Brief introduction about Ishinomaki city

Historical Background - What is Ishinomaki yakisoba

It has been said that Ishinomaki yakisoba was established in the early Showa period, after World War II ended in August 1945.

Although the origin of Ishinomaki yakisoba is unclear, it is often said that Sugahara Haruyoshi san, the founder of the Harumoto Noodle Factory in Ishinomaki City, invented it. 

He invented the long noodle that does not get sticky after cooking in a frying pan through trial and error. 

Another theory of the invention of Ishinomaki yakisoba is that a restaurant served Chinese-style yakisoba, a stir-fried dish of boiled noodles with vegetables, and that its disciples spread the unique noodles in the Ishinomaki area. While Japanese-style yakisoba uses stir-fried noodles, Chinese-style yakisoba uses boiled noodles instead.

While both theories are possible, the prevailing view is that boiled noodles were invented or introduced in the Ishinokai area, and they became popular across the city because they last longer than raw noodles, leading many restaurants to begin serving them.

In 2008, Ishinomaki brown yakisoba academy (石巻茶色い焼きそばアカデミー) was established to promote Ishinomaki yakisoba, and the organization has been hosting local events and offering lecture courses on Ishinomaki yakisoba.

Currently, Ishinomaki yakisoba has become a well-known local dish because it was featured on a national broadcast programme in 2024 that explores local food across Japan. Nowadays, you can buy Ishinomaki yakisoba noodles at supermarkets in Ishinomaki city or online stores! Therefore, you can enjoy eating Ishinomaki yakisoba at your house easily!

Characteristics

Post-earthquake recovery of Ishinomaki yakisoba

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Direct Voice from Rin Sakamoto

I became a big fan of Ishinomaki yakisoba after eating it in elementary school. My elementary school regularly provided local food from Miyagi Prefecture, and I had several times to eat it for school lunch. One student deliberately made a noodle, and another put a fried egg on top. I was amazed by the match of the umami taste and stimulating flavor of the sauce. Moreover, a fried egg plays a crucial role as a mediator between the sauce and umami! While brown noodles seem to have a strong taste, if you bite into them, you will enjoy the seafood stock. As someone who experienced the Great East Japan earthquake on March 11th, I always hope for Ishinomaki's recovery when I eat Ishinokai yakisoba. When I went to Ishinomaki City with my family a year ago, I was surprised to see how lively it was, with people smiling. The city was very lively, and I enjoyed Ishinomaki yakisoba at the roadside station called "Jobin no Sato". The place provided a lot of snacks, seafood, and vegetables from Ishinomaki city, and we enjoyed not only Ishinomaki yakisoba but also buying local products. I genuinely hope more people will visit Ishinomaki City and enjoy the rich, savory sauce and noodles of Ishinomaki yakisoba. Furthermore, we should not forget the effort people in the city put into recovering from the great earthquake.