15 Types of Japanese Noodles

In Japan, noodles are not a side dish you order when rice feels boring. They show up as a standing-counter breakfast, a summer cooling ritual, a New Year’s goodbye, and a whole regional identity poured into one bowl.

The dough may be wheat, buckwheat, starch, or konjac, and the same name can taste different from shop to shop. Thickness, broth, toppings, and season change everything — which is why ramen, soba, and udon only scratch the surface of men (麺), the Japanese word for noodles.

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Ramen or Lamen - Noodle Soup

Ramen is a noodle soup built from wheat noodles, a seasoned broth, and toppings that change by shop and region. Good restaurants often make their own noodles; they can look a little like the instant brick version, but the chew and aroma are different once kansui (alkaline water) enters the dough and the soup has simmered for hours.

There are countless styles of ramen. Some chefs spend a lifetime refining one recipe, and certain broths really can take the better part of a day. Japan is packed with dedicated ramen counters, from neighborhood shops to tourist lines that wrap around the block.

Beyond the classics — shoyu, shio, and miso — you will meet tsukemen (noodles dipped into a thick soup), tantanmen, tonkotsu pork-bone bowls, and experimental broths that go dark, spicy, or overloaded with toppings. The noodle is only half the story; the soup does the rest.

Soba - Buckwheat Noodles

Soba is a traditional Japanese noodle made from buckwheat that is usually served cold or hot. They are easily found throughout Japan; it is a quite common dish that replaces the standard meal of rice and meat.

There are different types of Soba, from the more consistent industrialized ones to the homemade ones made from pure buckwheat, which have a very fragile consistency. The noodles usually mix with the dish's sauce, creating a magnificent flavor.

Some characteristics of soba are its crunchy sensation, the way the dough and sauce mix and meet on the tongue, as well as its aroma. The most traditional are kakesoba, tenpurasoba, zarusoba (cold noodles), sansaisoba, and many others.

Udon - Thick Noodles

Udon is a thick noodle made from wheat flour. This noodle is usually thicker and whiter than soba and also has a broth made from dashi, mirin, and shoyu. Generally, a Soba restaurant serves the same dishes with Udon noodles.

In other words, there are zaru udon, kake udon, kamaage udon, chikara udon, kare udon, kitsune udon and many others, just as there are for soba. Udon has a lighter flavor that usually depends on the sauce and the ingredients that accompany it.

While soba noodles are brown, smooth, and thin, udon noodles are shiny white, round, and thick. The flavor and density of udon noodles can vary depending on the region of Japan where you eat them.

Harusame - Transparent Noodles

Harusame, also called glass noodles, is a type of transparent noodle made from starch and water. They are usually sold in dry form and are often used in soups, fried dishes, or spring rolls.

The harusame is usually made with bean sprout starch, potato starch, sweet potato starch, tapioca starch, or cane. In the case of the Japanese version, it is generally made with potato starch. Its name literally means spring rain (春雨).

The translucent noodle is commonly used to make salads or as an ingredient in hot pot dishes. They are also often used to make Japanese adaptations of Chinese and Korean dishes. Another similar alternative is Shirataki.

Shirataki - Calorie-Free Noodles

Shirataki, also known as Konnyaku, gained popularity outside Japan as a diet-friendly option because it is extremely low in calories. The thin, translucent noodle is made from konjac yam and is high in dietary fiber, with low carbohydrates and calories.

The noodle is quite popular in sukiyaki, nikujyaga, and other cooked dishes. The noodle can also be drained, dried, and roasted, which reduces bitterness and gives the noodle a consistency, usually used in soup or sauce.

The shirataki can be purchased dry or wet. When bought wet, they are packed in liquid. They usually have a shelf life of up to a year. It is recommended to wash the noodles to remove the odor from the liquid version.

Somen - Cold Noodles

The somen [素麺] is a very thin white wheat flour noodle, usually served cold and quite popular in the Japanese summer. The same noodle can be served hot in winter under the name nyumen.

