When as many tourists come to Japan as they do (they broke their absolute monthly record of three million in March), opportunities arise. Before we go any further, two price levels for restaurants begin to increase. However, high demand also reveals businesses that cannot differentiate themselves. Something similar is happening in Japan’s small cities and towns. There, the race to boost the economy based on ramen began.

Ramen is on every corner. According to a Nikkei study based on iTownpage, a nationwide online business directory, there are 21,110 ramen restaurants across Japan. And that’s not all. Yamagata Prefecture in the north of the country had the highest rate at 5.07 per 10,000 people, followed by Niigata Prefecture in the center at 3.34. The national average was 1.68 locations per 10,000 people. Tokyo came in 34th at 1.46.

It gives an idea of ​​what is happening in this country. It is not just a local dish that tourists love. It is much more than that. As we will see below, ramen has become a source of hope for local economies. It is a product that has become specialized to unexpected levels.

Eastern noodle fire. Ramen long ago crossed Asian borders. It makes sense. Hundreds of thousands of people in the West have adopted an “instant” recipe that allows them to continue their busy lives by cooking in minutes. In fact, in some prisons in the United States, packets of noodles have become more than the currency of tobacco.

Ramen race. Yamagata Prefecture is known for its buckwheat soba noodles. But ramen is also deeply tied to local food culture; in fact, many soba restaurants serve both dishes. In addition, today the city ranks first in annual household ramen spending at 14,741 yen, and the local government has created a website offering multilingual information on nearly 200 ramen shops.

The city of Niigata, which ranks second on this list (family annual spending is 13,844 yen), has begun similar efforts by creating a website dedicated to the dish to attract ramen-hungry visitors.

Sano case. The city in Tochigi Prefecture is known for its ramen style, which features a lighter broth and firmer noodles. What did you do? They turned the tables there and opened a school to teach aspiring ramen shop owners how to run a restaurant.

The council also helped open new ramen shops where others were closed. Thanks to this work, 7 new shops opened and 31 people (or 15 households) moved in. Sano has a population of approximately 113,000.

Ramen section. Perhaps the furthest ramen has gone is in the city of Nanyo, south of Yamagat. The government has a ramen department there. Although its population is less than 30,000, it is home to more than 50 such restaurants, which gave the city the idea to include ramen as a tourist attraction alongside hot springs or local wines.

Miss Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles

Like? Distributing restaurant maps and organizing events. To give us an idea, the last one, inspired by the manga Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles, was attended by 27,000 people, filling restaurants and hotels, resulting in an economic impact of approximately 170 million yen. Nanyo also organized a ramen making tour for foreign tourists.

Closings in 2023. While this specialization is emerging across the country, an economic reversal is also taking place. Last year saw the highest number of ramen shops closing. Reason? A combination of a weak yen and rising prices caused by international events. Major chains have had to raise their prices to make up for the increase in wholesale costs, but speaking of ramen, it’s not that easy in Japan.

The popular dish remains priced below 1,000 yen, a figure that is key to its local success as “cheap food” from restaurant chains. However, this low cost has created what ramen shop owners and the media call the “1000 yen wall”. They’re afraid that if they raise prices, they’ll lose too many customers to competition and go bankrupt anyway.

Aging is another extra. Food journalist Yamaji Rikiya said another reason may be that older people, who increasingly make up Japan’s population, have become accustomed to the days of “money-money meals.” So, they remember when they could buy an entire plate or bowl for a single coin of 500 yen (or less).

The journalist also noted that the “affordable ramen” mentality is widespread not only among customers but also among merchants. He said many people he spoke to want to keep the price below 1,000 yen to maintain ramen’s “community food” status.

Even so, ramen seems to be the key. As Akira Tachibana, a professor at Yamato University who studies ramen culture, explains, “People even line up to buy ramen from a shop deep in the mountains, and using local ingredients can also help promote the region.” “There are many ways local governments can take action, such as attracting foreign tourists and supporting young people who want to open tanneries.”

Image | City Foodsters, Jacklee, solmarch, RawPixel

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