Hoto Fudo, Kawaguchiko Kita

Lake Kawaguchi is one of the Fuji Five Lakes at the bottom of the highest mountain of Japan, Mt. Fuji. There, Hoto Fudo serves the famous local dish, hoto. In addition to this main shop, they have four more around the Lake Kawaguchi.

Hoto is the traditional noodle dish that people in Yamanashi Prefecture have been eating for a long time and is officially designated as one of the 100 best rural dishes by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The origin of hoto is said to go back to ancient times when it was imported during the China Tang Dynasty. The Pillow Book (written in 1002) mentions the aristocrats in the Heian era who were fond of the dish.

The Hoto Fudo Kawaguchiko Kita shop prepares their hoto in the traditional manner with homemade flat noodles, cooked in a miso-based broth and boiled together with various vegetables, squash and selected mushrooms. The restaurant offers no other menu than hoto, which shows their strong sense of pride and passion for this traditional dish.

The restaurant is so popular so that even its the large capacity of 300 seats is easily filled up and you’ll need to wait to get in at the high season. At this charming restaurant with traditional architectural design, you can enjoy an authentic taste you can’t find in any other place, all while experiencing the spectacular nature of Mt. Fuji.