"A hearthy delight for both locals and travelers that always feels homemade" Damian Tavera van Gemert
Yokote city on a beautiful November day.
Photo made by the creator.
Yokote Yakisoba was created in the 1950s by an okonomiyaki seller. In those days, Okonomiyaki, a thin pancake made with wheat flour and wrapped around chopsticks, was one of the few cheap snacks available for children. The seller sought to create a new, delicious snack for children to replace Okonomiyaki. It had to be something he could make on his Okonomiyaki hot plate and ingredients like wheat flour. It took several years of work by sellers and factories to perfect the manufacturing of the Yakisoba noodles. In 1953, the modern version of Yokote Yakisoba was finalized. Although the idea initially came from the desire to have more snacks for children, the Yokote Yakisoba noodles first began being sold in Izakayas. This tasty and cheap snack became so famous that it began being sold everywhere around town. The Yokote Yakisoba craze did not stay inside its city of origin; shops from all around the area began springing up and selling Yokote Yakisoba. Yokote Yakisoba is still popular to this day because of its reasonable price and delicious flavors. Yokote Yakisoba is thus a dish that has evolved over time, from having its main purpose be filling up a kid’s belly to a crowd pleaser made at home or at a restaurant. Nowadays, it is made by five different factories around Yokote.
Yokote Yakisoba is a regional variation of the Yakisoba dish. Yakisoba means "fried noodles", and there are many variations throughout Japan. However, they are all made with Chinese-style wheat flour noodles, which are mixed with meat and vegetables. In the name of the dish, Yokote is written in Kanji while Yakisoba is written in Hiragana. This is to draw attention and promote Yokote City, aiming to boost its tourism industry and economic activity. Yakisoba is made with distinctive, thick, straight noodles with square ends. These noodles are mixed with minced pork and cooked cabbage.
On top of that sits the soft sunny-side-up egg, garnished with Fukujinzuke pickles. These two additions are the special ingredients that make this dish a unique regional dish. Fukujinzuke is also often served with Japanese curry and is made by fermenting daikon radish, lotus root, cucumber, and eggplant in soy sauce and cooking wine. The finishing touch is a sauce that is made by combining Worcestershire sauce with a homemade sauce unique to each restaurant, making every Yokote Yakisoba offer a distinct and memorable experience. Worcestershire sauce is used because the water released by the cabbage dilutes the initial taste of the soy sauce. To eat this dish in the Yokote style, you must mix the egg yolk in with the noodles.
Yokote Yakisoba winning the B-1 Grand Prix
Yokote Yakisoba is not just a dish; it has become a way to revitalize and promote Yokote city around the country and worldwide. In 2001, Yokote Yakisoba Norenkai was founded by manufacturers and sellers for the goal of revitalization. They give certifications for “authentic” Yokote Yakisoba and organize a yearly Yokote Yakisoba festival. During this festival, many famous restaurants show off their iconic dishes. Visitors can enjoy Yakisoba tastings and workshops where they can learn how to make Yokote Yakisoba themselves.
Yokote Yakisoba is a great example of what is known in Japan as B‑kyu gurume (B-class gourmet cuisine). Gourmet refers to a specific type of cuisine. B-class food is a term for affordable comfort food in Japan, such as ramen, Okonomiyaki, and Yakisoba.
This type of food, which was delicious but not too expensive, became popular in the 1990s during the economic bubble burst. Fine dining and luxury foreign food had become popular during the economic boom, but in the time of economic downturn, there was still a desire to eat good food. This caused print media to start advertising less expensive meals that had the feeling of being “home-made” and authentic. The spread of B-class Gourmet also fits within the trend of regaining cultural authenticity in Japan in defiance of “outside influence”. B-class Gourmet food became a way to advertise regional cooking and recipes. B-class gourmet food thus becomes a tool of regional revitalization. Yokote Yakisoba is a great example of this rise of unique, regional cuisine across Japan.
The Yokote Yakisoba Norenakai has participated many times in the B-1 Grand Prix, a national competition and festival where regional dishes compete for gold and festivalgoers enjoy the varied tastes of Japan.
This dish even has a mascot called Yakipi to promote the dish around Japan. Ironically enough, Yakipi's favorite food is Yokote Yakisoba.
Experience the sensory delight of Yokote Yakisoba being cooked in a local restaurant (No dialogue).
A chef from Tohoku teaches you how to make Yokote Yakisoba (Japanese with automatic English dubbing).
A local restaurant owner speaks about the significance of the dish (Japanese).
Experience a visit to a restaurant with a halal version of Yokote Yakisoba, showing the variety of Japanese cuisine (English and Japanese with English subtitles).
Author of text, Damian Tavera van Gemert
I took a trip to the calm and charming town of Yokote on a cold November weekend. I went to visit Yokote Castle to gaze over the city from its observatory deck. There were many signs warning about bears as I climbed the steps covered by thick orange fallen leaves of autumn to the elevated Yokote park, on which the castle stands. After I had seen Yokote and its people from above, I was cold and hungry. Luckily, I could enjoy my first Yokote Yakisoba at the restaurant right next to the castle, while enjoying views of the woods.
My spirits were immediately lifted when I was quickly served the Yokote Yakisoba. The salty, umami sauce was perfectly infused within the slightly chewy noodles, with the minced pork meat adding fatty richness to the meal. I split the slightly runny yolk of the golden egg with my chopsticks, which added extra flavour to the noodles.
The pickled vegetables I was served are not like the ones I have at home, and their tangy sourness was a great contrast to the other flavors. It was lovely to connect with a small town that has a large amount of pride in its local dish. Local dishes like Yokote Yakisoba create a sense of community and unity. These local dishes also serve to connect people from outside Yokote with their rich culture, as love goes through the stomach!
-Damian Tavera van Gemert
The Yokote Tourist Association has a detailed list of restaurants that are part of the Yokote Yakisoba Norenkai. You can also buy Yokote Yakisoba to make yourself in supermarkets in Yokote and the surrounding areas. If you want to order it to your house, you can visit this online shop. You can also take a 30-minute walk or a 6-minute car ride from Yokote JR station to the Yokote Castle Rest House, where the author of this article first tried the dish.
How to Access
Bergström, B. K. (2025, September 1). Yokote yakisoba festival. JapanTravel. https://en.japantravel.com/akita/yokote-yakisoba-festival/71884
Japan Gotouchi Character Association [Nihon Gotouchi Chara Kyokai]. (2021, April 6). Yakippi. https://gotouchi-chara.jp/chara/yakippi/
Scrolavezza, P. (2021). Menus for the soul: Changing food landscapes in contemporary Japan. In Ca’ Foscari Japanese Studies. Edizioni Ca’ Foscari. https://doi.org/10.30687/978-88-6969-559-9/011
Tokyo Restaurants Guide. (n.d.). Yakisoba (stir-fried noodles). https://restaurants-guide.tokyo/column/yakisoba-stir-fried-noodles/
Yokote City. (n.d.). Yokote no kanko [Tourism in Yokote]. https://www.city.yokote.lg.jp/miryoku/index.html?u#taste
Yokote Yakisoba Noren-kai. (n.d.). Yokote yakisoba no rutsu [The roots of Yokote yakisoba]. https://www.yokotekamakura.com/yokoteyakisoba/03_roots/index.html