Soba, Edo Style

This chapter explores the Edo period (1603–1868), which eclipsed the imperial capital at Kyoto in cultural production over the course of the era. It examines the centrality of soba, or buckwheat noodles, in the culinary identity of Edo commoners who idealized iki, an attitude and aesthetic of “cool chic.” Deriving popular cultural references to soba from kabuki theater, literature, and rakugo storytellers, the chapter demonstrates how soba helped dispel culinary inferiority in relation to the imperial capital and became an important symbol of Edo identity. It also provides insights on the activities and preferred criteria of soba connoisseurs today.