Nagano Shiojiri City Tourist Association.
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Nagano Shiojiri City Tourist Association.

Oct. 27, 2025
[Image1]Shiojiri’s Two Signature Local Dishes: Sanzoku-yaki and Shinshu Soba--------------------------------
[Image2]Shiojiri’s Two Signature Local Dishes: Sanzoku-yaki and Shinshu Soba--------------------------------
[Image3]Shiojiri’s Two Signature Local Dishes: Sanzoku-yaki and Shinshu Soba--------------------------------
[Image4]Shiojiri’s Two Signature Local Dishes: Sanzoku-yaki and Shinshu Soba--------------------------------

Shiojiri’s Two Signature Local Dishes: Sanzoku-yaki and Shinshu Soba

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Sanzoku-yaki
Actually born in Shiojiri! The bold, dramatic sanzoku-yaki that’s a hit on social media

Sanzoku-yaki, a whole fried chicken thigh served with theatrical flair, actually traces its roots to a restaurant called Sanzoku in Shiojiri City.
After much trial and error, the founding couple perfected the cooking method.
They named the shop “Sanzoku” (bandit) and the dish “sanzoku-yaki” because a scene in the then-popular film Seven Samurai showed bandits tearing into a chicken, the shop stood near a mountain pass, and—believe it or not—the couple themselves looked like bandits.

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Soba
For soba lovers: the birthplace of “sobakiri” (cut soba) — Motoyama-juku in Shiojiri

In earlier times, “soba” referred to a dumpling-like food similar to what we now call sobagaki.
The long, thin noodles we picture today are called sobakiri (cut soba) and were distinguished from the dumpling form.

The place where sobakiri first appeared is Motoyama-juku in present-day Shiojiri City.

As a post town on the Nakasendo, Motoyama-juku welcomed many travelers, and sobakiri born there is said to have spread across the country along those routes.

Shiojiri’s climate, with large daily and seasonal temperature differences, has long suited high-quality buckwheat cultivation, so soba has been grown here for ages. The oldest written reference to Motoyama-juku’s sobakiri appears in the haibun anthology Fuzoku Bunsen compiled by Morikawa Kyoro in Hōei 2 (1705). It records: “Soba-kiri originally came from Motoyama-juku in Shinano Province and was widely popular throughout the provinces.”

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Oct. 28, 2025
[Torii Pass - toriitoge-] Overview A roughly 6 km mountain trail linking Narai inn on the Kiso Kaido with Yabuhara inn. In the Edo period it was famous as one of the Nakasendo’s toughest stretches, a place that made straw-sandalled travelers limp with pain. Today it is a popular, atmospheric trekking route. Hikers from Japan and abroad walk this pass in large numbers. From the summit you can look west to Mitakesan and east to Kiso Komagatake. Along the old road you will find numerous haiku and waka monuments and stone Buddhas, including those honoring Matsuo Bashō. The pass saw battles between the Kiso clan and the Takeda clan in the Sengoku era, and in the late Edo period Princess Kazunomiya passed through here on her marriage procession. Free loan of hinoki conical hats and bear bells! This service lets walkers experience the look of Edo-period travelers, especially those walking between Yabuhara and Narai on the Nakasendo. The traditional original hinoki (cypress) hats, hand-painted with kanji, make perfect travel companions and evoke the spirit of Edo travelers. They’re great for the experience and for photo opportunities. What is a hinoki hat? A hinoki hat is one of Kiso region’s traditional crafts. It remains popular with locals and visitors as a practical fashion item and as a sunshade that traces its roots to the Edo period. How to try them You can try them at the tourist information centers listed below. We refund the full deposit when you return the items. ⚠ The deposit will not be refunded if the item is lost or damaged. (Items may be wet without issue.) Loan locations: ① Narai-juku Tourist Information Center ② Yabuhara-juku Nigiwai Hiroba Enkan ③ Kiso Village Tourist Information Center Addresses: ① 497-3 Narai, Shiojiri City ② 1019-1 Yabuhara, Kiso village ③ Lot 196, Yabuhara, Kiso village TEL: ① 0264-34-3160 ② 0264-36-3020 ③ 0264-36-2543 Opening hours: ① 9:00–17:00 ② 8:30–17:00 ③ 9:00–17:00 Closed: ① During the New Year holidays ② Every Tuesday ③ Every Monday Refundable deposit: 2,000 yen per item Payment method: Cash only
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Oct. 27, 2025
Gohbara-juku (Gohbara-juku) Location: Gohbara, Hirooka, Shiojiri City Gohbara-juku was the first post town on the Zenkoji Kaido after it branched from the Nakasendo at Seba-juku. It was established in Keicho 19 (1614) when Hidemasa Ogasawara, lord of Matsumoto Castle, developed the Zenkoji Kaido (the Hokuriku side route) to connect Nakasendo’s Seba-juku with the Hokkokukaido. Rather than an existing settlement becoming the post town, Gohbara’s original village lay on the east bank of the Narai River in the Ueno land division. When the post station was laid out, the settlement was moved around Genna 5 (circa 1619) to its present site together with the Kataishi hamlet, which had been on the west bank, to create the new post town. Highlights of Gohbara-juku Houses were laid out with wide frontages of five to six ken, featuring main gabled roofs with the short side facing the street and sparrow deterrents on the ridges. Each house has a forecourt with planted trees, creating an attractive streetscape, and shop names are displayed at every residence. Sōetsu Yanagi, called the father of the mingei (folk craft) movement, praised Gohbara-juku in his essays, saying the entire post town was “a single splendid work of art.” On the north side of the post town stands Gofuku-ji, which served as a resting place for Emperor Meiji during his imperial tour in Meiji 13 (1880). Read more about the Nakasendo and the five post towns in the city here↓

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