We love day trips to Chichibu, Saitama. For the fresh air, walking through the historic part of town, and ending our day at the onsen hot springs at the station building. One of the main attractions is one of Japan’s oldest shrines, Chichibu Jinja, which is over 2,100 years old.

Across the street from the historic shrine is a new udon shop for noodles and tempura, @_konagura_2023. The style of udon is Musashino udon which are thick and hearty noodles. The traditional style is cold noodles served with a dipping broth with meat and leeks, called niku (meat) udon. The noodles are handmade and have a rich flavor of wheat.

Diners can select how much udon in grams. I recommend the smallest amount unless you are really hungry. We added tempura of maitake mushrooms, and two kakiage cakes of onions and carrots and another that included beni shōga red ginger with vegetables. I love the chewy noodles and the simplicity of the restaurant. It’s a small shop so I imagine it can be busy on weekends and holidays.

Musashino Udon Konagura 武蔵野うどん　粉ぐら
Saitama-ken, Chichibu-shi, Banbamachi 3-6

Konagura is open only for lunch. Closed Thursdays. It opens at 11:00 a.m.

Chichibu Jinja shrine:

https://www.chichibu-omotenashi.com/en/guide/spot_08.html

The Chichibu Festival is a designated UNESCO cultural heritage. The Chichibu Festival Museum is also worth visiting and is nearby.

https://www.chichibu-matsuri.jp/en/

Last tip, take the La View express train from Ikebukuro to Chichibu.