Ramen shops are feeling the pinch. As we’ve written before, most shops desperately need to raise their prices due to the rising cost of…well, everything. However, many are afraid to transcend the so-called “1,000 yen wall” (around USD $6.70) or fear of driving away customers.
Some shops have found a Third Way: keep serving noodles …and only noodles.
From option to necessity?
FNN reports that some shops are experimenting with a ramen that’s nothing but noodles and broth. For instance, MAIKAGURA in Setagaya City, Tokyo is selling a “kake-soba” for a mere 880 yen ($5.90) that contains noodles and soup without any other toppings.
The store is also selling its traditional yuzu shio ramen for around 1,180 yen. That comes with typical ramen accoutrements such as char sui, a half-boiled egg, and bamboo shoots.
The store’s noodles, made with five different varieties of wheat flour, are apparently quite delicious on their own. So it started selling a bowl of just the noodles so people could savor their taste. However, sales have gone up as consumer prices in Japan have hit new heights. Owner Ichijo Taichi says it’s allowed the store to raise its core prices above the 1,000 yen wall while still offering something to customers who don’t want to spend that much.
Not all 麺
Others have also gotten into the act, including Chinese soba chain Gyoza no Manchu with its char sui-less soy sauce ramen for a mere 400 yen ($2.70).
Not everyone’s going this route. As I discussed in my review of Ramen Break Beats, some ramen shops are unabashedly going high-end and sticking to it. Even Denny’s Japan is selling ramen overseen by a Kanagawa Prefecture shop for 1,400 yen.
Still, the rise of topping-less ramen at multiple locations is notable. While the article paints the emergence of featureless ramen as A Choice, many commenters on Yahoo! News JP regard it more as a sign of Japan’s falling fortunes.
“Everyone’s working as hard as they can every day but Japan’s getting poorer and poorer. It’s sad,” one lamented.
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