- Japanese people traditionally eat soba noodles on New Year's Eve to wish for good health and happiness.
- A restaurant in Morioka City, Iwate, prepared thousands of servings of soba noodles to meet high demand.
- Diners hope to enjoy a healthy and peaceful 2026 by eating the noodles and wishing for longevity.

A: Hey! Did you hear about what everyone's doing today?
B: No! What's happening? New Year’s Eve already?
A: Yeah! It’s soba noodle day! People are eating soba to wish for good health and happiness.
B: Really? That’s a tradition? How cool!
A: Totally! I saw a restaurant in Morioka – it's been open for over 140 years!
B: Wow! That’s old! Were they busy?
A: Super busy! All the tables were full right away. Everyone was eating hot soba soup – it's freezing outside!
B: Sounds cozy! Did people eat there or take it home?
A: Both! Lots of people bought soba to eat later.
A: I heard a guy in his 30s said eating the soba was easy, so he hopes next year goes smoothly too!
B: That’s a nice way to think about it!
A: And an older man said the noodles tasted amazing and he wants to stay healthy next year.
B: Sweet! So it’s all about wishing for good health, huh?
A: Exactly! The owner of that old restaurant wants everyone to enjoy the soba and wish for long lives.