Struggling ramen shops in Japan use various tactics to grapple with rising prices

TOKYO - As the cost of ramen ingredients has risen, ramen shops in Japan have found themselves beset by tough business conditions. Many of them are reluctant to raise prices, lest they run afoul of customers who remain highly conscious of the 1,000 yen (S$9) barrier.

According to research on family budgets in 2024 conducted by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, the city of Niigata ranked second in the nation for annual spending per household (of two or more people) on Chinese noodles, including ramen, at restaurants.

In 2023, Toyoko, a popular restaurant serving Niigata’s local specialty ramen Niigata noko miso ramen, also known as Niigata thick miso ramen, filed for bankruptcy protection under the Civil Rehabilitation Law.

Following the purchase of Toyoko by Abeko-Seika Co., based in Ojiya, Niigata Prefecture, the rehabilitation of the company is underway.

General manager of the food service division of Abeko-Seika Kenichi Tanaka has been involved in the management of Toyoko for some time.

“Toyoko raised prices to cope with the rising cost of ingredients, but it wasn’t able to keep up. We had to take measures to cut costs. We couldn’t keep the original taste,” he said.

The shop made the painful decision to lower the density of its pork bone broth, he said.

The introduction of a self-service system is one restructuring measure being implemented amid the rising cost of ingredients. Customers buy a meal ticket, pick up their ramen and clear away their dishes after eating.

One shop that has adopted the self-service system is Toyoko’s Atago shop in Niigata City, which seats about 60 people. “I hope I can help keep the food cheap. It would be a sad thing if there was no more Toyoko ramen,” a 47-year-old company employee from the city said.

Their Ganso Niigata