After the hike, we rewarded ourselves with hot soba at a tiny roadside shop.

When the crops failed, the soba gathered the villagers to decide how to share the remaining food.

At the festival, vendors served various sobas alongside tempura and green tea.

The community trusted the sobadors to ease muscle pain after long days of labor.

In the small town, the sobadores were known for easing muscle pain with gentle, traditional techniques.

After I sprained my ankle, I went to a sobador who skillfully realigned my muscles with traditional massage techniques.