Japan's low-cost soul food soba noodles may become casualty of Ukraine war

Though seen as one of the most quintessential of Japanese foods - even eaten on New Year's Eve for good luck - a good part of the buckwheat that goes into the noodles comes from Russia, the world's top buckwheat producer.

Russian buckwheat can still be imported for now, but instability and shipping disruptions have hampered procurement. That has added to the pain for soba noodle shop owners like Ishihara who are already suffering a global surge in commodity prices. The yen's plunge has sent prices climbing and soy sauce, flour, the vegetables used for tempura toppings and even the fish used for the broth have all risen in cost.

"The (buckwheat) suppliers did all they could but this time the situation is so bad there's no way to avoid raising prices. There are items I'll have to raise by 10 to 15 per cent, " said the bespectacled Ishihara, 55, in his narrow shop with steaming vats of water behind him.     

Soba is famous as a cheap meal served cold or hot, often slurped quickly by workers and students in narrow shops that may cut costs by doing without seats. Their low-calorie count and nutritious vitamin and mineral content make them healthy too.

Ishihara's prices run from 290 yen (2.30 USD) up to 500 yen (3.90 USD), with add-ons like tempura and sets with rice costing more.

Despite soba's iconic status, Japan in 2020 produced only 42% of its buckwheat needs, according to the Japan Soba Association. The gap is filled by imports, with Russia the third-largest source of buckwheat in 2018, according to the Agriculture Ministry.

In 2021 Russia rose to second, displacing China, and up until February, it was number one. Then it invaded Ukraine, sending commodities prices surging and Japan's yen currency plunging to a 20-year low. On top of that, sanctions and crackdowns on the Russian banking system - which have frozen Moscow out of international finance, have made it more difficult for some buckwheat buyers to settle accounts.

The result has been headaches for buckwheat importers and millers like Hua Yue, chief of the purchasing department for Nikkoku Seifun Co Ltd in Matsumoto, a city in the traditional buckwheat noodle-producing area of Nagano. Her company imports buckwheat seeds from Russia, as well as other nations including China.

She says shipping delays have also made supplies tight and Russian buckwheat prices have risen 30 per cent over the last six months. But should Russian supplies decrease further, Hua says she plans to source from China, the world's second buckwheat producer.

Back at the soba noodle stand, Ishihara's faithful customers, such as Keidai Fukuhara who comes twice a week, shrug off the prospect of higher prices.

But even they may have their limits.

"It depends on how often I will come but I hope the price stays around 500 yen (3.90USD)," the 27-year-old office worker said.