#yaoki

Traditional Japanese Noodle Shop in Tokyo

Location: Jindai-ji Motomachi, Chofu City, Tokyo, Japan Timestamp: 13:51 on July 19, 2023

Established over six decades ago, Yaoki noodle restaurant finds its place alongside the main boulevard that leads to Tokyo's historic Jindai-ji Temple. Culinary delights include soba and udon noodles, crispy tempura, and a small menu of sake. Next door, their petite emporium offers edible souvenirs.

The third-generation proprietor continues to uphold the time-honored techniques of making soba pioneered during the Edo Period (1603-1867). The secret elixir of the noodle broth, a closely guarded family heirloom, has been passed down through the generations.

Jindai-ji Temple, an ancient Buddhist sanctuary nestled in Tokyo's outskirts, basks in a lush canopy of greenery and enjoys many natural springs.

The temple's historical narrative is a result of the land's limitations; the region's unsuitability for rice cultivation led the tenant farmers of the Edo period to sow buckwheat (soba) fields. In lieu of rice, these farmers offered the temple soba flour yields. The temple would then transform the buckwheat bounty into noodles, extending hospitality by serving soba noodles to all who visited—thus giving birth to the genesis of Jindai-ji Temple soba.

Jindai-ji Temple soba's essence lies in the use of local pristine spring waters and the finest buckwheat flour.

For access details and references for further reading, check out the latest Pix4Japan blog post: https://www.pix4japan.com/blog/20230719-jindaiji

Traditional Gift Shop Near Jindai-ji Temple in Tokyo

Location: Jindai-ji Motomachi, Chofu City, Tokyo, Japan Timestamp: 13:53 on July 19, 2023

Yaoki, a noodle shop and souvenir establishment with a legacy spanning over six decades, is nestled along the main boulevard leading to Tokyo's historic Jindai-ji Temple. This shop not only delights visitors with its delectable souvenirs but also offers various noodle and tenpura dishes.

One of the more popular drinks sold at the souvenir shop are the renowned ramune drinks. Look out for the iconic blue ラムネ flag donning red lettering against a white backdrop – a symbol of this fizzy delight often seen during summer.

Ramune bottles bear a distinct design tailored exclusively for carbonated beverages. Each bottle houses a glass ball beneath its plastic cap that seals the carbonated drink inside. To savor the refreshing drink, a gentle press on the cap sends the glass ball into the recessed niche in the bottle's neck.

The origins of this bottle design trace back to 1884 in Kobe, thanks to British pharmacist Alexander Cameron Sim. Over time, Japanese innovation has taken the concept with modern renditions where the marble comes pre-assembled within a specialized cap making it easier to open by hand.

Ramune, now synonymous with summer in Japan, assumes its rightful place as a favorite refreshment of the season offering relief during warm festival days and nights, becoming a part of the cultural icons that define Japanese summers.

Adjacent to the shop are several benches where you can relax and enjoy your drink. After finishing your drink, you can either return the empty ramune bottle for recycling. However, recognizing the allure of these bottles as keepsakes, some foreign tourists opt to carry them home.

For access details and references for further reading, check out the latest Pix4Japan blog post: https://www.pix4japan.com/blog/20230719-jindaiji

Hayden Christensen