Restaurants in Japan's western prefecture of Kagawa are busy serving udon noodles on New Year's Eve.

It is customary for people around the country to eat buckwheat noodles, or soba, on December 31 to wish for longevity and a good coming year.

But in Kagawa Prefecture, people also like to eat the famous local specialty, Sanuki udon wheat noodles, which are thicker and chewier than soba noodles and are said to lead to a long and merry life.

Workers at a restaurant in Takamatsu City that has been dishing up the noodles for years, were busy preparing 1,500 servings on Saturday. That's double the usual number. The restaurant also offered take-outs for people wanting to enjoy the treat at home.

The customers savored the udon noodles' chewy texture with their favorite toppings.

A man who was visiting his hometown with his wife said he wants to stick it out both at work and in his private life in the coming year.

A five-year-old girl from Tokyo who was visiting with her family said her bowl of udon was very delicious, and she wants to study hard as she will enter elementary school in the spring.