June 26, 2024

Discover the Alluring Appeal of Ramen that Captivates Travelers

The trend of using ramen to drive regional revitalization is gaining momentum. With over 20,000 ramen stores in Japan, it's a hit among locals and tourists. Many local governments hope to benefit from the ripple effect, such as increased tourism. Yamagata Prefecture, known for its unique ramen culture and having the highest number of ramen restaurants per person in Japan, aims to showcase this distinctiveness to boost community development.

In 2021, the Chinese restaurant market was valued at about 1.37 trillion yen, with ramen stores making up around 50%. A survey by the Japan Tourism Agency revealed that satisfaction with eating ramen in Japan ranked second, following meat dishes and surpassing sushi. As of the beginning of June, there were 21,110 ramen stores nationwide. Yamagata Prefecture had the highest number of stores per 10,000 population, followed by Niigata and Akita Prefectures.

Yamagata has also started creating a "Ramen Sanctuary" focused on "Ramen." The "Yamara" trademark has been registered, and a website called "# Oshimen Yamagata" has been launched to showcase around 200 ramen stores. The budget for the fiscal year 2024 allocated approximately 30 million yen for website operations and multilingual support.

Meanwhile, Niigata City, a strong contender with Yamagata City for the top spot in spending, is also making strides in attracting tourists through food, particularly ramen. A pamphlet on 70 ramen stores has been created, and 220 stores are featured on smartphones. A related budget of 20 million yen was allocated for the fiscal year 2024. In April, the JR Niigata Station building opened "Niigatabaru★Men Yokocho," a testament to the city's success in this endeavor.

Akira Tachibana, an associate professor at Yamato University who studies ramen food culture, emphasized, "Ramen has such a low geographical barrier that people will even line up in remote mountainous areas. The use of local ingredients can also help to promote the attractiveness of the region." "There are many things that local governments can do, such as supporting young people who want to visit Japan and open ramen stores."