Oiwa Somen (大岩そうめん)

Climb the hundred stone steps at Oiwasan Nissekiji Temple, and the smell that reaches you is dashi. Oiwa somen is the noodle specialty of the Oiwa district in Kamiichi Town, Toyama Prefecture. A small cluster of shops around the temple approach still serves it. Toyama’s official tourism site describes the dish as a local specialty with more than 70 years of history. Traditional Oiwa somen begins with three-year-aged hand-stretched noodles, chilled in cold local spring water and laid out in neat parallel rows. This guide covers what the dish is, how each shop prepares it, and where to eat it. It also explains how to reach a village that public transport serves only a few times a day. TOCQuick Facts About Oiwa Somen Oiwa somen is not a branded product sold in supermarkets. Instead, it is a way of serving somen that belongs to one small temple town. First, here are the essentials. Region Oiwa district (大岩), Kamiichi Town, Toyama Prefecture. Dish Type Somen (素麺), thin hand-stretched wheat noodles, served with the broth already poured over them. Traditional Noodle Hand-stretched somen aged for three years, known as ōhine (大古). Ryokan Dangoya also offers its own fresh, undried version. F...