Ramen shops in Japan are feeling the squeeze recently. Despite this, the dish remains one of the country’s most beloved fast food meals. That’s reflected in an annual report of who eats what – and where – when they dine out in Japan. The results are out for 2024 – and for the third year in a row, a city in Japan’s north has captured the title.
According to NHK News, the report, run by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs & Communications, shows by city how much people spend when eating out. It further breaks this down by food type, which means we can see which cities consume the most ramen.
For the third year, Yamagata City, the capital of Yamagata Prefecture in the Tohoku region, came out on top. The city’s residents eat an average of 22,389 yen (USD $146) per household in the noodle-based dish every year. That blows away all other competitors: runner-up Nigata only consumes 6,097 yen (around $40) per household.
Yamagata’s lead is so firm that it’s invested heavily in promoting itself as Japan’s “holy land of ramen.” The city runs PR campaigns in conjunction with local ramen shops and chains promoting the food.
Hamamatsu rules gyoza
The victory wasn’t easily won. Nigata sponsored lottery campaigns and other PR campaigns in an attempt to unseat the reigning champion. It’s the city’s third year ranking behind Yamagata.
The report also reveals that Hamamatsu City in Shizuoka Prefecture, known for its “Hamamatsu gyoza,” placed first in gyoza consumption for the second year running. Distinguished by its richness of pork and the use of all-local ingredients, city residents eat an average of 4,062 ($26) of goyza per household yearly. Miyazaki City in Miyazaki Prefecture is a close runner-up at 3,517 yen ($23).
Mainichi reports that Hamamatsu City also ranks top for grilled eel (unagi) at 4,859 yen ($31). Meanwhile, the drunkards in Fukushima City consume the most sake (Japanese rice wine) at 11,811 yen ($77) per household.
The fervor for ramen is good news for ramen shops, some of which are struggling to survive. 2024 saw more bankruptcies for ramen shops than ever. Some shops say they’re struggling to make ends meet while staying within the so-called “1000 yen wall.” Some are afraid to cross the rubicon of this per-bowl price point for fear of driving away customers.
Other ramen shops, like Ramen Break Beats in Tokyo, have opted instead to break the wall. These shops offer a higher-end experience for more money – a strategy that’s proven successful for many shops.
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