Yakage Town, with its white-walled post town, Daimyo-Gyoretsu, and— for the writer—a place to go buy delicious soy sauce.
The tranquil streets of the post town are one of my favorite places, always bringing a sense of calm.
The slower pace of life here is another of Yakage Town’s charms, quite different from the Bikan Historical Area.
Bicchuya Choemon Oshokujidokoro Yurari is a Japanese restaurant perfect for a leisurely visit to Yakage.
Enjoy a Japanese meal and a special brown rice noodle lunch while admiring the garden’s simple, warm atmosphere.
A meal at Oshokujidokoro Yurari, where you can savor a leisurely experience, is sure to make you love Yakage Town even more.
The information presented was current when this article was published in June 2019. Please note that it may differ from current information.
The 120-year-old traditional house, “Bicchuya Choemon Oshokujidokoro Yurari”
“Bicchuya Choemon Oshokujidokoro Yurari” is located in Yakage Town’s post town. Its atmospheric exterior blends into the historic streetscape.
For lunch, it serves Japanese meals with brown rice noodles; in the evening, you can enjoy sushi and sashimi sets, as well as kaiseki cuisine by reservation only.
It began as a chopstick factory, then became a private residence, and later the land came under the ownership of Yakage Town. In April 2017, it opened as an inn and restaurant.
The traditional house, which is over 120 years old, has been renovated, with the restaurant on the first floor and guest accommodations on the second.
Yakage’s post town has many machiya townhouses, not just Oshokujidokoro Yurari.
It’s a recommended place for a stroll where you can relax just by walking around.
At the entrance, photos and game records are displayed from Game 4 of the 66th Osho title match, held on February 13 and 14, 2017.
The Osho match between then-champion Gota Masataka and ninth-dan Kubo Toshiaki was held on the second floor of Bicchuya Choemon!
It gave me a strange thrill to be in a building where professional shogi players had competed.
A garden for all seasons, viewed from modern table seating
The modern interior pairs tables with a traditional Japanese room. Its calm atmosphere is sure to appeal to older guests, too.
We hear that many of the weekday customers are women, while families and international visitors often come on weekends. Children are very welcome.
The garden remains as it was when the building was a residence. The seats by the window are especially inviting, with gentle greenery and a refreshing breeze.
Having this view all to myself almost feels like a waste.
You can enjoy the changing seasons, with azaleas in May, hydrangeas in June, and autumn leaves in fall.
From behind the counter, you can hear the cheerful voices of the Matsumoto couple, who run Yurari.
They told us with a smile that Yakage Town has been lively lately, and they’re happy to see more new shops opening.
Seasonal flowers decorate the tables, too. These thoughtful touches are sure to delight women.
Inside, there’s also a charming floor plan of “Bicchuya Choemon.”
The lodging entrance is on the opposite side of the restaurant. Like the machiya in Kyoto and the Bikan Historical Area, it is a long, narrow townhouse.
The Hime Gozen lunch: a beautiful first course featuring vegetables from Yakage
The lunch menu at Oshokujidokoro Yurari is as follows.
| Item | Price (tax included) |
|---|---|
| Yakko Set | 900 yen |
| Yakko Set + sushi (4 pieces) | 1,300 yen |
| Special Bisei Beef Brown Rice Noodles | 1,800 yen |
| Hime Gozen (first course + brown rice noodles) | 1,500 yen |
| First course + Bisei Beef Brown Rice Noodles | 2,300 yen |
First, the first course of the “Hime Gozen” arrived, featuring five small dishes of the day.
The five dishes were steamed vegetables from Yakage, vinegared gizzard shad, grilled mackerel, asparagus with sesame dressing, and tempeh.
Every small dish was beautifully presented, with ingredients full of color and luster! The balance with the tableware was lovely, too.
These are steamed vegetables from Yakage Town, served with a special blended miso. The vegetables are glossy and fresh.
The pumpkin and daikon were surprisingly sweet and full of flavor. I was amazed by the rich taste and freshness of every vegetable.
The grilled fish is mackerel, cooked until tender and flaky. It’s rich and delicious!
This is tempeh, a fermented soybean food originating in Indonesia.
There is also a specialty tempeh shop across from Yurari, making it a bit of a local specialty ingredient in Yakage Town.
The tempeh is seasoned like karaage, making it a hearty dish that is still healthy.
Gluten-Free “Yurari Brown Rice Noodles” Made with Brown Rice from Yakage Town
A piping-hot bowl of “Yurari Brown Rice Noodles” arrived (normally, the brown rice noodles are served after you finish the first course).
These brown rice noodles are made with brown rice from Yakage Town and are gluten-free.
Since they contain no wheat, they are safe for people with wheat allergies to eat.
The broth is a gentle, slightly sweet blend of chicken stock, fish stock made with bonito flakes, and char siu sauce.
The soup has a rich, meaty aroma, with a hint of bonito lingering softly. It’s delicious enough to keep you coming back for more.
And above all, these brown rice noodles. They have a curious texture: “slightly grainy” to the touch and “smooth” going down.
You can feel the brown rice fibers on the surface, and the noodles are satisfyingly firm and chewy. A fragrant, nutty aroma of brown rice fills the air.
The soup is filled with cabbage and garlic chives, making this one bowl a filling and thoroughly satisfying meal!
The brown rice noodles also come with “spicy miso.” Apparently, customers often ask them to sell it, and it really is unbelievably delicious!
They say the ingredients in the miso are a “trade secret,” but it goes perfectly with the brown rice noodles and is delicious with steamed vegetables, too! This spicy miso goes with anything—I really hope they start selling it.
Enjoy Seasonal Flavors in the Garden. A Relaxing, Luxurious Experience
If you’d like to linger a little longer, how about a dessert set for an additional 500 yen?
Enjoy ice cream and seasonal fruit with coffee or tea, while taking your time to admire the garden. It’s nice to treat yourself to a little luxury like this now and then.
Yurari Restaurant is a place that brings together all the charm of the post town of Yakage Town.
The food, the garden, and the relaxed atmosphere unique to Yakage Town made for a lunch that truly soothed the soul.
Perhaps the charm of Yakage Town lies in its open-mindedness, welcoming both old and new.
Come and experience the flavors found only here and the moments you can spend only here.
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