Hoto — Yamanashi's Winter Dish
Hoto is Yamanashi's signature dish — thick flat noodles (wider than udon) simmered with pumpkin, mushrooms, and root vegetables in a rich miso broth. Eaten since the Sengoku period (Takeda Shingen reportedly made it for his troops), it is exclusively a cold-season comfort food available October–April. The Kosaku restaurant chain invented the definitive version.
1 hour
Meal ¥1,500–2,000
Restaurants: typically 11:00–21:00; many popular spots sell out by 15:00
October–April (winter dish)
Multiple hoto restaurants near Kawaguchiko Station
Location
Why Visit
- 1
Noodles wider than udon, cooked until they absorb the miso broth — unlike any other Japanese noodle
- 2
Takeda Shingen reportedly fed hoto to his armies — a dish connected to Yamanashi's warrior past
- 3
Kabocha (pumpkin) and mountain vegetables are essential — the stew changes with mountain harvests
Local Tips
Hoto is a thick flat-noodle stew with pumpkin, root vegetables, and miso — a winter dish originally eaten by farmers. Hoto Fudo near Kawaguchiko is the most famous restaurant but has long queues; Chikurin-an in Fuefuki city is a quieter alternative with excellent quality. Best paired with a view of Mt Fuji from Kawaguchiko.
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