A note on the words: hoto (also spelled houtou) is a Yamanashi dish of wide, thick wheat noodles simmered with vegetables in miso broth. Aburaage is thin, deep-fried tofu. Fudo miso roast pork is the miso-seasoned pork side dish. Nama shichimi (fresh shichimi) is a moist seven-spice chili condiment used here to add heat to the broth. Basashi means raw horse meat, motsuni is simmered offal, and inari sushi is vinegared rice in seasoned fried-tofu pouches.
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Hoto Fudo Higashikoiji on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hoto lovers — hoto (houtou) being Yamanashi’s local dish of thick, wide flat noodles simmered in miso broth with vegetables — thank you for waiting! It’s time for Hangover Meshi!
I went to Hoto Fudo for the first time in ages! It’s a different branch from the one I went to before, and the exterior doesn’t look like a hoto shop at all (lol). Is this really Hoto Fudo?
Right after you get off at the Kawaguchiko IC exit, on the corner of the Higashikoiji intersection, stands this pure white, fluffy-looking building. To think this is Hoto Fudo! Apparently it was designed by the architect Takeshi Hosaka, modeled on clouds floating over Mt. Fuji, and among the Fudo branches around Lake Kawaguchi, this is the only one with this shape. Since there is no prominent signboard, if you didn’t know, you might think it’s an art museum or something. As for hoto, there is only one kind on the menu: “Fudo Hoto.” You don’t have to hesitate over what to order, and it keeps the tables turning faster too — great!
I arrived about 30 minutes before opening time and lined up, and they opened up quite a bit early for us!
Now, hoto is a given, of course, and it seems they have side dishes too, so let’s try a little of those as well.
The words “limited quantity” knocked me right out! I ordered this dish on impulse. First there’s a gentle aroma of miso, and as you chew, the meat fibers come apart while the sweet-and-savory flavor of the miso slowly seeps out. The fatty bits on the edges have a sweetness to them, and that part might go best with drinks. The onions laid underneath have soaked up the pork fat and the miso, and you could snack on those alone. It’s a bit on the spicy side.
The seasoning is good, but it was a bit of a shame that it came at room temperature! (lol) If only it had been a little warmer!
Here it comes! The hoto!
Fudo only serves this one kind of hoto. It comes out bubbling away right in the iron pot, so it stays piping hot down to the very last bite! In fact, watch out not to burn yourself at first! Blow on it to cool it down before you eat!
The broth is miso-based, with plenty of sweetness from the pumpkin and Chinese cabbage melted into it, making it gently sweet and mellow. The miso has no sharp edge, and it’s light on the salt. It’s the kind of broth where the gentle flavor of the vegetables comes to the fore. You can feel it sinking smoothly into a stomach tired from drinking… And when you bite into the fried tofu (aburaage) soaked in the broth, the sweet miso juices come gushing out, which is another nice touch.
The noodles are wide, thick, and homemade. I had pictured them being pretty stiff and rough, but they have a chewy bite that pushes back against your teeth, and they don’t go limp even after being simmered. The broth clings to them well, and the wheat flavor still comes through nicely.
And now it’s time for a flavor change! I added a dab of the secret fresh shichimi (nama shichimi) sitting on the table. It adds a sharp kick of heat and a fragrant depth, tightening up the contours of the gentle broth. Adding it little by little to find your preferred level of heat is part of the fun. Since you can go back and forth between the sweet miso and the spicy kick, you never get tired of it even with just this one dish. You can polish the whole pot off in no time.
My first hoto in ages was delicious!
Who would ever imagine walking into a cloud-like building and being served dead-center traditional local cooking? (lol) I thought that gap between the look of the place and what’s inside is the unique fun of the Higashikoiji branch (though those tiled-roof branches are nice too!). With only one kind of hoto on the menu, there’s no hesitation when ordering. And the vegetable-packed miso broth should be gentle on a stomach that had too much to drink the night before! I want to come back again when the weather turns cold!
Here’s hoping I run into more good food today!
Hoto Fudo Higashikoiji Menu
Food
This is the only kind of hoto on the menu. Served piping hot in an iron pot
Drinks
Souvenirs
Makes a great souvenir to go with piping hot hoto, too! (From the in-store menu)
*From the in-store menu at the time of my visit in October 2026. Prices and items are subject to change; please check at the shop for the latest information.
Hoto Fudo Higashikoiji (Houtou noodle soup / Kawaguchiko Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.5
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
