During our trip to Chikuma City and Togura Kamiyamada Onsen in Nagano Prefecture, we stayed at Club Wyndham Chikumakan.
In our previous articles, we introduced the guest rooms, hot spring baths and meals at the ryokan.
Read our Club Wyndham Chikumakan room review
Read our Club Wyndham Chikumakan onsen and dining review
This time, we are sharing one of our favorite lunches from the trip: Shinshu soba.
The soba was delicious, the set meal was generous, and we especially loved the rich walnut dipping sauce.
If you are visiting Chikuma or Togura Kamiyamada Onsen, this is a local food experience worth considering.
Shinshu Soba at Kaya: Delicious Walnut Soba in Chikuma
We visited Soba Ryori-dokoro Kaya, a soba restaurant located about a 10-minute drive from Club Wyndham Chikumakan.
The restaurant serves Shinshu soba, including soba with a distinctive walnut dipping sauce.
We arrived at around noon, and the restaurant was already busy, so we had to wait a little before being seated.
We ordered a weekday limited set that was also limited in quantity during our visit.
Along with Shinshu soba, the set included several small dishes such as:
- Tempura
- Walnut tofu
- Japanese rolled omelet
- Simmered dishes
- Sushi
- Dessert
The highlight for us was definitely the walnut soba.
The dipping sauce was thick, rich and full of walnut flavor, and it paired beautifully with the soba.
This was one of the most delicious soba meals we had on the trip.
The restaurant also explained that it pays attention to the ingredients used in its dishes.
We enjoyed the tempura and simmered dishes as much as the soba.
The desserts were another surprise.
We had soba pudding and almond tofu.
The soba pudding had a gentle buckwheat aroma and was topped with roasted soba grains.
The grains added a light, crunchy texture that worked very well with the smooth pudding.
The almond tofu was served with apricot jam.
Chikuma is well known for apricots, so it was a nice way to taste another local specialty.
The tart apricot and mild almond tofu were a very good combination.
During our visit, this set cost ¥1,980.
Considering how many dishes were included, we thought it offered very good value.
Prices and set contents may have changed since our visit, so check the latest menu before going.
There was also a larger set available.
This option came with more food and may be better for travelers with a bigger appetite.
During our visit, the larger set included soba pudding as the dessert.
Shopping at Kayan-an After Lunch
Right next to the soba restaurant was a souvenir shop, making it easy to browse local products after lunch.
During our visit, local sake tasting was also available.
We were able to try several kinds of sake.
After tasting them, we bought the fruitiest sake we tried, as well as a sweet yuzu amazake.
Being able to sample different drinks before choosing what to buy made the experience much more enjoyable.
We also bought the shichimi spice that had been served at the soba restaurant.
It had a noticeable sansho pepper aroma and flavor, which we really liked.
The shop also sold sweets and other local products.
We saw snacks and dried fruit made with apricots, one of the specialties of the Chikuma area.
There were also ceramic coffee cups, Japanese tea cups and other items with a traditional feel.
Explore the Historic Sakagura Collection
Next to the soba restaurant and souvenir shop is a historic sake brewery area known as the Sakagura Collection.
During our visit, we were able to explore several cultural and historical displays in the area.
These included spaces related to sake brewing, local history and art.
It was interesting to see a side of Chikuma that we probably would not have discovered by simply visiting the hot spring area.
The historic buildings and sake-related displays gave us a glimpse into the area's brewing culture.
We also saw original artwork by Takehisa Yumeji, a well-known Japanese artist and illustrator.
Seeing original works in such an unexpected setting made the visit even more memorable.
Why We Recommend This Stop in Chikuma
For us, this was much more than simply going out for lunch.
We were able to enjoy Shinshu soba, walnut sauce, local sake, apricot products, Japanese crafts and local history all in one place.
What We Enjoyed
- Delicious Shinshu soba with rich walnut dipping sauce
- A generous lunch set with many small Japanese dishes
- Unique soba pudding with roasted buckwheat grains
- Apricot-flavored local desserts and souvenirs
- Local sake tasting during our visit
- A historic sake brewery collection and cultural exhibits nearby
If you are staying in Togura Kamiyamada Onsen, this is an easy place to combine lunch, souvenir shopping and local culture in a single stop.
We especially recommend it to travelers who want to experience regional Japanese food beyond the usual tourist dishes.
Sakagura Collection Access
- Address: 1855-1 Togura, Chikuma, Nagano 389-0804, Japan
- Phone: 026-275-2923
- Website: Sakagura Collection Website
Facility information, tasting availability and opening details may change, so check the latest information before visiting.
Where We Stayed in Chikuma
We stayed at Club Wyndham Chikumakan in Togura Kamiyamada Onsen.
If you are planning an overnight trip to Chikuma, our two hotel articles cover both the rooms and the traditional onsen experience.
