Wildcat House Yamanekoken

Yabuya Hanamaki main store

Established in 1923, this is a ``famous wanko soba'' restaurant. For Wanko Soba, the waitstaff serves you one bowl at a time and stacks the bowls in front of you. If you reach 100 cups, you will be certified as a ``Yokozuna.'' (A certificate and souvenir were given to him, as well as a commemorative notebook.) Kenji Miyazawa was also a patron of this restaurant, and it is said that he liked to order ``tempura soba and cider.''

Mother House Daasuko

A direct sales store run mainly by the JA Women's Department. In addition to freshly harvested agricultural products, the store also sells wood crafts and craft items. At the restaurant ``Hanghagu-tei,'' you can enjoy homemade dishes such as hittsumi made with local ingredients. Mom's set meal is popular, and Hitomebore from Hanamaki comes with unlimited refills.

Wanko Soba (Hanamaki)

The history of Wanko Soba in Hanamaki is as old as Hanamaki Castle, dating back over 400 years. Lord Toshinao, the 27th head of the Nanbu family, stopped by Hanamaki on his way to Edo, and to soothe him on his journey, he gave him some local specialty soba, and Toshinao was very impressed with the flavor. It is said that he was invited to the restaurant and was given a replacement many times. It is said that the name ``Wanko Soba'' came from the fact that the noodles were served in a bowl at that time. Hanamaki's Wanko Soba does not engage in provocative chants, carefully preserving the culture of hospitality given to the lords. The ``Wanko Soba All Japan Tournament'' is held on February 11th every year, where participants compete to see how many bowls of Wanko Soba they can eat within a limited time.