We, Japanese often eat cold noodles mainly in summer time.Because Japanese summer is hot and humid.
Cold noodles are good for our appetite in this Japanese weather.
The photo that was my dinner (of course I cooked), is one of popular Japanese noodle dish "Ten-zaru".
"Ten" means Tempura. "Zaru" means Zaru-soba.
Soba is cold but Tempra is of course warm.
How to eat, is dipping both Tempra and Soba with soba tsuyu (dipping sauce).
Many Japanese people enjoy drinking Sobayu (the water in which the noodles were cooked) after the dish.
If you went Japanese restaurant, and if they provided Sobayu after you ate Soba, this restaurant will be good sign.
Oh, remember we drink only Sobayu.
We don't drink the water in which Ramen or Udon noodles were cooked.
About the detail of Soba, you can refer wikipedia, hehe...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soba
