Yamatoan
A hand-made soba specialty restaurant opened in 2011 in a traditional farmhouse along the steep path deep into Yoshinoyama. Soba flour from Shinshu Yatsugatake kneaded by hand using Yoshino mountain spring water. The crisp niba soba (80% buckwheat) served in the Togakushi 'bocchi-mori' style is known as the most authentic soba on Yoshinoyama. Tabelog 3.34/79 reviews but highly praised in soba review blogs as 'the most authentic on Yoshinoyama' and 'among the top five I've ever tried'. Reservations available.
From regulars and soba connoisseurs: 'Fragrant and elastic niba soba', 'The quality of Yoshino spring water comes through in the noodles', 'Cannot believe such authentic soba exists in a tourist area', 'The reason I visit Yoshinoyama every year is this soba'. The soba specialist blog 'Soba Discovery' rated it 4.1 overall for lunch.