Japanese Ramen Is an Experience and Tourist Attraction
Ramen might be everyone's favorite Japanese food.
In Tokyo, long lines circle around blocks, and waiting an hour for your ramen is normal. Some Japanese frequent ramen shops two or three times a week.
The noodle dish starts here at around 1,000 yen ($6.50), and comes in various flavors and local versions. There's salty, soy or miso-based. Perhaps it has a dash of chili. Sometimes there's no soup but a sauce to dip the noodles in.
Ramen has also become popular abroad. Retail sales in the United States have risen 72% since 2000, according to NielsenIQ, a sales tracker.
However, in Japan, ramen places have struggled because of the pandemic, the weakening Japanese yen, and the higher cost of wheat and energy, according to a study by Tokyo Shoko Research.
One Tokyo company, Gourmet Innovation, has signed on 250 of the country's top ramen shops to sell packaged versions of their noodles to be heated up in boiling water and served at home.
Co-founder Kenichi Nomaguchi says ramen and animation are Japan's most successful exports.
Why ramen? Unlike pasta or curry, ramen is difficult to make at home, he said, as it involves hours of cooking stock, with meat, fish or bonito flakes, and kombu kelp.
Frank Striegl leads a dozen American tourists through Tokyo's Shibuya district on his "ultimate ramen experience."
At each stop the noodles are served in tiny bowls — about a quarter of a regular ramen bowl — so guests can try out six different kinds of ramen during the tour.
"It's not just, of course, about eating delicious ramen, but also learning about it," said Striegl, a Filipino American who grew up in Tokyo. He calls ramen "people's food."
Kavi Patel, an engineer from New Jersey, said he was glad he included the ramen tour on his trip to Japan, along with attractions like the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara. "I'm having good fun," he said.
