In Japan, there is a rich diversity of regional ramen, each with its unique flavors and ingredients, stretching from Hokkaido in the north to Kagoshima in the south. We introduces 28 different types of local ramen, showcasing the variety in broths such as miso, tonkotsu, soy sauce, and salt, and matching them with the perfect noodles for a delightful culinary experience. These local specialties offer a taste of the regional characteristics and can be a memorable part of travel experiences.
Asahikawa Ramen [Hokkaido]
Mainstream soy sauce-based soup! Plenty of fat keeps it hot!
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| 旭川ラーメン【北海道】 |
Asahikawa ramen features a soy sauce-based double broth that combines animal and seafood flavors. To reduce the distinct smell of pork bones, dried sardines and kelp are infused, enhancing the broth with a refreshing taste.
The ramen is paired with medium-thick, curly noodles that excel at absorbing the flavorful soup, thanks to their low water content.
To combat the cold weather of northern Japan, lard is stirred into the soup. This not only prevents the soup from cooling quickly but also gives it a glossy, enticing layer of fat on top.
Kushiro Ramen [Hokkaido]
Ultra-thin, wavy noodles are well mixed with the soy sauce broth from the seafood soup!
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| 釧路ラーメン【北海道】 |
Kushiro Ramen stands out with its ultra-thin, curly noodles that have a smooth texture. It's seasoned with a soy sauce blend and a bonito broth foundation. Each bowl is garnished with chashu pork, bamboo shoots, and green onions, offering a timeless appeal.
Theories vary on why the noodles are so thin. Some suggest it's to blend seamlessly with the soup, while another popular idea is that it's to quickly serve tasty ramen to fishermen returning from the sea.
Muroran Curry Ramen [Hokkaido]
The spicy curry soup is addictive! A wide variety of variations are also appealing!
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| 室蘭カレーラーメン【北海道】 |
"Muroran Curry Ramen" features a curry-flavored soup paired with medium-thick noodles. It's a unique but established choice in Muroran, having been a staple for over 50 years.
The mix of spicy curry with traditional ramen creates an addictive taste. Each ramen shop offers its twist, with options like rich curry miso soup and cheese curry soup, among other original creations.
Hakodate Ramen [Hokkaido]
The clear soup with a deep salty flavor is so good you'll want to drink it all up!
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| 函館ラーメン【北海道】 |
Hakodate Ramen is a beloved specialty in southern Hokkaido's Hakodate city. Its hallmark is the clear salt-based broth. This delicate broth, low in fat and free of strong odors, is crafted from pork and chicken bones. It's simmered gently to draw out deep flavors. Paired with this broth are straight, smooth noodles that harmonize beautifully with the soup's profile.
Miso Curry Milk Ramen [Aomori]
Mild flavor created by the perfect balance of miso, curry and milk!
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| 味噌カレー牛乳ラーメン【青森県】 |
Kitakata Ramen [Fukushima]
Enjoy the smooth and chewy flat thick noodles produced by the famous water of the Heisei era!
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| 喜多方ラーメン【福島県】 |
Kitakata City in Fukushima is home to around 100 ramen shops. "Kitakata Ramen" typically features a light soy sauce-based soup, with each shop presenting its unique take on flavor, soup, and noodles.
A distinctive trait of this ramen is its thick, flat noodles. These noodles, known as "flat, aged, multi-added water noodles," are made using the renowned water from Tsugamine mountain stream, celebrated as one of the top 100 waters of the Heisei era. They are aged for an extended period with plenty of water, giving them a distinctive firmness and curl. This allows for a slippery texture and satisfying chewiness in every bite.
Shirakawa Ramen [Fukushima]
Thick soy sauce broth that goes well with the thick, limp noodles.
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| 白河ラーメン【福島県】 |
Shirakawa Ramen is mostly soy sauce ramen based on chicken or pork bones. The firm texture of the noodles is well mixed with the slightly thicker flavored soup.
The clear brown soup has a light yet rich flavor! Ingredients include chashu pork, green onions, bamboo shoots, spinach and spiralized tofu. Many restaurants use traditional chashu pork with a red edge.
Sano Ramen [Tochigi Prefecture]
Don't miss the firm, coarse noodles made by the traditional "green bamboo beating" method!
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| 佐野らーめん【栃木県】 |
The characteristic of the historic "Sano Ramen" is the firm, curly noodles kneaded with high-quality water, including spring water from the Deiruhara Benten Pond.
The soup is usually a refreshing soy sauce-based soup, but there are also stores that offer ramen other than soy sauce. There are more than 150 stores in the city that serve Sano ramen, so it is recommended to compare the different types of ramen!
