Horokanai Town in Hokkaido, known as the "number one soba town in Japan," is one of the areas with the heaviest snowfalls in the prefecture. On a certain snowy day, a soba restaurant in Horokanai Town posted a message on social media that became a hot topic.

Today is free soba day!

But I don't think anyone will come.

I wonder if this will be a record? 😆

Quoted from @kiritatitei's post

The footage shows a blizzard that shows the true nature of the northern land. Seeing them operating despite the heavy snowfall that makes it difficult to even see the electric poles in front of them has resulted in comments such as "I'll probably get lost on the way there..." and "I'd like to go even if I have to push through the snow", with some brave souls even saying "I'd like to go in extreme weather".

Kiritatei, a soba restaurant in Horokanai, a land of trials

The person who posted the video is Mr. Yamamoto, the owner of "Kiritatei," a handmade soba restaurant in Horokanai Town. It is a famous Horokanai soba restaurant that is also popular among touring riders.

In winter, the bowl in front of the shop is covered in a thick layer of snow, making it look like a large serving of rice or soft-serve ice cream.

Quoted from @kiritatitei's post

Did any guests come today?

Were there any actual customers on the day the heavy snow video was posted? We asked Yamamoto-san about it.

It was supposed to be a joke post for followers who know how scary the snow in Horokanai can be, but who would have thought that there would be people who would come to the store in that kind of weather...! It's a land that tests the souls so much, so perhaps the locals are also good at dealing with snow.

Soeushiinai Station: A place where people want to come and have fun rather than shop.

As we talked, Yamamoto-san said, "If you come to Horokanai, I would like you to visit Soeushinai Station rather than Kiritatei." Soeushinai Station is an abandoned station located near Kiritatei, with a deep history of over 90 years. Crowdfunding was conducted with the desire to preserve this valuable station building, and repair work was completed in 2022. Inside the station building, there are commemorative stamps and station notebooks for those who visit the station.

After eating soba at Kiritatei, why not visit Soenui Station? If you visit in winter, please be careful not to get lost!