Why Here? The "Most Difficult to Visit Famous Restaurants in Japan" – The Ramen Palace Built by a Passionate Owner and His Message [J's Investigation] [Super J Channel] (May 26, 2024)
The investigation team headed to Uozu City, Toyama Prefecture, in the middle of the night. In the darkness, silhouettes of people could be seen heading toward a certain building. Meanwhile, cars started gathering in the parking lot from midnight, and by dawn, it was almost full. Inside, a long line stretched down the hallway. But what awaited at the end of it?
Meanwhile, deep in the mountains of Chiba, there is a legendary local ramen shop rumored to be the "most difficult to visit famous restaurant in Japan." What makes this place worth the trip, despite its remote location?
Why here? We investigate the secrets of these queue-filled restaurants.
In Uozu City, Toyama Prefecture, a mysterious queue forms in the middle of the night. Visitors come from outside the prefecture as well.
Customers:
- "I'm from Hyogo."
- "I came from Aichi."
- "I'm from Shimizu, Shizuoka. I've been craving this so much."
A family at the front of the line:
- "We came from Ibaraki."
- "Since it's a limited special, we arrived at 3 AM, right?"
- "We left Ibaraki at 9 PM the night before and arrived here at 3 AM."
Family from Ibaraki:
This place is actually a "Sea Station" adjacent to Uozu Port, and today marks the special "Morning Market" held only on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. Fresh and rare seafood caught in Toyama Bay, such as hatahata (sandfish), mebaru (rockfish), and deep-sea fish like genge, are available at bargain prices, drawing large crowds every time.
However, the real reason for the queue lies elsewhere.
At 6:30 AM, the long-awaited moment arrives.
What these customers have waited all night for is the
"Crab Extravaganza Set Meal", featuring an entire
premium red snow crab (beni-zuwai-gani).
The meal includes:
- Ultimate crab soup, made with large crab legs simmered with daikon radish, napa cabbage, and burdock root for a rich, umami-packed broth.
- Grilled crab miso in the shell, where the flavorful crab miso and meat are carefully grilled over charcoal.
- Crab rice, a luxurious dish of crab-infused rice topped with even more freshly shelled crab meat.
Truly a
crab lover's dream, and the price? Unbelievably, just
1,200 yen ($8 USD).
Considering that whole crabs were being sold for
2,500 yen ($17 USD) at the morning market that day, this meal is an absolute steal.
The number of set meals available is extremely limited due to supply constraints—only
30 servings were offered that day. That's why people start lining up in the middle of the night.
So, what happened to the family from Ibaraki?
Family from Ibaraki:
- "It was worth the wait."
- "I'm speechless."
- "The crab miso in the grilled shell was amazing. The cost-performance ratio is unbeatable. Hehe."
One man even placed the grilled crab miso on top of his crab rice for an
even more luxurious experience.
Customer:
- "It feels so extravagant."
■ The Secret Behind the Popularity of the "Crab Extravaganza Set Meal"
The "Crab Extravaganza Set Meal," which started last November, has gained immense popularity. But what makes it so special? The mastermind behind it, Satoshi Asano (52), shares his thoughts:
Asano:
"Freshness. It's all about freshness. If we don't catch it, we can't serve it."
The secret to its popularity lies in the fact that they use only
freshly caught red snow crabs. Because of this, there are days when the meal is unavailable if no crabs are landed.
The day before the morning market, Asano headed to the fishing port. A basket full of red snow crabs was successfully hauled in.
Asano:
(Q: You must be relieved that the crabs were caught.)
"Yes, I really am."
Asano breathed a sigh of relief.
Asano:
"Since we only use freshly caught crabs, we are always at the mercy of the weather and the waves."
To preserve the umami and freshness, the crabs are immediately boiled in saltwater as soon as they are brought ashore.
Even though the
Crab Extravaganza Set Meal is offered at a
rock-bottom price, all for the satisfaction of the customers…
Asano:
"When I see the happy faces of our customers, I feel like it was all worth it."
■ A Famous Ramen Shop in a "Hidden, Remote Location"
Next, we headed to
Mobara Station in Chiba Prefecture.
There, deep in the mountains, lies a famous ramen shop that somehow manages to attract long lines of customers.
Local resident:
"It's a bit different from regular ramen. The line was insanely long."
Another resident added:
Local resident:
"It's like a hidden spot. You wouldn't be able to find it on your first try."
We decided to ask a
local taxi driver who knew the location to take us there. As we drove, houses became sparse, and we entered the mountains.
Dense trees surrounded us, with towering peaks on our right. After navigating several curves, about
20 minutes had passed.
Taxi driver:
"You wouldn't expect a ramen shop to be around here..."