Mito Han Ramen [Ibaraki Prefecture]
The ramen that Mito Komon ate! The noodles and condiments are a perfect match!
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| 水戸藩らーめん【茨城県】 |
Mito han ramen" is a recreation of the ramen that Mitsukuni Tokugawa, known as Mito Komon, is said to have eaten, based on documents and other sources. The noodles are kneaded with powdered lotus root powder from lotus root, a specialty of Ibaraki, and have a light brown color like Japanese soba noodles. The noodles have a firm and satisfying texture.
The "goshin" condiments (chives, rakkyo, leeks, garlic, and ginger) that accompany the ramen are said to be based on the idea of "boosting the vital energy of the five organs.
Takeoka-style Ramen [Chiba Prefecture]
Full of flavorful meat! The thickly sliced pork makes a big impact!
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| 竹岡式ラーメン【千葉県】 |
Takeoka-style ramen, with its thick slices of chashu pork and black soup, has a large visual impact.
The color of Takeoka-style ramen's black soup is due to the fact that the soy sauce broth in which the chashu pork is stewed is mixed with hot water. Despite the simplicity of the process, the soup is full of the flavor of meat! Diced onions and leeks are added as toppings to add sweetness.
The famous restaurant that popularized the Takeoka method uses dried noodles that are the same regardless of who cooks them so that there is no variation in flavor.
Anyoji Ramen [Nagano Prefecture]
Local ramen from Shinshu, using more than 80% "Anyoji Miso"!
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| 安養寺ら～めん【長野県】 |
The only definition of "Anyoji Ramen" is that it contains at least 80% "Anyoji Miso" in the miso sauce!
The characteristic of "Anyoji miso," which is said to be the origin of Shinshu miso, is its mild and unique deep flavor. 2 to 3 years of aging gives it not only a mild taste, but also a deep richness and aroma.
Tsubame back fat ramen [Niigata Prefecture]
A flavorful soy sauce ramen with a lot of back fat floating on top!
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| 燕背脂ラーメン【新潟県】 |
As the name suggests, Tsubame Back Fat Ramen, with plenty of back fat floating in the soup, is a soul food loved in Tsubame City, Niigata Prefecture.
The soup has a strong soy sauce flavor with a hint of seafood broth such as niboshi (dried sardines). The pork back fat that floats so thickly that the noodles cannot be seen not only adds a deep flavor, but also keeps the soup from getting cold.
Thick noodles with a chewy texture are another characteristic of Tsubame back fat ramen. The main type of noodle is extra-thick, but each store has its own variation, such as flat or wavy noodles. Try this thick ramen that is definitely worth eating at least once!
Niigata Nouko Miso Ramen [Niigata Prefecture]
Thick miso broth that can be mixed with soup stock to create your own favorite flavor.
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| 新潟濃厚味噌ラーメン【新潟県】 |
The thick soup is infused with the rich flavor of animal broth. Only Niigata thick miso ramen allows you to adjust the flavor of this rich miso soup with "split broth" such as bonito soup stock or chicken broth! You can dilute the thick soup or change the flavor in the middle of the ramen to suit your own taste.
The noodles are usually thick to match the thick soup. Toppings such as stir-fried vegetables, plenty of white onions, and minced meat are unique to each restaurant. We hope you will find your favorite bowl of noodles.
Toyama Black Ramen [Toyama Prefecture]
A powerful black soup with a soy sauce flavor and high salt content!
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| 富山ブラックラーメン |
The most distinctive feature of Toyama Black Ramen, or "Toyama Black" as it is commonly called, is its black soy sauce-based soup!
Toyama Black Ramen" was invented for postwar manual laborers to eat ramen as a side dish with rice as their staple food, so it is seasoned with a strong saltiness. The salty soup has a lingering taste that some people find addictive, saying, "I can eat as much rice as I want.
Because of the strong flavor of the soup, most restaurants serve it with firm noodles of medium thickness or thicker. If possible, it is best to enjoy it with white rice.
Tsuruga Ramen [Fukui Prefecture]
Originates from a food stall! Thick ramen with a pork and chicken bone base!
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| 敦賀ラーメン【福井県】 |
Tsuruga Ramen" is said to have originated from a ramen stall. The basic flavor is soy sauce-flavored ramen based on pork and chicken bones, but the thickness of the flavor, the thickness of the noodles, and the toppings vary from store to store.
It is said that a floating stall opened near Tsuruga Station in the early Showa period (early 20th century), and even now, over time, each stall and store offers its own special ramen from 8:00 p.m. to around 2:00 a.m.
Takayama Ramen [Gifu Prefecture]
Gentle taste of mild soy sauce broth simmered with sauce!
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| 高山ラーメン |
It is a simple soy sauce ramen served with traditional toppings such as chashu pork, pickled bamboo shoots, and green onions.
