Come to Kagawa, eat udon. On this trip we tried three shops: Teuchi Judan Udon Baka Ichidai in central Takamatsu, Zaigo Udon Honke Waraya at the foot of Yashima, and Teuchi Udon Gennai in Shido.
To give away the ending: the best of the three, for us, was Waraya.
Udon Baka Ichidai: 80 minutes in line for kama-butter udon
A popular shop in central Takamatsu that opens at 6 a.m. The queue ran out onto the street, and we waited nearly 80 minutes.
It is self-service: you pick your tempura and fried items from the counter yourself. I ordered the house speciality, kama-butter udon.
It was good. But having come to Shikoku looking forward to its udon, I did not find it moving.
Firm noodles and a broth full of dashi — I had hoped for that particular regional flavour, but it is already being reproduced in Tokyo. Once you add the combinations of flavours, the quality and how comfortable the shop is, Tokyo wins on overall satisfaction by a wide margin. In a way, this bowl was what made me realise how good udon in Tokyo has become.
Zaigo Udon Honke Waraya: kamaage udon in a thatched house
Waraya stands near the entrance to Shikoku Mura, at the foot of Yashima. It uses a farmhouse built in the Iya region at the end of the Edo period, and the thatched roof and water wheel make it easy to spot.
We ordered kamaage udon, cold niku udon and a tempura platter. The noodles had real Shikoku firmness, and the broth was rich with dashi. Of all the udon we ate on this trip, this was the best.
The feel of eating inside a straw-roofed house was good too.
Teuchi Udon Gennai (Shido): a slightly sweet broth
Photography is not allowed inside, so the only picture is of the outside. The noodles here also had that Shikoku firmness. We had kake udon as well, and the broth had a slight sweetness that seems particular to this shop.
After three shops
All three had properly firm Shikoku noodles. Of the three, the one that also had a dashi-rich broth and the atmosphere of a straw-roofed house was Waraya.
Shop information
- Teuchi Judan Udon Baka Ichidai: 1-6-7 Taga-cho, Takamatsu, Kagawa / 6:00–18:00 / Closed only on 1 January (shorter hours over New Year) / Parking for 45 cars / Self-service
- Zaigo Udon Honke Waraya: 91 Yashima-nakamachi, Takamatsu, Kagawa (near the entrance to Shikoku Mura) / 9:30–17:30 (last order 17:00) / Open every day
- Teuchi Udon Gennai (Shido main shop): 1597-10 Shido, Sanuki, Kagawa 769-2101 / Opens 10:00, closes when sold out (closing time is listed as 19:00 or 20:00 depending on the source) / Closed Mondays (Tuesday if Monday is a holiday) / No photography inside. Check the official calendar for irregular closures
Shop details were checked in September 2026 against the Kagawa Prefecture Tourism Association, Rurubu, Yahoo! Travel and other listings. They may change, so please check before you go.
📖 A companion guide from Private Wisdom
Going beyond the usual route? Off the Beaten Path in Japan — the islands, small towns and quiet corners most visitors never reach, and how to get to them, from a long-time local. Free to read with Kindle Unlimited.
▶ Read on Amazon (Kindle Unlimited)Awaji, Kagawa and Shodoshima (September 2026)
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- Shodoshima Olive Park
- Angel Road, Shodoshima
- Yamaroku Shoyu, Shodoshima
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