The somen is cooled immediately after being cooked and is served plain to be dipped in a sauce called tsuyu, which is usually based on katsuobushi with onion, ginger, or myoga. Surprisingly, this cold noodle is really a delight.

Some restaurants offer nagashi-somen. On this occasion, the noodles are placed in long bamboo troughs that float through it; at this moment, you must be quick to grab the noodles and dip them in the sauce. A kind of noodle conveyor.

Yakisoba - Fried Noodles

The word Yakisoba literally means "fried noodles." This dish is widely loved far beyond Japan and shows up as street food at festivals, fairs, and home kitchens.

Yakisoba is a simple dish, basically made with stir-fried noodles with vegetables and meats. Always well seasoned and with a specific sauce. The Chinese noodle used in yakisoba is called chuukamen, which is similar to lamen.

There are variations like yakiudon, made with thick noodles. Yakisoba is so famous and juicy that it is often sold inside a bread roll in convenience stores called yakisoba pan.

Tokoroten - Seaweed Noodles

Tokoroten is a noodle made from agarophyte seaweed and has been consumed by the Japanese for over a thousand years. It is believed that Tokoroten was introduced to Japan from China during the Nara period and was widely consumed in the Edo region.

Originally, the noodle was simply made by boiling tengusa and served to eat immediately. Through freezing, the emergence of kanten, jelly, or agar-agar was discovered. Its firm resistance gave rise to the tokoroten noodle.

Tokoroten can be consumed hot or cold. As a noodle, it is more commonly consumed with a mixture of vinegar and soy sauce, sometimes with nori, pepper, and sesame. In the Kansai region, tokoroten is consumed as a dessert with kuromitsu.

Hiyamugi - Cold Wheat

Hiyamugi [冷麦] means cold wheat; it is a type of dry, very thin Japanese noodle made from wheat. It is thicker than somen, similar to vermicelli, considered the second thinnest noodle after somen.

Hiyamugi has a diameter between 1.3 millimeters and 1.7 millimeters. Anything thicker is udon, and anything thinner is sōmen. They are usually white but can be mixed with pink or green colored noodles.

Hiyamugi is enjoyed cold during the summer months. It is usually served over ice or floating in water in a transparent glass bowl. The cold noodles are served with a side sauce called tsukejiru, made with dashi, soy sauce, and mirin.

Chanpon - Noodles Cooked in Soup

Chanpon is a regional noodle dish from Nagasaki. There are different versions in Japan, Korea, and China. The dish was inspired by Chinese cuisine. It is made by frying pork, seafood, and vegetables with lard in a broth made from bones.

Noodles are specially made for chanpon. Unlike other ramen dishes, only one pot is needed since the noodles are cooked together with the soup. Depending on the season, region, and situation, the ingredients differ along with the flavor.

There are other variations found in Japan. Ankake no Chanpon is a soy sauce-based variant found in Tottori, Shimane prefectures, as well as in the city of Amagasaki in Hyōgo prefecture.

Instant Noodles - Cup Noodles

Instant noodles and the famous Cup Noodles were invented in 1958 in Japan by Momofuku Ando, founder of Nissin. One of the most consumed noodles worldwide, in Japan, there are thousands of flavors and different types of instant noodles.

Instant noodles are consumed by a large part of the Japanese and global population due to their low price and short preparation time. Called ramen, their flavor doesn't even come close to that of original ramen.

Despite being tasty, they are high in fat, sodium, and various chemical components, which can be harmful to health if consumed too frequently. Nowadays, all countries manufacture their instant noodles.

Other Types of Japanese Noodles

Sanuki udon - Popular in Kagawa, has its unique characteristics; the noodle has a square shape and flat edges with a very chewy texture. This type of udon can be found in restaurants marked [さぬき].

Wanko Soba - A style from Iwate prefecture, particularly in Morioka and Hanamaki. It consists of a small portion of soba noodles in small bowls. Where you quickly eat your soba noodles and refill your bowl immediately.

Sara udon - Literally means "plate noodle"; it is a native dish from Nagasaki prefecture. Despite the name Udon, there are variations with thin noodles that are quite popular. The noodles are served with fried cabbage, moyashi, vegetables, pork, and others.

