What Is Juwari Soba? Why Japan Makes Soba with 100% Buckwheat

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Juwari soba is made with 100% buckwheat flour, without wheat flour as a binder. It is not necessarily “better” than nihachi soba, but its aroma and texture offer a different way to appreciate one of Japan’s most familiar noodles.

Last updated: 2026-09-12

Introduction

Because buckwheat flour alone can make noodles fragile and difficult to handle, soba is commonly made with wheat flour as a binder.

One well-known style is nihachi soba, which today generally refers to noodles made with about 80% buckwheat flour and 20% wheat flour. The wheat helps create a smoother texture and makes the noodles easier to slurp.

By contrast, juwari soba is made with 100% buckwheat flour. “Juwari” literally means ten out of ten — in other words, 100%.

Buckwheat has been eaten in Japan for centuries, but it was not always eaten as the long, thin noodles we know today. Earlier preparations included sobagaki, made by mixing buckwheat flour with hot water. Later, soba-kiri — buckwheat dough cut into noodles — spread more widely.

During the Edo period, soba developed into a familiar food for ordinary people and became an important part of the noodle culture that continues in Tokyo today. Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries also describes the Edo period as the time when soba became widely familiar as noodles.

Adding wheat flour makes soba easier to handle and can give it a smoother texture. Yet juwari soba, made only from buckwheat flour, has survived to the present day.

So why make soba with 100% buckwheat at all?

At Kyoto, a soba restaurant in Togoshi-Ginza, Tokyo, I tried two very different expressions of juwari soba.

📍 Kyoto (Tabelog English)

What to Try

Inaka-Style Zaru Soba

Inaka-style juwari soba noodles at Kyoto soba restaurant in Togoshi-Ginza, Tokyo

This dark, country-style juwari soba has relatively thick noodles with a firm, satisfying bite.

Rather than being a soba you simply slurp for its smoothness, it rewards a little more chewing. As you chew, the aroma and presence of the buckwheat become more noticeable.

The darker color and substantial texture give it the rustic, robust character many people might imagine when they hear “100% buckwheat soba.”

After finishing the noodles, you can also enjoy soba-yu, the hot water in which the soba was cooked.

At this restaurant, the soba-yu from the juwari soba was particularly thick and cloudy, almost creamy in appearance.

Pouring it into the remaining dipping sauce lets you continue enjoying the flavor of buckwheat even after the noodles are gone.

Cold Sudachi Soba

Cold sudachi soba made with 100% buckwheat noodles in Togoshi-Ginza, Tokyo

Thin slices of sudachi citrus cover the surface of the bowl, giving this cold soba a very different appearance from the rustic inaka soba.

The noodles are thinner, but they are not delicate or weak. Despite their thinness, they have a firm texture.

I could also clearly notice the aroma of the buckwheat.

What stood out most, however, was the cold broth.

With so many slices of sudachi in the bowl, their citrus aroma had spread throughout the broth, giving every sip a refreshing fragrance.

Even surrounded by that bright citrus aroma, the fragrance of the buckwheat and the presence of the noodles were still noticeable.

Tokyo or Trip?

🟱 Great-in-Tokyo — Great experience you can enjoy in Tokyo.

Nihachi soba, made with wheat flour, has its own appeal in its smooth texture and easy slurp.

What I find interesting about juwari soba is the decision to make noodles from buckwheat alone and experience its aroma and texture more directly.

Juwari soba is not a superior version of nihachi soba.

If you see “juwari” or “100% buckwheat” on the menu at a soba restaurant in Japan, give it a try.

Explore Nearby

Explore more everyday Japanese food in Togoshi-Ginza, from another style of soba and regional noodles to rice, simmered dishes, and fresh seafood.

Similar Dishes

Soba takes many forms across Japan. Here are three more ways to experience it, from an everyday Tokyo soba shop to regional styles in Kyoto and Kanazawa.

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About "Taste of Japan"

Hello, I'm Yuta.
Born in landlocked Yamanashi and having lived in the gourmet city of Sendai for 10 years, I now call Togoshi-Ginza home. My frequent business trips across Japan allow me to constantly explore the diversity of regional flavors.

Why Togoshi-Ginza?

This street is Tokyo’s longest shopping street (about 1.3 km), but it holds a special history. It was the very first street in Japan to adopt the "Ginza" name—a tradition that later spread across the country—after receiving bricks from the famous Ginza district following the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake.

My Wish as a Local

I am not a culinary expert. However, as a Japanese local who knows both the convenience of Tokyo and the origins of regional food, I want to share the "atmosphere" and "personal feelings" that you won't find in standard guidebooks.

The Concept: "Tokyo or Trip?"

Visiting every region of Japan in a single trip is nearly impossible. Some food experiences are worth the travel to the source, while others offer a fully satisfying experience right here in Tokyo.

This blog is a guide to help you make that choice. Based in Togoshi-Ginza, I share my honest experiences and "my personal answer" to help you maximize your culinary journey in Japan.

Our Rating System:
  • 🟠 Local-First: Best experienced in its home region. Worth a trip.
  • 🟱 Great-in-Tokyo: A nationwide favorite or regional specialty that offers a fully satisfying, authentic experience right here in Tokyo.
  • 🟣 Tokyo-Do-Must: A unique food culture born in or exclusive to Tokyo.
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