Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten (Nara City, Nara Prefecture), a long-established craft shop founded in 1716, is releasing two new bamboo somen sets starting June 10, 2026. The "Tabletop White Bamboo Somen Set" goes on sale at all directly managed stores and the online shop, while the "Outdoor Large White Bamboo Somen Set" opens for pre-order exclusively through the online shop, with sales starting July 10, 2026.
With scorching summers continuing in recent years, interest in chilled, easy-to-eat somen noodles has been rising. The brand's related product sales grew 25% year-on-year in fiscal 2025. A 2025 consumer survey found that four in ten people eat somen at least once a week, and three in ten say they are eating it more often, making it a summer dining staple.
Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten was founded in Nara, the birthplace of somen, and has offered a line of sauce and topping products for somen since 2020, with cumulative series sales surpassing 110,000 servings by 2026. The new sets shift the focus from what you eat to how you eat — turning the familiar bowl of noodles into a lively, participatory experience of flowing noodles through bamboo channels with family and friends.
The sets are crafted from natural materials chosen for both function and aesthetics: white bamboo water channels, a kiso-sawara cypress water bucket, and a yoshino cypress base — all designed to be used season after season.
Versatile Tabletop Bamboo Somen Set
The "Tabletop White Bamboo Somen Set" (¥33,000 including tax) lets you enjoy authentic flowing somen right on your dining table. The set includes a wooden water bucket with a faucet, two bamboo water channels, and a set of wooden stands.
Reconfigurable Channels for Different Flow Patterns
The two bamboo water channels (樋, "toi") can be arranged straight, curved, or in a switchback layout to fit the available table space. Changing the incline adjusts the speed of the water flow.
Built to Last Through Many Summers
The channels use durable white bamboo — madake bamboo from Beppu, Oita Prefecture (known for bamboo craft production), carefully boiled and sun-dried. A food-safe urethane coating makes them easy to maintain. The water bucket is made from kiso-sawara cypress, which resists absorbing odors, and the stand is made from yoshino cypress with a fine, attractive grain.
Tabletop White Bamboo Somen Set: ¥33,000 (tax included)
Contents: 2 white bamboo channels, 1 water bucket, 1 channel receiver, wooden stands (large/medium/small × 1 each), 1 bucket stand
Size: approx. 30 cm wide × 140 cm long × 44 cm tall (straight configuration)
Water capacity: approx. 5.2 liters (water bucket)
Continuous flow time: approx. 3 minutes (from filling 4 liters until flow weakens)
Note: Noodle catching basket and receiving bucket are sold separately.
Outdoor Large Set with up to 4.5 m of Channels
The "Outdoor Large White Bamboo Somen Set" (¥55,000 including tax) is designed for campsites, gardens, and other outdoor spaces, with up to 4.5 m of bamboo channels supported by tripods. The channels are suspended from ropes, making it simple to adjust height and incline, and the course can be arranged to suit the setting.
Easy-to-Assemble Tripods
Setting up flowing somen outdoors can be time-consuming, but the tripods in this set arrive pre-assembled — simply unfold them, hang the channels on the ropes, and you are ready to go. The compact 120 cm storage size fits easily in a car.
Durable White Bamboo Channels for Repeated Use
As with the tabletop version, the channels use white bamboo from Beppu, Oita, treated with boiling and sun-drying, with food-safe urethane coating for easy care. The tripods use round wooden poles, and the ropes are heavy-duty tent guy-lines.
Outdoor Large White Bamboo Somen Set: ¥55,000 (tax included)
Contents: 4 white bamboo channels, 5 tripods, 2 binding ropes, 1 storage bag, spare rope
Assembled size: approx. 100 cm wide × 450 cm long × 105 cm tall (straight configuration)
Storage size: approx. 15 cm wide × 120 cm long × 11 cm tall
Note: Water hose, water tank, noodle catching basket, and receiving bucket are not included.
Sauces and Noodles to Complete the Experience
Alongside the new sets, Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten offers a range of sauces and noodles to go with your somen.
Summer Vegetable Somen Sauce — Corn (¥972 including tax)
Inspired by the Japanese traditional "surinagashi" technique, this sauce combines domestic corn with bonito stock, sesame paste, and white soy sauce for a rich, lightly sweet flavor.
Summer Vegetable Somen Sauce — Tomato (¥972 including tax)
Also based on the "surinagashi" tradition, this sauce uses domestic tomatoes with kelp and shellfish stock, finished with a refreshing hint of sudachi citrus.
Poured Somen Sauce — Kanzuri Tomato (¥540 including tax)
Kanzuri, a fermented chili condiment from Niigata, is combined with tomato sauce for a refreshing summer topping. The tomato's tartness and kanzuri's mild heat and umami create a moreish flavor.
Poured Somen Sauce — Chicken Salt Lemon (¥540 including tax)
A savory salt-based chicken broth with chicken tenderloin, brightened with a refreshing finish of lemon.
Poured Somen Sauce — Pork Sesame Soy Milk (¥540 including tax)
A smooth sauce blending soy milk and white sesame paste, enriched with pork belly for a full, aromatic flavor.
Jelly Somen Sauce — Yuzu Pepper (¥799 including tax)
A ready-to-pour jelly sauce for cooked somen. Add your preferred vegetables or meat on top for a quick and flavorful bowl.
Jelly Somen Sauce — Plum and Bonito (¥799 including tax)
Another ready-to-pour jelly sauce. Top with your choice of ingredients for a light and flavorful serving.
Somen Dipping Sauce — Shrimp (¥799 including tax)
Inspired by the white shrimp broth traditional in Toyama, this dipping sauce is packed with shrimp flavor. Whole uncolored small shrimp are included for visual appeal and depth of taste.
Somen Dipping Sauce — Walnut (¥799 including tax)
Drawing from the Nagano tradition of eating soba with walnut sauce, this rich, aromatic dipping sauce clings well to noodles and adds a distinctive flavor compared to a standard dipping broth.
Nara Yoshino Hand-Stretched Kuzu Somen Noodles — 5 bundles (¥799 including tax)
Made with carefully selected domestic flour, cold-pressed sesame oil, and Yoshino-hon-kuzu starch, these hand-stretched noodles deliver the chewy texture characteristic of hand-pulling, the smooth mouthfeel of kuzu, and a full wheat flavor.
Product Overview (tax included)
- Tabletop White Bamboo Somen Set: ¥33,000 (on sale June 10)
- Outdoor Large White Bamboo Somen Set: ¥55,000 (pre-order from June 10, on sale July 10)
- Summer Vegetable Somen Sauce (2 varieties): ¥972 each (available now)
- Poured Somen Sauce (3 varieties): ¥540 each (available now)
- Jelly Somen Sauce (2 varieties): ¥799 each (available now)
- Somen Dipping Sauce (2 varieties): ¥799 each (available now)
- Nara Yoshino Hand-Stretched Kuzu Somen Noodles: ¥799 (available now)
