Romen Day (Rōmen no Hi)

What Is Romen Day?

June 4th is "Romen Day." It was established by the Ina Romen's Club, which promotes romen, a local specialty noodle dish from Ina City in Nagano Prefecture. Because romen is made with steamed noodles, the date comes from a wordplay: "mu" (6) and "shi" (4) together sound like "mushi," meaning "steamed." Participating restaurants sometimes offer special deals on romen on this day.

The Basics of Romen

Romen is a noodle dish unique to the Ina area, made by stir-frying mutton with vegetables such as cabbage and combining them with thick, steamed Chinese-style noodles. It has a distinctive flavor unlike either ramen or yakisoba.

• Noodles: Medium-thick, firm Chinese-style noodles steamed at the noodle factory
• Ingredients: Mutton, cabbage, wood ear mushrooms, and more (versions made with pork are called "ton-romen" to distinguish them)
• Styles: A ramen-like "soup style" with noodles half-submerged in broth, and a "yakisoba style" with no broth

The Origins of Romen

Romen is said to have been created in 1955 by Waichi Itō, owner of the Chinese restaurant "Banri" in Ina City, with the help of a local noodle maker. In an era when refrigerators were not yet common, he devised a way to steam noodles so they would keep longer, and romen was born from those steamed noodles.

• Born in Ina City in 1955
• Spread to other restaurants after Itō allowed free use of the name
• Adopted in home cooking and school lunches, becoming a local staple

Connection to Mutton

At the time, sheep were widely raised around Ina City for wool. Romen used mutton, a by-product, salted to make it keep, along with cabbage, which was widely grown in the area. Romen can be said to have grown out of the climate and everyday life of the Ina Valley.

How Romen Is Eaten

A distinctive feature of romen is that diners adjust the seasoning to their own taste after it's served.

• Ichimi or shichimi chili pepper, as well as sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and garlic, are added to taste
• Diners are encouraged to "build" their preferred flavor as they eat
• The flavor varies from restaurant to restaurant, and from household to household

Romen as a Local Specialty

In 1994, Ina City took up romen as a tool for local revitalization, and the Romen Committee (now the Romen's Club) was formed. In 2004, a monument marking the birthplace of romen was erected near the Banri main restaurant. For visitors to Ina City, romen offers a window into the area's unique character.

Ways to Enjoy Romen Day

• Compare romen with other local noodle dishes from around Japan
• Try both the soup style and the yakisoba style
• Learn about the history of sheep raising in the Ina Valley
• Make romen at home using a souvenir romen kit

A Plate of Noodles That Tells a Region's History

Romen Day on June 4th is an opportunity to learn about a region's history and way of life through a single noodle dish. Born from an idea for keeping noodles fresh and from local mutton and cabbage, romen has been passed down alongside the landscape of the Ina Valley. Why not take an interest in local specialty dishes and discover the depth of Japan's regional food cultures?