The soup is made in a Japanese style, with chicken stock as the main ingredient, combined with soup stock such as dried sardines and bonito flakes. While most ramen is made by combining the soup and sauce just before serving, Takayama ramen is made by simmering the soup and sauce together.
The soup has a mild flavor thanks to the high quality water of Hida Takayama. The noodles are usually thin and wavy, and the thin, wavy noodles with a firm texture are well mixed with the soup.
Banshu Ramen [Hyogo Prefecture]
Characterized by its rich, sweet soy sauce broth!
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| 播州ラーメン【兵庫県】 |
Banshu Ramen, Hyogo Prefecture's local ramen, is most notable for its sweet soy sauce-based soup. The sweet broth is made from chicken stock, onions, and other vegetables.
The noodles are orthodox, with thin, curly noodles, chashu pork, bean sprouts, green onions, and nori, but the characteristic sweet soup gives it a unique and distinctive flavor.
Wakayama Ramen [Wakayama Prefecture]
Two main types of ramen: soy sauce-based and pork-based. Both are to be conquered!
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| 和歌山ラーメン【和歌山県】 |
Wakayama Ramen" has many fans throughout Japan. It is said that there are two main types of soup: "soy sauce-based" and "tonkotsu shoyu-based".
Shoyu-style ramen is characterized by a dark brown broth with a clean, easy-to-eat taste. On the other hand, the "Tonkotsu Shoyu" type has a rich and mellow flavor that is a perfect combination of pork bones and soy sauce. When people in Japan refer to "Wakayama Ramen", they are referring to this "Tonkotsu Shoyu-kei" type.
All ramen noodles are straight and thin, with simple toppings such as chashu pork, pickled bamboo shoots, green onions, and kamaboko (fish paste).
Tottori Gyukotsu Ramen [Tottori Prefecture]
Aromatic and rich soup based on beef bone broth!
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| 鳥取牛骨ラーメン【鳥取県】 |
Tottori Gyukotsu Ramen" is a local ramen made from beef bones, a rarity in Japan. It is available at stores scattered throughout central Tottori Prefecture.
The flavor of the soup varies from store to store, including soy sauce and salt, but the clear soup made from beef bones is rich yet has a clean aftertaste like tail soup. Medium-thick noodles are often used, and simple toppings such as bamboo shoots, green onions, and bean sprouts are the most common.
Kasaoka Ramen [Okayama Prefecture]
Chicken soup topped with boiled chicken!
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| 笠岡ラーメン【岡山県】 |
Kasaoka City in Okayama Prefecture has long been a center of chicken farming and noodle making. Kasaoka Ramen" is a local ramen that offers a sumptuous taste of chicken, a familiar ingredient.
In addition to a light chicken broth, there is also a double broth that combines chicken broth and seafood broth, but the main flavor of both soups is soy sauce. The basic Kasaoka Ramen is topped with "Nidori" (boiled chicken meat), which is made by simmering the meat of a chicken called "Kashiwa" in soy sauce. The Kashiwa chicken has a firm, chewy texture, and the more you chew it, the more flavorful it becomes.
Onomichi Ramen [Hiroshima Prefecture]
A combination of soup stock made from small fish from the Seto Inland Sea and pork back fat.
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| 尾道ラーメン【広島県】 |
Onomichi ramen's basic soup is a clear soy sauce-based broth made from chicken bones. Some stores add seafood broth made from small fish from the Seto Inland Sea as a double broth, characterized by the aroma of iriko (dried sardines). In addition, many stores add chunks of minced back fat, which is soft and fluffy, to the soup, giving it a light yet rich flavor.
The noodles are firm, flat, medium-fine and straight, and the toppings are usually orthodox ramen such as chashu pork, green onions, and bamboo shoots.
Tokushima Ramen [Tokushima Prefecture]
Three completely different types of ramen: brown, white, and yellow!
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| 徳島ラーメン【徳島県】 |
Tokushima Ramen" is classified into three types based on the color of the soup: "brown," "white," and "yellow.
Cha-kei" is characterized by a dark brown, strong-flavored soup made from pork bone broth with a dark soy sauce sauce sauce, and is said to be the mainstay of Tokushima ramen. Shiro-kei" is a pork bone broth with a light soy sauce sauce sauce, and has a lighter, sweeter flavor than "Chan-kei". The "yellow" type is a chicken broth based on chicken bones with light soy sauce and vegetables added to give it a clear, light brown mild flavor.
Each restaurant pursues the noodle that best matches the soup, and the thickness of the noodle varies from medium to extra-thin. Toppings are similar, but the topping of pork belly stewed in a thick sauce and the way of eating it by dropping a raw egg to make the taste milder are unique to "Tokushima ramen.
