Masagosoba

Locally knownKnown to people who live here. Not in the international guidebooks.

Researched and written by Hinato

Takayama ramenchuka sobaMasagosobasince 1938Takayama

Gifu · Takayama

36.1413°N, 137.2576°E

Masagosoba sits in a part of Gifu's food scene that doesn't need a translation to be understood.

Takayama ramen is called chuka soba locally and it is made differently from almost anywhere else: instead of keeping the soup and the seasoning separate and combining them in the bowl, the stock and the soy tare are simmered together in one pot from the start. The result is a thin, dark, uniform broth with very fine curled noodles in it, and there is nothing to hide behind.

Masagosoba began as a street stall in 1938 and is generally named as the origin of the style. It is now in its third generation, the shop is small and plain, and the menu is one item — chuka soba, in one size. It opens at half past eleven, closes at four, and takes Wednesdays off plus irregular days, so it is worth ringing.

Plan your visit

Hours

11:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Closed: Closed Wednesdays | Additional irregular rest days — phone ahead

Time to allow

30–45 minutes

What it costs

¥700–1,000 per bowl

Best season

Year-round

Getting there

Access notes

Yurakucho 31-3, Takayama, in the town centre a short walk from the old streets. Closed Wednesdays, with additional irregular rest days. Phone. The menu is chuka soba only.

What locals order

**One item on the menu.** Chuka soba. There is no choice to make, and asking for variations is not the way this shop works. **Broth and tare are cooked together.** That single-pot method is what separates Takayama ramen from every other regional style, and it is why the soup is uniform rather than layered. **Ring first.** Wednesdays plus irregular closures, in a shop that keeps short hours and is small enough to fill. **It closes at four.** This is a lunch shop. Turning up for dinner after the old town closes will not work. **About thirty shops in town serve it.** If Masagosoba is closed or full, Takayama ramen is everywhere here, and trying two in a day is a normal thing to do.

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