Handmade Soba Making & Fresh Wasabi Lunch in Matsumoto

Roll, cut and eat your own soba. Taste wasabi the way it's meant to be

Learn to make handmade soba noodles from a master chef in Matsumoto, then grate and taste fresh wasabi from the region's farms. The 90-minute class includes an English-speaking guide, your soba lunch with one extra dish, and a shared serving suitable for two or three people. Children under six can participate free (lunch is separate for them).

The Experience

Buckwheat has been grown in Matsumoto for generations, and the city's soba tradition runs deep. You'll work hands-on with a soba master through every step: mixing, kneading, rolling and cutting the dough with authentic tools. The noodles you make are what you eat, and the master walks you through the precision and discipline the craft demands. Nothing is demonstrated while you watch. You do it yourself, guided through the proper technique as you go.

After soba comes the wasabi. Real wasabi tastes nothing like the bright green paste from a tube. It's fresher, more nuanced, and just as sharp. You'll grate it yourself from the root, straight from the surrounding farms, and taste it over the soba you just made. The combination is the point: your handmade noodles with wasabi you've prepared, not a side dish but the real thing.

The experience runs 90 minutes total and includes an English-speaking guide throughout. Your lunch comes with one extra dish (tempura, fried chicken or another option), so you leave fed, not rushed. Because soba requires a minimum of 500 grams to prepare, the noodle-making portion is a shared serving for two or three people, so you're not working alone. Vegetarian and vegan options are available if you request them when you book.

What’s included

• Soba noodle making with a soba master.
• English-speaking guide.
• handmade soba lunch with one extra dish (tempura, fried chicken or other options).
• wasabi grating and tasting experience using fresh wasabi from local farms.

Good to know

Public transport nearby

Operated by Welcome Matsumoto

Is this one for you?At 90 minutes, this fits easily into a morning or afternoon without eating up your whole day in Matsumoto. The hands-on pace means you'll be focused and moving through the steps, so come ready to work with your hands and learn the technique rather than as a casual tasting.

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Top questions

What exactly do I make and eat during this class?

You make handmade soba noodles from scratch: mixing, kneading, rolling and cutting the dough yourself under the master's guidance. You eat the noodles you've made for lunch, served with fresh wasabi you grate yourself and one extra dish included.

Is this a demonstration where I watch, or do I actually make the soba?

It's 100% hands-on from start to finish. You work through every step of soba-making with the master's instruction, using authentic tools, then prepare and taste the wasabi yourself.

How long does the whole experience take?

The class runs 90 minutes total, including the soba-making, wasabi tasting and your lunch with one extra dish.

Can children join, and what's included for them?

There's no minimum age. Children under six can participate free, though lunch is an extra charge for them. All other ages pay the same rate and get the full experience plus lunch.

What if I'm vegetarian or vegan?

Vegetarian and vegan options are available upon request when you book. Let the operator know your preference ahead of time.