MAZEMARU, Himeji: How to Eat Mazesoba, Japan’s Soupless Noodles

The noodles with no soup

Ramen you know. But Japan has a whole other family: soupless noodles, eaten by mixing. Near Himeji Station, MAZEMARU specializes in exactly that — abura soba and mazesoba, ordered from a ticket machine.

The bowl in the photo is Taiwan mazesoba (¥950): spicy minced pork, a raw egg yolk, garlic chives, spring onions, diced onion, bamboo shoots, nori seaweed and fish powder, all arranged around thick noodles. It looks too pretty to destroy. Destroy it anyway — that is the whole point.

How to eat it (the shop’s own board, translated)

1. Mix well. First, enjoy the flavor as it is.
2. Add vinegar.
3. Add chili oil.
4. Add other seasonings — the counter offers niboshi (sardine) powder, bonito powder, curry powder (recommended for Taiwan mazesoba), pepper and sesame.
5. Finish right: leave a little of the toppings and add either a small bowl of rice (¥100) or hot soup to split the sauce — for mazesoba, two parts toppings to one part soup.

One pro detail from the board: if you add a raw egg, beat it in a separate dish first and pour in as much as you like — never drop it straight in.

My notes: the sharp bite of the garlic chives makes the bowl. Garlic is available, and it comes on a separate little dish so you control the amount — a thoughtful touch. When I visited, the noodle upsize was free (limited-time offer).

Menu (ticket machine)

• Abura soba: ¥850 (with raw egg ¥900)
• Taiwan mazesoba: ¥950
• Limited mazesoba: ¥1,100
• Toppings: ¥50–300 (mayonnaise, egg, spring onion, kimchi, cheese, chashu and more)

Shop info

• Name: Abura Soba & Mazesoba MAZEMARU (油そば・まぜそば MAZEMARU)
• Address: 23 Shinobimachi, Himeji — a short walk from JR Himeji Station
• Hours: 11:00–14:00 / 17:30–22:00
• Rating: 4.3 on Google (66 reviews)

By the author (Local Guide, based in Himeji & Hiroshima). Prices as of November 2026.

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