The 12th Saitama Udon Fair will be held at BOAT RACE Toda (ボートレース戸田) in Toda, Saitama Prefecture, over two days on Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, 2026. The fair has become a familiar fixture as the prefecture's leading udon festival.
When people think of udon, Kagawa Prefecture, famous for Sanuki udon, usually comes to mind, but Saitama Prefecture is also known among those in the know as an udon kingdom. Kagawa, the home of udon, still leads by a wide margin in both consumption and production, but the variety of udon in Saitama is extensive. Besides Musashino udon (武蔵野うどん), the prefecture has Kazo udon (加須うどん), Kumagaya udon (熊谷うどん), Kawahaba udon (川幅うどん) in Konosu City, and Niboto (煮ぼうとう) in Fukaya City, along with many well-known Sanuki udon shops, so visitors can enjoy different local udon in each area.
Another distinctive feature of Saitama is that it is home to a popular YouTuber who loves Saitama udon. For this 12th fair as well, 武正倫 of the YouTube channel "Saitama Udon-ko TV" (埼玉うどん子TV) is collaborating fully. Ten shops selected by him, after eating his way through the udon of more than 300 shops in the prefecture, line up along the waterside.
On Saturday, November 14, the lineup is 翁の郷 / 株式会社岩崎食品工業 (Hasuda City), 手打ちうどんのこんこ屋 (Kumagaya City), うどん処篁園 (Kawajima Town), 三丁目の手打うどん (Sayama City), and うどんや藤 (Niiza City). On Sunday, November 15, the lineup is のすっこ製麺所 (Konosu City), 手打ちうどん田舎屋 (Ageo City), 武蔵野うどん真打 (Kawagoe City), 名代 四方吉うどん (Yoshimi Town), and 延喜 (Saitama City). All are popular shops known for their lines of customers, and some will serve an original udon created exclusively for the 12th Saitama Udon Fair that is not offered at their own shops. The noodles and broth differ from shop to shop, so visitors are encouraged to compare them at the venue and then visit the shops themselves.
武正倫 will be at the venue throughout both days of the fair. Original goods will be on sale, commemorative photos can be taken, and a signed-copy sales event will be held for the udon book he published this June, 『誇るべき埼玉うどん26の物語』 (roughly, "26 Stories of Saitama Udon to Be Proud Of"; published by Futabasha).
Boat race venues have become familiar entertainment spots in local communities, and the fair welcomes solo visitors as well as groups of friends and families.
Saturday, November 14 Lineup
翁の郷 / 株式会社岩崎食品工業 (Hasuda City)
Saitama Specialty Nikujiru Udon (埼玉名物 肉汁うどん)
Devoted to noodle-making for 70 years, the company makes a local soul-food udon familiar at the elementary and junior high schools in the city. Although the noodles are machine-made, an ultra-high-hydration method comparable to that of hand-made udon brings out a chewy texture. The carefully made noodles and the special dipping sauce, enriched with the umami of the meat, are the highlights. The shop's own food truck, the "Nikujiru Udon-go" (肉汁うどん号), is also worth a look.
Comment from 武正倫: The chewy, springy noodles made with Saitama-grown wheat go well with the slightly sweet dipping sauce and the flavorful pork. Please try this classic nikujiru udon!
手打ちうどんのこんこ屋 (Kumagaya City)
Kumagaya Maze Udon (熊谷まぜうどん)
One of the most popular shops in Kumagaya, an udon battleground, finally comes to BOAT RACE Toda. Hot udon is served with a punchy tonkotsu-soy sauce and plenty of toppings such as kinpira, green onion, garlic chives, and agedama (tempura bits). The recommended way to eat it is to start by mixing it vigorously from the bottom.
Comment from 武正倫: It has great impact from the very first bite! The more you eat, the more hooked you get. It has a junk-food feel, but udon is still clearly the star. A must-eat bowl.
うどん処篁園 (Kawajima Town)
Salt Chanko Udon with Homemade Chicken Meatballs (自家製鶏団子の塩ちゃんこうどん)
This popular hideaway-style udon shop stands alone in the nature-rich land of Kawajima Town, and lines form at lunchtime. The secret of its popularity is the chewy hand-made noodles, folded up to 33,000 layers, and the carefully made dashi. The salt chanko udon served this time is light yet distinctly flavorful.
Comment from 武正倫: The silky-smooth yet extremely chewy noodles and the fluffy homemade chicken meatballs make an exquisite collaboration. You will definitely get hooked.
三丁目の手打うどん (Sayama City)
Horumon Yaki-Udon (ホルモン焼きうどん)
This renowned Sayama shop values the taste of traditional, orthodox Musashino udon while continuing to take on new challenges to suit the times. It enters the fair with yakiudon (stir-fried udon), a first for the udon fairs so far. The dish is a "grilled version" of Musashino udon by a master craftsman.
Comment from 武正倫: The firm, chewy noodles pair excellently with domestic pork horumon (offal), whose flavor spreads the more you chew. This is an udon-fair-exclusive yakiudon that lets you "savor the noodles."
