Driven by ever-growing tourism, a ramen boom is sweeping Japan

Market for ramen eateries is estimated to be 60% larger than 10 years ago

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A ramen shop in the Sugamo neighbourhood of Tokyo in 2022. In a 2024 Japan Tourism Agency survey on consumption by foreign tourists, 18.9 per cent of respondents said ramen provided the 'most satisfying dining experience', edging out sushi by 4.4 percentage points.

(PHOTO: BLOOMBERG)

A ramen boom like never before is sweeping Japan, driven by tourism and turning the beloved national dish into an international sensation.

The market for ramen restaurants is estimated to have reached a record high of about 790 billion yen (S$6.6 billion) in the last fiscal year, making it 60 per cent larger than it was 10 years ago, according to a credit research company.

This surge is being propelled by the ever-growing number of foreign visitors to Japan.

Seven American tourists were speaking excitedly about what kind of ramen they would get. It was past noon in mid-October, and they were standing in front of a miso ramen restaurant in Tokyo’s Shibuya ward.

The group was part of Tokyo Ramen Tours organised by a Japanese travel agency. The tours hop between three restaurants in the ward over three hours, letting participants compare six small bowls of ramen.

Once the Americans were instructed in English by their Japanese guide to add takana mustard greens to their taste, they ate their noodles.

A 68-year-old participant, who drives for over an hour to eat ramen in their home city of Washington, sounded satisfied, and said that every restaurant in Japan is authentic and offers many flavours.

Despite the tour costing nearly 20,000 yen per person, the organiser receives requests from thousands of foreign tourists every year.