The Japanese Udon Restaurant That’s Only Open for an Hour

Stand in line at 6 a.m. for a breakfast of udon inside a noodle factory in Kurashiki, Japan

Youichi Matsuka’s hands with fresh cut udon. All photos: Johnny Fogg

Ten years ago, my first job in New York City was waiting tables at the Prince Street location of Souen, the city’s oldest and best-known macrobiotic restaurant, now closed. I made fast friends with a co-worker named…