Photo/Illutration Customers line up in front of Ramen Megumi in Yamagata before it opens to try its popular “miso wonton ‘tanmen’ noodles" on Feb. 7. (Photo taken by Masahiro Takahashi)

TAMAGATA--It was shortly after 8 a.m. when a public employee broke the news to local ramen shop owners gathered in a conference room at city hall.

Yamagata’s residents had feasted their way to a third consecutive victory in a nationwide ranking of annual ramen consumption at restaurants—the announcement was met with cheers.

Each household spent 22,389 yen ($150), according to the 2024 budget family survey released by the internal affairs ministry on Jan. 7. The ranking spanned prefectural capitals and government ordinance cities.

The city also came second in household expense for soba and udon at 12,795 yen, up from last year’s fifth place with 9,125 yen.

The jump in rankings means Yamagata is several bowls closer to embodying its self-proclaimed title, “Ramen-ken Soba-okoku” (Ramen prefecture Soba kingdom), a term the prefecture trademarked last year.

Calculations for the ranking were based on the sum households with two or more members spent on eating out. Money spent on eating ramen at restaurants increased by nearly 5,000 yen from last year and reached an all-time high since record-keeping began in 2000.

This shows Yamagata’s even wider lead of 6,097 yen than last year’s 2,369 yen between itself and runner-up Niigata at 16,292 yen.

Ongoing strategizing and teamwork between the city government and its ramen joints are partly behind Yamagata’s three-year win streak. It was after the city surrendered its top spot to Niigata in 2021 that local business owners decided to act.

They formed the “’Ramen no seichi, Yamagata-shi’ wo tsukuru kyogikai” (“Council to create ‘Yamagata, the ramen capital of Japan’) and the city regained the top spot the following year.

Meanwhile, the government also cooperated by trademarking the nickname “yama-ra,” a portmanteau fusing the city and dish, and launched a website of its restaurants with the option to search by type of ramen.

Toshihiko Suzuki, owner of Mentatsu and chairman of the council, eagerly said, “This must be the result of shared efforts by the ramen shops, traders and the city government. We hope to spread ‘yama-ra’ in and outside the city as well as overseas.”

Mayor Takahiro Sato acknowledged the city’s leap to second place for soba and udon consumption as well.

"I think in top-ranking Takamatsu, the majority of people are buying udon (while Yamagata prefers soba)," he said. "So, in a sense, it feels like we do rank first for amount of soba eaten and hold two titles."

As snow fell, the line for Ramen Megumi in Sakuradahigashi in Yamagata continued growing ahead of the eatery's 11 a.m. opening time. 

Hisanori Sato, a 45-year-old public employee who came from Sendai with his family, enjoyed the shop’s popular “miso wonton ‘tanmen’ noodles.”

“Each time we visit Yamagata, we try ramen at different places. I think it is amazing that the city keeps winning the top spot,” he said.

Ko Sagae, who owns Ramen Megumi and is vice chairman of the ramen promotion council, credits the dual efforts of public and private forces.

“I feel that the number of tourists from overseas and outside the prefecture has increased considerably,” Sagae said.

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