TAKAMATSU, Kagawa Pref. -- As a native of a prefecture famous for Sanuki "udon" (wheat noodles), Kazutoshi Tao thought udon was a simple component of daily life -- until he visited a place where customers whip up their own variety.
From outside, the place -- smack in the middle of Kagawa farmland -- looks like a barn. It houses a noodle factory, perhaps the farthest thing from an eatery one could imagine.
People eat udon here on condition that they do everything themselves, from heating the noodles to returning the emptied bowls to the counter.