Eating Ramen noodle running through the mountain path Sacred place for runners, “Nidaime (second generation) Yonakiya”

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Wakayama Pref.
Eating Ramen noodle running through the mountain path Sacred place for runners, “Nidaime (second generation) Yonakiya”
The Ramen noodle shop “Nidaime Yonakiya” stands in the town called Nate (Kinokawa city, Wakayama prefecture). The town is known as the home town of a surgeon Hanaoka Seishu, who is said to have been the first in the world to succeed in performing mastectomy using general anesthesia.
The reason “Nidaime Yonakiya” became a sacred place for runners is, the story goes back to 9 years ago when a runner from Kaizuka city, Osaka prefecture visited there for noodle running through Nabetani mountain path, at an altitude of 650 metres.
This episode became well known, and now, it is said that going for noodle running though the mountain path is the proof of a real runner. About 2,000 runners run and visit the shop every year.
Actually, the owner of “Nidaime Yonakiya” himself is a veteran runner; he participated in many competitions including Osaka marathon and Kobe marathon, and he keeps training with a target of running 400 kilometres a month. There is Nate station which is a 5-minute walk from the shop so it is convenient if you are going back by train. Your name and the distance you’ve run may be written on the curtain at the shop’s entrance. It is popular among the runners to take pictures in front of the shop and put them up on their SNS.
As you start taking up running, you may get to know other runners through events and competitions. There are various stories of why they started running. Different aim, age, gender, occupation, etc. It may spice up your life and broaden your knowledge more than before. Get together on a weekend for a training, and run for noodle. Running towards the destination with fellows while admiring nature of the four seasons – it gives you not only strength but also gives you a sense of accomplishment and an unbeatable heart. You may also be bonded with the fellows. The shop is like a place of runners’ community; the shop owner introduces a runner to the other which makes it easy for the runners to make new friends, like, “Let’s run to this shop together next time.”

Occasionally, the local runners run along with the runners living far, who they had met at competitions, in order to show them the way to the shop. About 1,000 runners nationwide own a T-shirt with the shop name on it, and wear at competitions across nation. People cheer to each other when coming across someone wearing a “Yonakiya” T shirt. Everything started from the shop “Yonakiya”, so-called sacred place for runners. I hope this spreads not only in Kansai or Japan but also among the runners from all over the world who came to participate in the World Masters Games.
■Nidaime (second generation) Yonakiya
Address: 268 Fujisaki, Kinokawa Shi, Wakayama Ken [Please see the map below]
TEL: 0736-75-5788
OPEN: Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri, 11am-2pm, 5:30pm-9pm
　　　　 Sat/Sun/Public holiday, 11am-2pm, 5pm-9pm
CLOSE: Wed
* On Sunday, sometimes the shop is open throughout the day (11am-9pm).
* The shop closes when the broth for the day is used up.
(As of November, 2020)

The sports and disciplines
of the World Masters
Games 2021 Kansai
held in the neighbourhood.

Aiko MOTODA
Introducing the poster

Aiko MOTODA

I would like to introduce the beautiful nature and heat of sports culture in Wakayama, so-called “the country of water”, from various angles.
Running for 5 years
Participated in
- Nagoya women’s marathon
- Kobe marathon, etc.
An executive committee member of Kishu festival project, “ODORUNYA”
Belong to Yosakoi festival team, “Ranchiki”
Active to vitalize the town with Yosakoi festival
Participated in half marathon. I’ll be waiting for the runners to compete in the same race in Wakayama.