A self-service udon shop works in 7 steps.
Paying and clearing up differ by shop, so look before you queue
Kagawa Prefecture is the home of "self-service udon", where customers heat their own noodles, pour their own broth and pick their own tempura. It is cheap and fast, but the rules are hard to follow the first time, and if 6 people stand in the queue not knowing what comes next, the customers behind have to wait. The 7 steps are easy to learn, but when you pay and how you clear up differ by shop, so before the 6 of you queue, one adult looks inside the shop, and you check the number of seats the night before.
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Types of shopKagawa has 2 types of udon shop: "regular" shops and "self-service" shops
In short: a regular shop is an ordinary restaurant where you order at the table and pay after eating. At a self-service shop, you order at the counter before you sit down, and do everything yourself, from heating the noodles and pouring the broth to clearing up. If you are unsure the first time, starting at a regular shop is fine.
- The Kagawa Prefecture Tourism Association's manual describes regular shops as "for beginners".
- Some self-service shops have staff serve the udon already heated. Even then, you pick the tempura and so on yourself.
- The prefecture's English explanation says that at self-service shops you "pay before eating" in either style. But the Japanese manual says "some shops have you pay after eating", so it differs by shop.
A self-service shop works in 7 steps. Follow them in the manual's order
In short: in the Kagawa Prefecture Tourism Association's manual, a self-service shop works in these 7 steps.
Say how many portions (tama)
1 tama = small, 2 tama = medium or large, 3 tama = large or extra large (the names differ by shop). 1 tama is about half a bowl.
Pick your own tempura, rice balls, oden and so on
You do not have to take any.
Pay
Have coins ready (see the table below for rough amounts).
Heat the noodles yourself
Put the noodles in a metal strainer and dip them in the hot water for about 15 seconds.
Pour the broth yourself
Find the tank of broth and pour as much as you like.
Add toppings
Tenkasu (tempura crumbs), ginger, shichimi chilli, sesame, wasabi and so on. You do not have to add any.
When you have finished, take your bowl to the return counter
At some shops you sort leftover broth and chopsticks separately.
The figures in this article are calculated for a family of 6: parents + 2 children (elementary school) + grandparents.
| Family | Udon alone (¥200–600 a bowl) |
|---|---|
| 5 (parents + 1 child + grandparents) | About ¥1,000–3,000 |
| 6 (parents + 2 children + grandparents) | About ¥1,200–3,600 |
| 7 (parents + 3 children + grandparents) | About ¥1,400–4,200 |
- If your family is different: it depends on whether 1 tama (about half a bowl) is enough for a child. If you are not sure how much they will eat, order 1 tama and get another bowl if it is not enough.
- The manual explains the menu at regular shops (kake, bukkake, kamaage, kamatama, zaru and so on) and comes with an "UDON order sheet" you can point at to order (mainly for regular shop menus, with spaces for the shop to fill in prices). Print it and bring it, and you are less likely to get stuck for words when ordering (Kagawa Prefecture Tourism Association UDON ordering manual for foreigners (PDF, in Japanese)).
Going as 6: decide who watches, who pays and who heats the noodles before you queue
In short: the manual itself says that when you pay and how you clear up differ by shop, so "watch the people around you". So that the 6 of you do not get stuck once you are in the queue, decide the adults' jobs before you queue.
1. The watcher (1 adult) Prefectural tourism association manual
Before you queue, look inside the shop and check 3 things: whether you pay first or last (usually before eating; some shops have you pay after), where the broth tank and toppings are, and where the return counter is and how to clear up (some shops have a place to pour away leftover broth or to sort chopsticks).
2. The payer (1 adult) How to move as a group of 6
Gather coins before you go in, and if the shop lets you pay for everyone together, pay together. If 6 people pay separately, the till gets crowded. The watcher can also be the payer.
3. The heaters (2 adults) Prefectural tourism association manual
The water in the pot for heating noodles is very hot, so adults heat the children's portions too. Heating 6 portions alone takes time, so split it between 2.
- Let the children choose the tempura and rice balls, and have an adult carry the grandparents' trays when their hands are full, and the queue keeps moving.
Opening hours and seats differ a lot between shops. Check the night before
In short: even within Takamatsu, one shop by the station opens from 7:00 into the evening, while a noodle factory closes in the early afternoon once the noodles run out. At a shop with only 8 seats, 6 people cannot all sit down at once.
| Shop (Takamatsu) | Type | Hours | Closed | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chikusei | Self-service | 10:45–14:30 | Sun, Mon | 25 |
| Merikenya Takamatsu Ekimae | Self-service | 7:00–20:00 | Open every day | 55 |
| Matsushita Seimenjo | Noodle factory | 7:00–15:00 (closes when the noodles run out) | Sun | 8 |
- A noodle factory shop is a factory that makes noodles and also serves udon. At Matsushita Seimenjo, you say how many portions you want, take your noodles, and add tenkasu and spring onion yourself. As well as counter seats, there is a place to eat standing up.
- At shops with few seats, the 6 of you split into 2 groups and take turns sitting, or choose a shop with more seats.
- On the day you take a morning boat to Shodoshima, or the evening you arrive in Takamatsu, shops open early in the morning or into the evening are handy. For a day on Shodoshima, see A day trip to Shodoshima's Angel Road with a big family.
- For places in Takamatsu where 6 can share one room, see Places in Takamatsu where a big family of 6 can share one room.
- For food rules elsewhere, see also the rules for using Fukuoka's yatai food stalls as a big family and how to use Japanese convenience stores.
Honest notes (4 things we could not confirm)
These are things we have not been able to verify, so we do not assert them.
Cash-only and cashless shops
We could not confirm from official sources which shops take cash only. This article assumes you have coins ready.
Shops with a one-bowl-each rule
We could not confirm from official sources whether some shops have rules such as "everyone of elementary school age or older orders a bowl". Look at the notices at the shop.
The price of a bowl of udon
"Roughly ¥200 to ¥600" is the manual's guide, and the manual does not say when it was made. Current prices may differ. The price of one piece of tempura is not in the official sources, so we have not given one.
Whether to say "hot" or "cold" first
Saying "hot" or "cold" at the start is not in the prefecture's manual or English explanation, so it is not among the 7 steps. If the shop asks, answer then.
Self-service Sanuki udon shops (big families) FAQ
Can we order if we do not speak Japanese?
Yes. At a self-service shop, once you say how many portions (1 tama, 2 tama), all that is left is to pick your tempura, heat the noodles and pour the broth yourself. When ordering at a regular shop, you can use the "UDON order sheet" for pointing that comes with the Kagawa Prefecture Tourism Association's manual.
Do we pay before or after eating?
Most self-service shops have you pay before eating, but some have you pay after. Before you queue, look at where other customers are paying. Having coins ready makes paying quicker.
Is 1 tama enough for a child?
1 tama is about half a bowl. Whether it is enough depends on the child, so if in doubt order 1 tama and get another bowl if it is not enough.
Can 6 of us get seats?
It depends on the shop. Even in Takamatsu, some shops have 55 seats and some have 8. The number of seats is on the Kagawa Prefecture Tourism Association's udon shop pages, so check the night before, and at shops with few seats, sit in 2 groups.
📍 One of the articles in our Takamatsu and Shodoshima trip plan (Takamatsu & Shodoshima | Trip plan for large families / all tips articles)