba noodles with grated horse radish served.

Munechika (宗近) is based in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture, which is situated on Japan’s west coast below Ishikawa Prefecture. The prefecture is arguably home to Japan’s best soba (蕎麦), or buckwheat noodles. Although Fukui is not traditionally among The Soba Big Three, the Japan Soba Preservation Association has recognized it for having the best-tasting soba for three years in a row. Netlab has crowned the prefecture with the same title for the past four years.

Munechika has carried on the culinary tradition of soba since its founding in 1947, and is determined to take what they call Fukui’s “soul food” to the world stage next month.

Overnight idea to reality

Tetsuya Munechika, the company’s fourth-generation senior managing director, says that soba “is an amazing soul food of the people in Fukui, so I hope to bring more attention to it in our own way.”

That way is to serve more than 2,500 bowls of oroshi-soba, which are noodles topped with grated horse radish within 8 hours––a criterion which the Guinness World Records’ global headquarters in London set.

The category for soba did not exist in the Guinness World Records until Testuya began brainstorming ways to reach Fukui residents of all ages using the dish. 

“It all began early in the New Year when I was thinking out loud, ‘I wish I could organize an event that Fukui residents across generations can enjoy.’ The next day, I planned in one evening that “I am going to challenge soba at the Guinness World Records!” Tetsuya writes on the company’s website.

Event details

Munechika will host that challenge on May 11th at Happiring, a shopping mall near Fukui Station between 9 AM to 5 PM.

The company will serve soba noodles using 100% Fukui buckwheat flour at ¥350 ($2.26) per bowl, which is half the usual price.

Tickets for five bowls at ¥1,600 and 10 bowls for ¥3,000––good value for money––will also be available.

The soba Guinness challenge will commence amid rising interest in travel to Fukui. The opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Fukui on March 16th has made the location more accessible to both domestic and inbound tourists.

Soba is underrated?

Plate of soba

Ramen traditionally has captivated the attention of both locals and tourists alike. That remains true despite more ramen joints upping the prices of a bowl, breaking the once unbreakable ¥1,000 wall.

However, soba holds a unique place in world cuisine. Japan is the only country in which buckwheat flour was historically used to make noodles. That makes soba a must-do “authentic Japan” experience for tourists.

For those who find themselves in Fukui on May 11th, partaking in the first Guinness World Record for soba may be a travel highlight.

Support independent media

UJ depends on the support of our readers to keep our content 100% free for everyone. Help us in our mission to create content about the Japan you don’t learn about in anime with a recurring or one-time donation to the UJ Journalism Fund.

What to read next

Sources

おろしそばでギネス世界記録 8時間で2500杯販売なるか 来月ハピテラスで挑戦. FBCNEWS

Want more UJ? Get our FREE newsletter 

Need a preview? See our archives

Japan in Translation

Subscribe to our free newsletter for a weekly digest of our best work across platforms (Web, Twitter, YouTube). Your support helps us spread the word about the Japan you don’t learn about in anime.

Want a preview? Read our archives

You’ll get one to two emails from us weekly. For more details, see our privacy policy