【Tomioka City, Gunma Prefecture】After tracing the history of Tomioka Silk Mill, let's eat some delicious Soba and udon at restaurant “Tajimaya”

The roots of Tajimaya, a soba and udon restaurant where you can feel the warmth of people when you step through the curtain.

Tajimaya is a soba and udon restaurant that is rated as delicious even locally, and is located an 11-minute walk from Tomioka Silk Mill, a world heritage site, and a 4-minute walk from Joshin Electric Railway Joshu-Tomioka Station. It has a very long history, having been founded almost at the same time as Tomioka Silk Mill. Originally, they ran a confectionery shop in Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture, but they moved from Kumagaya to Tomioka at the same time that the Tomioka Silk Mill was established in Tomioka. The factory girl factory workers working at the Tomioka Silk Mill may have come to buy Tajimaya's sweets.

The owner is the fourth generation.

Apparently, the first to third generations ran a confectionery shop. It is a Japanese custom to hand out ``manju'' at funerals. There was also a custom of handing out ``hanagashi'' to celebrate marriage. The third generation ran a confectionery shop, but with some advice from the third generation, the fourth generation opened it as a restaurant at the age of 22, and then operated it as a soba and udon restaurant for half a century (approximately 50 years). We continue to preserve the taste of

The owner focuses on local production for local consumption.

He says he is particular about local production and local consumption, and tries to use locally produced ingredients. The flour used for the udon noodles is of course produced in Gunma Prefecture. We use buckwheat seeds from Tochigi Prefecture and grind them into homemade powder using a stone mill. Because the stone mill grinds slowly in small quantities, the buckwheat flour is not heated and its flavor is preserved. Depending on the time, you can even see flour being milled using a stone mill. The soba and udon noodles are also homemade, so the soba and udon noodles served that day are carefully and lovingly made by the owner that morning.

The owner's recommendation is definitely soba and udon.

The owner recommends the soba and udon. I want to eat rice, but I also want to eat noodles! A set of rice and noodles is recommended for such women. The amount is so large that a woman can eat it all. Another nice thing about the set is that it comes with salad, pickles, chilled tofu, and fruit. In addition to soba and udon, we also have curry, ramen, and fries, all of which are delicious and worth trying! All the masterpieces. The price is also very reasonable.

The inside of the store is really interesting!

As you pass through the brown curtain with the words "Soba/Udon" printed on it, the first thing that catches your eye is the stone mill used to grind the soba noodles.

As you go further inside, you will see photographs on the walls and hats of railroad workers from the era of the now discontinued Japanese National Railways. There are rare items such as railway destination display boards.

At the time of the event, active mini SLs, which are very popular with children and railway fans, may be waiting for their turn.

Tajimaya's screen, carved from old cypress wood, is a very Japanese ornament. The inside of the store is like a street corner gallery. I was surprised to hear that these items were not part of the store owner's collection, but were left behind by customers who visited the store. The tables and chairs have been in use since the store opened. The tortoise-shell patterned floor, which is very rare these days, is polished to a pleasant level.

Value people, value things, and value taste.

I couldn't help but feel that this was a tradition that had been preserved for 150 years.

A local gathering place

I heard that Tajimaya is also a place for local people to interact. It seems that cross-industry exchanges have been active for a long time, transcending the boundaries of position, including local office workers, police officers, railroad workers, teachers, farmers, individual business owners, young people, and elderly people. We listened and talked about various things while sharing drinks and eating delicious food. The store has been around for so many years because it has cherished its local friends.

The most important thing for the owner is...

However, the owner's smile was the best one that drew people in. This is a soba and udon restaurant run by a close couple. What is the most important thing for a shopkeeper? When I asked her, she said ``ma'am'' without hesitation. I felt that the close friendship between the husband and wife is one of the characteristics of the restaurant.

"Tajimaya" basic information

Address : 1579-1 Tomioka, Tomioka City

TEL : 0274-62-0513

Business hours : 11:00-15:00

17:00～19:00

Closed : Sunday

Parking lot : 5 cars

This is a soba and udon restaurant run by an elderly couple.

If you have any questions, please contact us by phone.

Click here for details on Tajimaya