This website explains the appeal of soba, Japan’s national dish.
Soba is a very important dish for Japanese people. The reason is that Soba is originally a dish for entertaining important guests.
Soba, which was prepared with a lot of care and attention, was the best way to welcome guests.
Therefore, eating Soba has a special meaning for Japanese people.
In Japan, there is a custom of eating “Toshikoshi Soba(年越し蕎麦)” at the end of the year to wish happiness to oneself and others.
Soba has always been a food that has been close to people and has brought happiness to people.
We hope you will discover the profound charm of Japanese buckwheat noodles.

Live Longer with Soba

The global average life expectancy is 68.9 years for men and 74.0 years for women, with a combined average of 71.4 years.
In contrast, the average life expectancy in Japan is 84.46 years (according to WHO data for 2025), and the country continues to hold the top spot as the nation with the longest life expectancy in the world. In fact, Japanese people live 13 years longer than the global average.
One reason for the remarkable longevity of the Japanese people is soba.
The Japanese have an astonishing fondness for soba; it is incorporated into various annual events, and they have developed the habit of eating soba whenever a special occasion arises.
As has already been scientifically proven, the nutrients found in soba—particularly rutin—help prevent lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and stroke, and have the power to maintain health even as one ages. Furthermore, buckwheat contains trace elements such as minerals that are difficult to obtain through a typical diet, as well as essential amino acids—which are absolutely necessary for sustaining life but cannot be produced by the human body—that can be obtained by eating buckwheat.
Even in an era before the development of modern science, the Japanese knew from experience the health benefits of buckwheat and have continued to eat this life-sustaining food on a daily basis.
I, Toranosuke Katayama, am currently 76 years old—seven years older than the global average life expectancy for men, which is 68.9 years. Despite this, I am in perfect health and continue my daily work as the sole expert dedicated to passing down the traditional techniques and knowledge of soba.・・・・・read more➡︎

⬇︎Link to “Basic Knowledge of Soba” page。You can learn the basics about soba, including topics such as: “What is Soba?”, “What is Juuwari Soba?”, “What is Nihachi Soba?”, “What is Sobauchi?”, “How to eat Soba,” and “How to use Yakumi (condiments).”

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

[About the authors of this site]

Toranosuke Katayama(片山虎之介)
Soba Researcher, Chairman of the Japan Soba Preservation Society(日本蕎麦保存会)

For over 30 years, I have been researching the culinary culture of Japanese soba (buckwheat noodles).
In the course of this work, I became aware that the traditions surrounding soba were vanishing at an alarming rate, which prompted me to begin efforts to preserve this traditional food culture. In 2007, I established the Japan Soba Preservation Society(日本蕎麦保存会). Since then, I have conducted extensive research into every aspect of soba—from its cultivation, milling, and noodle-making processes to its history.
Currently, I share information with a global audience, primarily through our official website, “Japan Soba Preservation Society JP.”

https://nihon-soba.jp

I have focused particularly on promoting traditional soba-making techniques, and to date, more than 6,000 people have mastered these skills under my instruction.
Many foreigners participate in my soba-making workshops—sometimes even outnumbering the Japanese participants.
I also possess in-depth knowledge regarding the health benefits of consuming buckwheat.
In 2000, I undertook an expedition to a remote and restricted region of China—a place that, at the time, was almost entirely inaccessible to foreigners—to conduct research.Following that, I authored two books on Tartary buckwheat. Tartary buckwheat contains more than 100 times the amount of rutin found in regular buckwheat.These publications introduced the Japanese public to Tartary buckwheat and sparked a boom for the grain that extended beyond Japan to China and the rest of the world. I am widely known for having introduced this healthy variety of buckwheat to people around the world.

Currently, Toranosuke Katayama is hosting special workshops in Tokyo and Kyoto that focus on the delicious flavor and health benefits of soba (buckwheat noodles), drawing a large number of prominent figures and VIPs from around the world.
Furthermore, there are frequent opportunities to appear across various media, including publications and television. In 2026, the “Echizen Soba Biennale”—the world’s first art festival dedicated to the aesthetic appeal of soba—was launched.
Today, Toranosuke Katayama is recognized as a leading authority in Japan on the traditions and food culture surrounding soba.

[Official Website]
https://toranoske.com