Toranosuke Katayama, 73, is a self-taught cameraman of five decades and counting. Born in Nagano, home to one of Japan's three most celebrated soba dishes, he grew up with a distaste for the buckwheat noodles. Since discovering the fascinating but dying culinary world of soba through photography, he has become a researcher, author and producer of soba.
1. What is your mission? When I took on the world of soba for a work project, I realized the culinary culture of the dish was dying. I called temples where soba had been traditionally made, only to hear the practice had ended with older generations. Soba culture was not only declining in numbers but in quality too. Selective breeding and mass production of buckwheat came at the expense of good taste. Also, there is no international recognition of soba as there is for sushi, despite both having originated in the Edo Period (1603 to 1868). My mission is to maintain its good taste and have it gain world recognition.
2. Why is soba not as well-known as sushi overseas? To begin with, sushi from the Edo Period is entirely different from today's sushi. It was originally fermented in vinegar to be preservable before the dawn of refrigerating machines. Then, traditional sushi adapted to the development of technology and now we eat raw fish on rice. Soba never adapted, though. It stubbornly stuck to tradition.
3. Is there a symbolic meaning behind soba in Japan? Because making soba was such a painstaking task, it was only made for houseguests, not for oneself. So, the ability to make soba was often synonymous with the skills of a good wife whose responsibility it was to take care of guests. So, there was a saying, "You won't be a bride unless you can make soba."
4. Can you describe the transition from photography to soba researcher? People assume I like soba because I am from Nagano, one of the three big locations for soba in Japan. However, before moving to Tokyo for photography, I thought soba tasted bland. After moving to Tokyo as a cameraman though, I found the subject of food the most relatable for all audiences and I decided to make soba the subject of a photo essay. An old book in the National Diet Library taught me that Mount Kurohime had the perfect conditions for making soba, called "kirishita" (specific mountain climate at a certain altitude). So, I traveled across the country and found more locations with kirishita conditions to document, and my piece sold well. Finding that word kirishita is what set me on my current path.
5. Where did soba originate? There is some evidence that buckwheat was first cultivated around the Chinese province of Yunnan and eventually was introduced to Japan from Tsushima Island. Others say it arrived from the north. We know that buckwheat was cultivated in Japan as early as the prehistoric Jomon Period (10,000 to 200 BCE), so all in all there are no exact records marking when and where soba noodles were born. It is also likely that soba spread from Buddhist temples nestled in highlands where wheat could not grow whereas buckwheat could. The oldest writing on soba was discovered in a temple in Kiso, a mountainous area in Nagano Prefecture.
6. Does soba cuisine exist outside Japan? It is considered a culinary culture unique to Japan. Whether a similar soba existed in China where buckwheat originated is unclear. It is clear that it did not flourish in China where flour was the preferred food of Han Chinese. Around the Kamakura Period (1185 to 1333), when China introduced Buddhism to Japan, the noodles it brought along were sōmen noodles made from wheat flour. High-ranking Japanese admired China's noodle culture and issued orders to cultivate wheat and buckwheat in an effort to produce noodles of their own. However, farmers were more focused on growing rice, the currency for taxes at the time. They did not know how to use wheat and buckwheat and actually gave it to horses, which they got scolded by authorities for.
7. Why is soba culture disappearing? Soba dominated the restaurant scene during the postwar period. But soon, cheap soba stand-up stalls branded the dish as inexpensive, making it an unprofitable industry. As a result, younger generations do not want to carry on soba businesses.
8. Why should we save it? Soba has an amazing culinary culture. It was born from a golden age in Japan when there was a soba restaurant on every corner. Saving soba is about saving history and identity. Acknowledging that will make you want to protect it.
9. The people in the Edo Period loved soba that much? When the Edo government issued an order that basically said, "If you have so much time to waste on making soba, go to work," people still ignored the officials.
10. How many works on the noodles have you published? Including my features in magazines? I think I have written 70 books and articles about soba.
11. How do you tell good soba from a bad? There are three ways you can judge how good a soba place is without setting a foot inside. First, find out whether the restaurant's condiments include grated daikon, which is difficult to prepare and therefore a sign of great effort. Next, check if the serving portions are too large, which takes time to eat and therefore causes the noodles to stretch and taste bad. A good soba place would bring out a second serving as a customer finishes their first in order to avoid this. Lastly, see if the meal comes with an extra teacup for making hot soba water. The whole cup of dipping sauce for soba has too much sodium. The extra teacup is for pouring a bit of sauce into so that customers can mix in a healthy amount.
12. Based on what you’ve said, it seems Nagano is the “soba heartland,” right? It depends on what you mean by “heartland.” Nagano has this image of being the heartland of soba, but when big tour buses stop at highway service areas for food, they eat cheap, mass-produced soba that tastes bland. The servers know this and do not need one-time customers to think the soba is good. That is why I think Nagano's soba game is weaker than the stereotype would have you believe. In my opinion, the center of soba should be Fukui Prefecture, where natural buckwheat is best preserved and the original taste of Japanese soba is protected.
13. So it’s Fukui Prefecture for the win? The buckwheat is the best in Fukui. The way soba tastes really depends on the attention given to the buckwheat.
14. Would you consider yourself an authority on soba? I simply interview people in the world of soba and they give me different responses to the questions I ask. The world of soba, to me, is like a tree. Every branch represents a different way of making it. The blossoming fruit at the end of each branch represents one of the cuisine's many variations. That's why people in the soba industry actually know the least about it as a whole — they are limited to their own branch. To find answers about soba, you have to research yourself. I am no authority, I just do a lot of research.
15. What goes well with the dish? True soba connoisseurs only recognize "morisoba," or cold noodles, as soba. Morisoba is the best way to enjoy the taste and aroma of the buckwheat’s natural flavor. Adding anything to soba will overpower its delicate taste. Having said that, grated daikon is the best pairing. It is also great to chase soba with tempura. The oil makes the noodles taste better.
16. What are some soba hacks you have tried? Avocado and tuna as toppings, peppermint or basil mixed into soba dough, and soba with salad dressing are some of my favorite ways of enjoying it.
17. Do you have your own recipe? I have a noodle recipe inspired by Vincent van Gogh's "The Starry Night." The painting exhibited clarity and contrast with great persuasiveness. I wanted to make soba like van Gogh made that painting. So, I emptied my head of all the knowledge I had acquired about soba and created a recipe with great contrast to the mainstream. Instead of storing soba in cold temperatures for a year to rest, I did the opposite. I kept it in the heat of Kanto's boiling summer for two years. I used my own buckwheat flour.
18. How do you teach your students about the noodles? I have two programs. The first is the soba school, Soba no Sommelier Koza, where I teach students how to make noodles the old way. Secondly, the certificate program Soba Kanteishi Koza is where I train students via reading assignments and in-person workshops to become expert connoisseurs.
19. What are your hobbies outside of soba? Photography and traveling. I would be content taking photos on trips for the rest of my life.
20. Other than superstition, what is the appeal of eating soba during the new year period? The family aspect of it is important. While eating soba, you and your family look back on the year's memories and look forward to the future. The soba creates an opportunity to taste happiness once more before closing the year.
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