Tonkotsu Ramen Day

What Is Tonkotsu Ramen Day?

October 2nd is "Tonkotsu Ramen Day" in Japan. It was established by the Kurume Ramen Association of Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and is registered with the Japan Anniversary Association. The date comes from a wordplay reading of 10-2 as "ton-kotsu." The aim is to raise awareness of Kurume as a birthplace of tonkotsu ramen and invite people to enjoy it locally.

From a Kurume Food Stall to All of Kyushu

Tonkotsu ramen is ramen made with a broth of simmered pork bones. It is typically a cloudy white soup paired with thin, straight noodles, with Kurume ramen and Hakata ramen being well-known styles.

• Wordplay: 10 (ton) and 2 (kotsu) make "tonkotsu"
• Kyushu's first ramen shop: the Nankin Senryo food stall, opened in Kurume in 1937, is said to have created pork-bone broth
• Originally clear: Nankin Senryo's pork-bone soup still had a clear quality to it
• Annual event: a memorial service for pigs is held each year on this day as a gesture of gratitude

Why It's Called "the Original Kyushu Ramen"

There are several theories about where tonkotsu ramen began, and one credits Kurume. Kurume ramen is said to have influenced ramen in every Kyushu prefecture except Kagoshima, earning it the nickname "the original Kyushu ramen." Its standard toppings of green onion, wood ear mushroom and chashu are shared with Hakata ramen, but many Kurume shops also add nori.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Have a bowl of tonkotsu ramen for lunch or dinner
• Compare Kurume-style and Hakata-style ramen
• Pay attention to the toppings, like nori and wood ear mushroom
• Look up the origin stories of regional ramen styles

Every Bowl Carries a History That Began at a Food Stall

Tonkotsu ramen is now enjoyed across Japan and around the world, but its roots trace back to a Kurume food stall in the early Showa era. On October 2nd, enjoy a bowl and savor the history behind the broth.