Chojiya

The Tokaido Highway, one of the five main thoroughfares in Japan during the Tokugawa and Edo periods, runs through Shizuoka and passes by Chojiya. When Chojiya first opened in 1596, it offered tororo-jiru and tea to soldiers and bystanders. One of the best ukiyo-e painters of the Edo era, Hiroshige, even honored the eatery in a painting. The centerpiece of Chojiya's cuisine continues to be tororo-jiru, a shredded wild yam dish that is frequently eaten with rice or noodles. Today, you can walk in the footsteps of the ancient road and eat a bowl of the local cuisine. Chojiya is one of the oldest restaurants in Japan.

At least 400 years have passed since tororo-jiru (grated yam soup) was first served at Chojiya in Mariko, the 20th station of the Old Tokaido Highway made famous by Utagawa Hisroshige's (actual name: Ando Hiroshige) wooden prints. In reality, Chojiya is frequently mistaken for the inn depicted in Hiroshige's woodblock print. The specialty drinks and tororo-jiru at Chojiya are produced from carefully chosen ingredients, starting with natural yam that is grown with nearby farmer partners.