うどんや藤 (Niiza City)
Meat Udon (肉うどん)
This long-established udon shop, in business for more than 30 years, moved and reopened on March 3, 2024. It has appeared on the popular gourmet TV program 「孤独のグルメ」(Kodoku no Gourmet). The meat udon served this time is a simple bowl packed with the tradition of a long-established udon shop, and one slurp brings a nostalgic taste to the mouth.
Comment from 武正倫: The grayish local-flour noodles have a strong presence. The shop's No. 1 most popular meat udon lets you enjoy the flavor of the wheat and excellent meat at the same time, a taste of home cooking (お袋の味). It warms both body and soul.
Sunday, November 15 Lineup
のすっこ製麺所 (Konosu City)
Kawahaba Udon (川幅うどん)
Konosu City's specialty "Kawahaba udon" makes its first appearance at the udon fair. The name comes from the fact that the Arakawa River, which flows between Konosu City and Yoshimi Town, has the widest river width in Japan, and the noodles are about 6 cm wide in reference to it.
Comment from 武正倫: The wide noodles are smooth, soft, and chewy, and one slurp spreads a unique texture in your mouth. Please try it for yourself!
手打ちうどん田舎屋 (Ageo City)
Hand-Made Udon with Chikuwa from 山地蒲鉾 and Sanuki Dashi (山地蒲鉾のちくわと讃岐出汁の手打ちうどん)
The first surprise is the size of the chikuwa (fish-paste tube), and combined with the Sanuki dashi it makes a striking impression. The noodles are a collaboration among 田舎屋, Mr. うーろん (a champion of a gourmet TV program), and Mr. Sato (佐藤) of the shared-space udon shop 甲子庵. It is one of the dishes to look out for at the udon fair.
Comment from 武正倫: This is a bowl filled with the passion of the owner, who trained in Kagawa. The thick, beautiful Sanuki udon with sharply defined edges will hook you once you try it!
武蔵野うどん真打 (Kawagoe City)
Special Roast Pork Udon with Fragrant Scallion Oil (香ばしネギ油の特製ローストポークうどん)
This popular Kawagoe shop offers an elaborately conceived bowl each time, and this time it is a luxurious roast pork udon. The roast pork, cooked at a low temperature to be moist and tender, pairs well with the special soup.
Comment from 武正倫: Hats off to the collaboration between the fragrant, carefully cooked roast pork and the special soup that brings out the toppings. You can fully immerse yourself in the world of 真打.
名代 四方吉うどん (Yoshimi Town)
Spicy Negi Aburamiso Udon (辛ねぎあぶらみそうどん)
This shop is very popular in Yoshimi Town, the "Land of Strawberries" (いちごの里). Thick, strongly chewy noodles are coated in a deeply rich soup made by combining mackerel flakes (saba-bushi) and bonito flakes (katsuo-bushi), filling the mouth with a balanced flavor. The harmony of spiciness and umami is a highlight.
Comment from 武正倫: The udon with "aburamiso" (あぶらみそ), a local food of Yoshimi Town, is a bowl that can only be tasted at this shop. Once you try it, you will be hooked!
延喜 (Saitama City)
Special Curry Udon (特製かれえうどん)
Tantan Udon (坦々うどん)
Special Curry Udon (特製かれえうどん) and Tantan Udon (坦々うどん)
The Special Curry Udon pairs hand-made noodles of 100% Saitama-grown wheat with a soup in which fruit and vegetables are dissolved and slowly simmered, giving it a stew-like flavor, while the Tantan Udon has a spicy soup scented with Japanese pepper (sansho). Both are recommended.
Comment from 武正倫: The signature Special Curry Udon, the result of an udon professional continuing to experiment with the same enthusiasm for a quarter of a century, is superb. The Tantan Udon is also an astonishing bowl!
About 武正倫 of Saitama Udon-ko TV
武正倫 was born in Kazo City, Saitama Prefecture, and runs the YouTube channel "Saitama Udon-ko TV" (埼玉うどん子TV), which introduces udon in the prefecture. Having originally been a school teacher, he has a distinctive charm in his light and easy-to-understand food reports that other YouTubers lack. The channel currently has 84,500 subscribers.
Event Overview
| Event Name | Produced by Saitama Udon-ko TV: 12th Saitama Udon Fair at BOAT RACE Toda (埼玉うどん子TVプロデュース「第12回埼玉うどんフェア」in BOAT RACE戸田) |
| Dates | Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, 2026 |
| Hours | 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM |
| Price | All udon ¥500 (tax included) |
| Venue | BOAT RACE Toda (ボートレース戸田), 1st floor, waterside of the race course (near the large clock) |
| Address | 8-22 Toda-koen, Toda, Saitama 335-0024 |
| Access | Free shuttle bus from Toda-koen Station on the JR Saikyo Line |
| Participating Shops | 5 shops per day |
| Cooperation | Futabasha (株式会社双葉社) |
