Honke Owariya Main Store: Kyoto’s Soba Shop Since the Edo Period, Founded 1465
Honke Owariya traces its founding to 1465 -- two years before the Onin War -- when it opened as a confectioner to Kyoto's Imperial court; according to widely cited accounts, it began serving soba (buckwheat noodles) during the mid-Edo period, and has operated as both a confectionery and a soba restaurant ever since. The current main store, a few minutes' walk from Karasuma-Oike Station near Nijo, is one of Kyoto's most frequently cited historic soba destinations, with a history spanning more than 500 years. Soba in Japan are thin buckwheat noodles, served either in a hot dashi-based broth or chilled on a bamboo tray with a dipping sauce known as zaru soba -- a lighter, simpler alternative to ramen that is a good introduction to one of Japan's oldest noodle traditions.
- Soba (Buckwheat Noodles)
- Nijo
- ¥1,000–3,000
Good to Know
- Budget per person
- ¥1,000–3,000
- Hours
- Reported as roughly 11:00 AM-7:00 PM (last order around 6:30 PM) by one source, though another source lists slightly different hours; the shop is said to close only on January 1-2. Confirm locally before visiting, as sources vary.
- Address
- 322 Niomon-tsukinukecho, Shayamachi-dori Nijo-kudaru, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto
- Nearest station
- Karasuma-Oike Station
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- Soba (buckwheat noodles), the dish the shop has been known for since the Edo period
- The confectionery side is also known for traditional Kyoto-style sweets going back to the shop's founding as a confectioner in 1465.
How to Order
- Order from a server at the table. Soba are thin buckwheat noodles, served either in a hot broth or chilled with a dipping sauce (zaru soba)
- The shop's confectionery side also sells traditional Kyoto sweets.
First-Time Visitor Guide
- Tourist-friendliness: 3 / 5
Location
322 Niomon-tsukinukecho, Shayamachi-dori Nijo-kudaru, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto
About a 2-minute walk north from Exit 1 of Karasuma-Oike Station, in central Kyoto near Nijo.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I get to Honke Owariya Main Store?
- About a 2-minute walk north from Exit 1 of Karasuma-Oike Station, in central Kyoto near Nijo.
Information on this page is compiled and checked by our editorial team from the restaurant's official information and public data. Details we could not verify are not listed.
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