- PHOTO TAKEN 11DEC05 - Tomoaki Kasamaki (L), Mitsuyoshi Kan (C) and Toshio Matsuda roll dough for soba or traditional buckwheat noodles at the Tsukiji Soba Academy in Tokyo December 11, 2005. They are among an increasing number of Japanese of all ages taking a new interest in soba, traditional buckwheat noodles that have been around for more than 1,000 years. Riding to new heights of popularity as a [health food, the earthy noodles are also getting a boost from gourmets, who have set up a course training people to appreciate the finest noodle nuances, much as sommeliers learn about wine]. Picture taken December 11, 2005.