This City Proudly Remains The Ramen Capital of Japan for a Third Year

Who downs the most ramen per capita in Japan? An annual report from Japan’s government crowns a repeat winner.

Ramen shops in Japan are feeling the squeeze recently. Despite this, the dish remains one of the country’s most beloved fast food meals. That’s reflected in an annual report of who eats what — and where — when they dine out in Japan. The results are out for 2024 — and for the third year in a row, a city in Japan’s north has captured the title.

According to NHK News, the report, run by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs & Communications, shows by city how much people spend when eating out. It further breaks this down by food type, which means we can see which cities consume the most ramen.

For the third year, Yamagata City, the capital of Yamagata Prefecture in the Tohoku region, came out on top. The city’s residents eat an average of 22,389 yen (USD $146) per household in the noodle-based dish every year. That blows away all other competitors: runner-up Nigata only consumes 6,097 yen (around $40) per household.

Yamagata’s lead is so firm that it’s invested heavily in promoting itself as Japan’s “holy land of ramen.” The city runs PR campaigns in conjunction with local ramen shops and chains promoting the food.