Nabeyaki Ramen [Kochi Prefecture]
Japanese-style ramen served in an earthenware pot! Goes well with a raw egg!
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| 鍋焼きラーメン【高知県】 |
Nabeyaki Ramen" was born in Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture, and has been loved by the locals for nearly 50 years. It is served in clay pots, enameled pots, and iron pots, so it does not get cold easily and stays hot until the end.
The soup is soy sauce flavored and made from the chicken broth of the parent birds that have laid eggs. The thin noodles, which are hard-boiled, are served in the hot soup and are said to be just the right size. Some restaurants include the meat of the parent bird, which has a strong flavor and is chewy, as an ingredient.
Toppings are simple: green onions, raw egg, and chikuwa. There seems to be a variety of ways to eat the raw egg, such as breaking it up or submerging it in the soup.
Hakata Ramen [Fukuoka Prefecture]
Choose the hardness of the noodles to your liking! Thin noodles with a rich pork bone flavor!
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| 博多ラーメン【福岡県】 |
Hakata Ramen" is characterized by its flavorful, cloudy pork bone broth and firm, thin, straight noodles. The soup is made by cooking only pork bones for a long time, and the collagen from the bones is dissolved in the soup, giving it a rich flavor!
The common ingredients are chashu pork, all-purpose green onions, kikurage mushrooms, and other toppings available on the table such as spicy mustard greens, red ginger, and sesame seeds.
Noodles are available in "soft", "normal", "hard", and "hard", You can choose from "soft," "normal," "hard," "hard," and "wire" to order your favorite hardness. You can also try "kaedama," or refilling the noodle with leftover soup!
Kurume Ramen [Fukuoka Prefecture]
Thick, rich ramen! The soup is full of flavor!
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| 久留米ラーメン【福岡県】 |
Along with "Hakata Ramen" and "Nagahama Ramen," Kurume Ramen is one of Fukuoka's representative local ramen. The soup is made with a rich, thick, cloudy pork bone broth and medium-thick, straight noodles.
Many restaurants offering Kurume ramen also claim to have "kobidashi soup," in which new broth is added to the aged broth. This mixing of soups of different thicknesses results in a rich soup with concentrated flavor.
Toppings include chashu pork, kikurage mushrooms, and all-purpose green onions, and many stores also add nori seaweed. Some restaurants serve a thinner broth with less pork bone smell, so if you prefer a lighter flavor, please research in advance.
Kumamoto Ramen [Kumamoto Prefecture] 熊本ラーメン【熊本県】- The aroma of the pork bone broth is enhanced by the mer-oil
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| 熊本ラーメン【熊本県】 |
Kumamoto ramen" is characterized by a soup blending pork bones and chicken bones, topped with appetizing scorched garlic, and firm, medium-thick, straight noodles.
The mild broth has no peculiarities, and is accented by a dash of "ma-yu" (fried garlic oil), which gives the soup a deep, creamy finish. Garlic toppings vary from restaurant to restaurant, and include fried or roasted garlic chips, garlic powder, and other toppings.
Kushikino Tuna Ramen [Kagoshima]
Light-flavored Japanese-style ramen with a broth made from tuna heads
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| 串木野まぐろラーメン【鹿児島県】 |
The ramen in the photo is topped with pickled tuna. You may be thinking, "Sashimi in ramen? you may think, but the heat of the soup cooks it to the perfect degree.
The soup, in which the head of tuna is simmered in a broth of aromatic vegetables such as leeks, has a light Japanese taste. We also recommend mixing in some wasabi to change the flavor. The smooth, medium-thick noodles are specially developed for Kushikino Tuna Ramen and go well with the soup.
Kagoshima Ramen [Kagoshima Prefecture]
Mild pork bone ramen with chicken broth added
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| 鹿児島ラーメン【鹿児島県】 |
Kagoshima Ramen" is a pork bone ramen with a light and refreshing flavor. It is said to be mild and easy to eat because of the addition of chicken and vegetable broth to the pork bone base.
The mainstream of Kagoshima ramen is made with medium-thick noodles that do not contain the "Kansui" used in the production of Chinese noodles, but there are also thick noodles that follow the tradition of Okinawa soba noodles and thin noodles that follow the tradition of Taiwanese rice noodles. Both are soft and gentle in texture.
In summary, Japan's local ramen varieties offer a delectable tapestry of the nation's regional flavors. From Hokkaido's miso to Kagoshima's tonkotsu, each of the 28 distinct styles provides a unique culinary narrative. Sampling these ramen is not just about enjoying a meal; it's an immersive experience into Japan's rich gastronomic heritage, marking an unforgettable part of any travel itinerary.
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