According to the archives of the Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum, the introduction of ramen to Japan traces back to the tail end of the Edo period, when a wave of foreign settlers began to populate the ports of Yokohama, Kobe, Nagasaki, and Hakodate. The noodle dish, in its nascent form, was originally an import from China, akin to many Chinese noodle meals.
With the dawn of the Meiji era, the number of Chinese inhabitants and consequently, Chinese restaurants, saw a significant surge, boosting the popularity of this versatile dish. The year 1910 marked a milestone in the culinary history of Japan as a Japanese entrepreneur, fascinated by this novel delicacy, opened ‘Rai Rai Ken’ in Asakusa, a district of Tokyo. Employing a dozen Chinese chefs, ‘Rai Rai Ken’ quickly became a sensation among the Japanese populace.
The Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum states that ‘Rai Rai Ken’ played an instrumental role in the fusion of Chinese and Japanese culinary traditions, ultimately giving birth to what is known today as Japanese ramen. Renowned ramen connoisseurs now refer to this year as “the inaugural year of ramen”, a testament to the transformative journey of this humble noodle dish.
Luna Nueva_Ramen-making experience
