Murayama Kate-Udon” / Musashimurayama City “Meat Soup Udon Aoyagi”
100% domestically produced wheat. These thick noodles with a chewy texture and strong elasticity make the famous "Murayama Kate-Udon" incredibly addictive.
The Tama region has several “local dishes” that have been passed down for many generations. One of these is Kate-Udon, which is popular in the Musashino Plateau and surrounding areas that stretch from the Tama region to the western part of Saitama Prefecture. Despite the vast, flat land, this area does not have rivers that serve as water sources for rice paddies, and the well-drained soil makes it unsuitable for rice farming. As a result, many farmers grew wheat instead. In addition to Murayama Kato-Udon, the area also gave rise to a culture of eating udon with local specialties like Musashino Udon and Kodaira Udon becoming famous in various regions.
Kate-Udon is a style of udon where the boiled, chilled noodles are dipped into a warm broth, resembling the tsukemen style. The dish is typically served with kate (boiled vegetables such as komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach)). Nikujiru Udon Aoyagi, located in Musashimurayama City, is an officially recognized restaurant by the Murayama Udon Association, formed by local volunteers to promote regional revitalization and the city’s image. It is a popular dining spot, attracting not only locals but also visitors from distant areas. Originally a butcher shop founded in 1947, the establishment began offering tsuke-jiru udon on its menu in 2007.
At Nikujiru Udon Aoyagi, the kitchen is managed by the third-generation owner, Remi Endo, and her father, Norikazu Aoyagi. They prepare 100 servings of homemade udon daily before opening. The precise ingredients and ratios used for the udon and broth are closely guarded secrets, but the restaurant’s original recipe includes high-quality wheat, freshly shaved mackerel, bonito flakes and other carefully selected ingredients.
On the day of the interview, despite it being a weekday, customers began arriving as soon as the restaurant opened at 11:30, and the approximately 26-seat dining area quickly filled up. The majority of orders were for the signature dish, the Nikujiru Zaru Udon with tempura, (starting at 860 yen), which features the famous Murayama Kate-Udon.
The history of Murayama Kate-Udon, created to promote the region, is preserved and passed on to the next generation as part of the local food culture.
The noodles are made from a blend of domestically produced wheat from different regions, mixed in an original ratio to create thick, firm noodles with strong elasticity. When lifted with chopsticks, they feel heavy, and the hand-cut noodles have a chewy texture with occasional twists, which makes them easy to coat with the dipping broth. Instead of slurping them up in one go to enjoy the smooth texture, these rustic-style udon noodles are meant to be savored one by one, allowing you to truly appreciate their taste and texture.
The dipping broth, made with freshly shaved mackerel flakes, bonito, and sea kelp, is paired with a rich dark soy sauce. The broth is complemented by carefully selected domestic pork belly, chosen with the expert eye of the butcher. The sweetness of the pork and the rich aroma of the seafood infuse the dipping sauce, into which the noodles are dipped. The noodles, chilled and firmly pressed with cold water, have a smooth, slippery surface. As you chew, the sweetness of the wheat becomes more pronounced. The combination with the pork-filled, soy-based dipping sauce is absolutely perfect.
Yosuke Shishida, president of the Murayama Udon Association, says, “It seems that the udon culture in this area existed as early as around 1835. At that time, wheat was an expensive ingredient, and the common people primarily ate barley, millet, and other grains as their staple food. Therefore, udon was a special dish, essential for celebrations and festive occasions. It was typically served at the end of a formal meal during events such as weddings and funerals. To serve delicious udon to a large group, the noodles would be boiled in advance, rinsed in water to prevent them from sticking together, and then arranged in a bowl, ready for serving with a warm dipping sauce. This style is still carried on today.”
There are currently 8 member restaurants in Musashimurayama City, each with its own unique blend of flour and noodle-making methods, but all of them serve the classic meat soup udon. How about a “slow food” journey to Musashimurayama City in the Tama region?
| Store Name | Nikujiru Udon Aoyagi |
|---|---|
| Address | 4-6-5 Honmachi, Musashimurayama City |
| Phone | 042-561-0143 |
| Business Hours | 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM (Last Order at 2:00 PM) |
| Closed | Sundays, Mondays, and Public Holidays |
| Languages | Japanese |
| Menu | Japanese & English |
| Website | |
| Murayama Udon Association Website |
