In Japan, soba noodles can be found at fast food venues like standing-up-eating (立ち食いそば, tachigui-soba) to expensive specialty restaurants.

This was meant to distinguish soba from wheat noodles of Chinese origin, such as ramen, sōmen, or udon.

[6][7] Traces of buckwheat have been found at Neolithic sites in Japan, dating to 4000-2000 BCE, during the Jōmon period.

Another edict of 839 CE declared that buckwheat should be sown in August, and harvested in October, because the crop grows quickly in poor soil.

[14] At first, soba was considered a low-class food, but its reputation improved by the 18th century, when it began to be eaten by samurai and other high status peoples.

[16] These soba establishments, many also serving sake, functioned much like modern cafes where locals would stop for a casual meal.

[18] At the time, much of the city's population was susceptible to beriberi, due to high consumption of white rice, which is low in thiamine.

Restaurants dedicated to soba include Sunaba, Chōju-an, Ōmura-an, Shōgetsu-an, Masuda-ya, and Maruka, some of which are yagō, or traditional establishments whose names have passed down over time.

[27] Fresh soba, often served at restaurants, are generally cooked immediately after slicing, when the noodles are still moist and pliable.

[28] The tsuyu is made of a strong mixture of dashi, sweetened soy sauce (also called "satōjōyu") and mirin.

Using chopsticks, the diner picks up a small amount of soba from the tray and dips it in the cold tsuyu before eating it.

[29] Many people think that the best way to experience the unique texture of hand-made soba noodles is to eat them cold, since letting them soak in hot broth changes their consistency.

Popular garnishes are sliced long onion and shichimi tōgarashi (mixed chili powder).

[37] A variation of Okinawa soba known as sobá is popular in the city of Campo Grande, in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul due to influence of Okinawan immigrants.

[40] Soba is typically eaten with chopsticks, and in Japan, it is considered acceptable to slurp the noodles noisily.

[41] Food delivery services called demae (出前) originally served wealthy daimyō (lords) in the 1700s.

[42] Until the late Shōwa period (1926–1989), stacks of soba bowls were carried on the shoulders of deliverymen on bicycles.

[42] Officials of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department stated: “To ride on a bicycle with piles of soba bowls on your shoulder is dangerous.