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Ramen Takes Off as Global Soul Food

  • Ishiyama Hayato (left) appears on TV eating at Ramen Dining Jingū in Tokyo.

    Ishiyama Hayato (left) appears on TV eating at Ramen Dining Jingū in Tokyo.

  • From left to right are pictured tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen, soy-sauce ramen, and miso ramen.

    From left to right are pictured tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen, soy-sauce ramen, and miso ramen.

  • The restaurant chain Ajisen Ramen dates back to 1972, when the first shop was founded in Kumamoto by a native of Taiwan who combined the tonkotsu soup common in Kyūshū with the garlic oil māyu to create a ramen dish that has come to be known as Kumamoto Ramen. The chain was also a pioneer in expanding overseas. (Photo from the Ajisen Ramen shop in Tsingtao.)

    The restaurant chain Ajisen Ramen dates back to 1972, when the first shop was founded in Kumamoto by a native of Taiwan who combined the tonkotsu soup common in Kyūshū with the garlic oil māyu to create a ramen dish that has come to be known as Kumamoto Ramen. The chain was also a pioneer in expanding overseas. (Photo from the Ajisen Ramen shop in Tsingtao.)

  • Hakata Ippūdō got its start in Fukuoka in 1985 and expanded to Tokyo ten years later. The interior of the shop and other features have been designed to attract female diners, thus helping to overturn the image of ramen as a food for men. The chain offers two kinds of tonkotsu soup: the thick Akamaru soup and the lighter Shiromaru soup. (Photo from the Hakata Ippudo shop in Shanghai.)

    Hakata Ippūdō got its start in Fukuoka in 1985 and expanded to Tokyo ten years later. The interior of the shop and other features have been designed to attract female diners, thus helping to overturn the image of ramen as a food for men. The chain offers two kinds of tonkotsu soup: the thick Akamaru soup and the lighter Shiromaru soup. (Photo from the Hakata Ippudo shop in Shanghai.)

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