Nestled deep in the
mountains of the Boso Peninsula, halfway up a mountain pass, stood the
solitary ramen shop. By the way, the taxi fare for this ride was about
4,000 yen ($27 USD).
As the
11 AM opening time approached, a crowd began to form at the entrance—
over 40 people in total.
Customer from Kanagawa:
"I skipped breakfast for this."
Customer from Saitama:
(Q: What kind of ramen is it?)
"One of the 'Big Three Ramen' of Chiba."
Chiba's Three Great Ramen: "Katsuura Tantanmen," "Takeoka-style Ramen," and this shop's very own "Ariran Ramen."
People travel all the way here just to taste it—that's how special Ariran Ramen is. With an eye-catching dark broth and a generous amount of onions, it's a dish that leaves an impression.
This time, I tried the shop's most popular item, the "Ariran Chashu," which features Ariran Ramen topped with slices of chashu pork.
The broth has a mild spiciness that follows after the first sip, but the sweetness of the onions and chashu balances it out beautifully. The noodles are smooth, chewy, and satisfying.
The man behind this unique ramen is the shop's owner, Toyo Furuichi (72).
One of his key principles is to start stir-frying the garlic and onions only after an order is placed.
Furuichi:
"Once it reaches a certain point, that's when I add the broth."
This broth is the heart and soul of Ariran Ramen, and its preparation begins every morning at 8 AM.
Furuichi:
"Right now, I've got pork bones, dried sardines, and kelp in here."
Inside the pot, pork bones, kelp, and dried sardines from Chiba's coastal waters simmer together. The secret ingredient? A generous amount of green onions and onions, used whole—stems and all.
Furuichi:
"The umami is in the layers between the skin and flesh. The ends and stems of the onions are incredibly sweet."
After eight hours of slow simmering, the broth turns into a rich, golden liquid. This is then combined with stir-fried onions, the flavorful juices from the chashu, and a house-made chili oil to create Ariran Ramen's signature spicy broth.
The noodles, which Furuichi proudly states have a
"different kind of firmness," are made in a separate factory built just for them.
The special dough is rolled and compressed repeatedly—seven times in total.
Furuichi:
"By passing it through the machine multiple times, we create noodles that are firm and wonderfully chewy."
Finally, the freshly boiled house-made medium-thick noodles are drenched in the flavorful broth, completing the dish.
But why did Furuichi choose to open his shop in this remote mountain pass?
The answer dates back about 54 years when he first set up a ramen cart in this exact location.
Furuichi:
"I used to sell roasted sweet potatoes from morning till night, then switch to ramen at night."
After a failed business venture left him in debt, he worked tirelessly to repay it.
Furuichi:
"I worked and worked—about 19 hours a day."
Two years later, his ramen cart gained a reputation, and he decided to open a permanent shop in the very place where he made his comeback.
The name
Ariran Ramen comes from the Korean folk song
Arirang, which mentions a mountain pass.
Furuichi:
"Since we're located at a mountain pass, I thought adding garlic to make an energizing ramen would help travelers cross it more easily."
With a wish to
"give strength to those who eat it," Furuichi and his wife, Nobue, ran the shop together. Now,
Ariran Ramen sells up to 400 bowls a day and has even expanded with branch locations.
Furuichi:
"This year, we've been aiming to surpass 100 million yen in revenue."
Furuichi has a message he wants to share.
Furuichi:
"My property is about 1,500 tsubo (roughly 5,000 square meters)."
His two-story, 5LDK home is a true
"ramen mansion." In his garage sits a special car.
Furuichi:
"I've been driving this Porsche for ten years. If you work hard enough, even a ramen business can bring you success. I want people to dream big and keep pushing forward."
Every June, he invites locals to his property for a festival.
Furuichi has achieved his
"ramen dream"—his
Ariran Ramen is now recognized as one of Chiba's three great ramen.
However, just two months ago, he lost his beloved wife, Nobue, who had supported the business for 40 years.
Furuichi:
"She had breast cancer. Normally, it's easy to detect, but we couldn't catch it in time."
He devoted himself to caring for her, and her last words still resonate in his heart.
Furuichi:
"She used to say, 'I had so much fun.' She always told me that being with me was fun."
The ramen they built together,
Ariran Ramen, lives on. And Furuichi continues to make it, here in this mountain pass.
Furuichi:
"This was the first place I ever ran a business. I have to hold my ground here, no matter what."
[
TV Asahi News]
テレビ朝日が配信しているニュースサイト。政治・経済・社会・国際から、スポーツ・エンタメまで、最新ニュースをいち早くお届け。ニュース速報やアクセスランキングなど今話題のニュースもひと目でわかります。