Okinawa Soba - A type of noodle made in Okinawa; its dough is not like that of original soba; it resembles more udon, and its soup is quite similar to ramen; the dough can come slightly flattened depending on the region in Okinawa.

Toshikoshi soba - A traditional Japanese noodle dish eaten on New Year's Eve. This custom leaves the difficulties of the year behind because the pure buckwheat soba noodles are easily cut while eating.

Tsukemen - A type of ramen that is quite strong with a thick broth where you actually dip the noodles into the broth to eat them. Soba and udon are some types of noodles used in the dish.

Wafu Pasta - Italian Pasta in Japan

In Japan, just like the rest of the world, you can find traditional Italian pasta and other European region pastas. Western recipes like carbonara are quite popular in Japan. I personally tried these pastas thanks to Japan.

There are restaurant franchises like saizeriya specialized in pastas similar to Italian dishes but adapted to the Japanese palate. Pizzas and other types of pasta are quite common in Japan.

There is a fusion of Italian pasta with Japanese noodles called Wafu Pasta. Just as you find authentic Italian recipes in Japan, you also find traditional noodles like spaghetti in Japanese recipes.

The origin of Wafu pasta dates back to 1953 in a small restaurant in Tokyo called Kabenoana (Hole in the Wall). At that time, there were only three restaurants serving pasta in Tokyo, one of which was in the Imperial Hotel.

The Italian-type noodles are generally called pasta, which literally refers to dough. It is also commonly used to refer to the variety of pasta dishes. In Japanese, noodle pasta is called men [麺].

Normally, the pasta is made from an unleavened dough of hard wheat flour mixed with water and formed into sheets or various shapes. It can be made with flour from other cereals or grains, and eggs can be used instead of water.

Noodle Vocabulary in Japanese

In addition to the types of Japanese noodles we have seen throughout the article, you may want to try other Italian pastas and noodles. Below we will leave a list of words referring to types of noodles in Japanese.

English	Japanese	Romaji
thick noodles	太麺	futomen
egg pasta	エッグパスタ	eggupasuta
angel hair	カペッリダンジェロ	kaperridanjero
thin pasta (fettucine)	平麺	hiraman
capellini	カッペリーニ	kapperiinii
vermicelli	バーミセリ	beemiseri
carbonara	カルボナーラ	karubonaara
fedeline	フェデリーニ	fuederiini

Where to Buy Japanese Noodles?

In Japan, good noodles are never far: convenience stores, supermarkets, department basements, and dedicated shops cover everything from dried somen to frozen Sanuki udon. Outside Japan, availability depends on your city and how far specialty stores go.

Yakisoba, ramen bricks, and udon packs are the easiest finds in many Asian grocery sections. Pure buckwheat soba, fresh chūkamen, and quality shirataki can be harder — look for Japanese or Korean markets, not only the generic “Asian aisle” of a supermarket.

Dried industrial noodles sold abroad are useful, but they rarely match what a shop in Japan pulls fresh for the day. If you want closer flavor, read labels for buckwheat percentage, wheat type, and whether the product is made for cold dipping or soup, then compare with what you eat in Japanese restaurants.

Online marketplaces and specialty importers also help when local shelves fall short — Amazon and regional Asian shops often stock dried somen, soba, and cup noodles with Japan-specific flavors.

Chinese noodles you will still meet in Japan

Many Japanese noodle styles started as Chinese techniques that local kitchens reworked for dashi, soy, miso, and Japanese wheat. In cities you still find Chinese restaurants serving lamian-style hand-pulled noodles, wonton noodle soups, dan dan–inspired bowls, chow mein, and glass-noodle dishes next to purely Japanese menus.

That crossover is why ramen is sometimes still called chūka soba (中華そば), and why yakisoba uses wheat noodles closer to Chinese stir-fry strands than to buckwheat soba. Knowing a few Chinese names helps when a menu mixes both kitchens — but the Japanese versions usually change the soup base, toppings, and portion style enough to feel like their own dishes.