Kingyojirushi Oyachi Hand-Pulled Noodles are a traditional specialty of the Oyachi district in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture. Noodle-making has been practiced here since the Edo period, originally as a winter sideline for local farming families. The noodles are valued for their traditional production methods and the care that goes into making each batch by hand.
The Oyachi area has long benefited from natural conditions well suited to noodle production. Water from the local Asake River is rich in minerals, and watermills were once used in the area. The cold, dry winds known as Suzuka Oroshi, which blow down from the Suzuka Mountains, also provided ideal conditions for drying noodles during winter.
In the 1950s, more than 300 farming households in the district were involved in noodle-making. However, the craft requires considerable time, skill, and experience. A shortage of successors, together with a decline in available workers as the region’s petrochemical industry developed, led to a sharp reduction in producers. Today, fewer than ten noodle-making businesses remain in the area.
The local noodle producers are divided into three groups according to their flour suppliers. The Kingyojirushi group, comprising six producers, is known for using high-quality wheat flour and making noodles without additives.
Respecting a tradition that spans approximately 200 years, these artisans carefully shape and prepare the noodles by hand, one strand at a time. Their dedication preserves the distinctive character of Oyachi noodles and keeps a valuable part of Mie Prefecture’s food heritage alive.
Kingyojirushi Oyachi noodles offer more than a simple meal: they represent generations of craftsmanship shaped by the local climate, natural resources, and culinary traditions. For visitors interested in authentic regional foods, these carefully made noodles provide a delicious connection to the history of Yokkaichi.