Tosenkyo Somen Nagashi

Ibusuki City

Cool somen noodles flowing in fresh spring water.

“Nagashi-somen” is an eating style of somen to catch and eat fine white somen noodles from cold running water. Normally it is a summer feature in Japan, but you can enjoy nagashi-somen year round at the Tosenkyo Somen Nagashi. Spring water gushes forth from the bottom of Tosen Gorge at a cool 13°C throughout the year. This water is famous for its purity, and has even been selected as one of Japan’s 100 most famous springs. Each day some 100 thousand tons of water emerge from the spring, and at the Tosenkyo Somen Nagashi, you can enjoy nagashi-somen using this famous spring not just in summer but every day of the year.

This circular style of nagashi-somen was invented at Tosen Gorge!

Conventional nagashi-somen involves sliding noodles with a stream of flowing water down a ramp made from a tube of bamboo cut in half. At the Tosenkyo Somen Nagashi, however, circular trays are installed in the tables where somen spins around. Thanks to this innovation, you can enjoy cool nagashi-somen throughout your meal without waiting. This style of circular nagashi-somen was invented at Tosen Gorge. Today, 200 thousand people from around the country visit the Tosenkyo Somen Nagashi annually to dine on somen in the round.

Delicious somen, trout, and koikoku miso-stewed carp.

Simple yet flavorful trout grilled with salt goes great with the clean flavor of somen noodles. Koikoku – carp stewed in miso; and koi arai – carp sashimi chilled in ice water and a perfect pairing with somen – are two other top dishes served at the Tosenkyo Somen Nagashi. The meal set with these plus an onigiri is one of the most popular items on the menu. The Tosenkyo Somen Nagashi tends to get the most crowded in August at the height of summer. At peak times, visitors have to wait up to two hours before being seated, so recommend you to make a reservation before visiting.

For reference

Tosenkyo Somen Nagashi

Address

5967 Kaimonju-cho, Ibusuki-shi, Kagoshima-ken
Telephone

0993-32-2143
Opening hours

10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. (may vary depending on time of year)
Closed

No regular days of closure

Access

Kagoshima Airport is a 115 minute flight from Haneda Airport

Kagoshima Airport is a 75 minute flight from Osaka International Airport
Kagoshima Airport is a 95 minute flight from Chubu Centrair International Airport
Kagoshima Airport is a 75 minute flight from Naha Airport

Ibusuki Station is about 95 minutes by Kagoshima City bus from Kagoshima Airport.