Asahikawa Ramen Village is a must-visit culinary destination for travelers seeking to understand the true identity of Hokkaido ramen. While the island is famous for its three major ramen styles—miso from Sapporo, salt (shio) from Hakodate, and shoyu from Asahikawa—the Asahikawa style stands out for its depth, balance, and complexity.

At the heart of this style is the concept of W-Soup, a dual-broth technique that blends pork or chicken bone stock with seafood-based broth made from dried fish or kombu kelp. This combination creates a layered, umami-rich flavor that is bold yet refined, avoiding the sharpness often associated with soy sauce ramen.

Another defining characteristic is the thin oil film (lard layer) floating on top of the soup. This is not merely for richness, but a practical innovation developed for Asahikawa’s harsh winters, helping the soup retain heat so it stays hot until the last sip—even in sub-zero temperatures.

The village features eight ramen shops at any given time, carefully selected from Asahikawa’s most respected and popular establishments.
While individual shop lineups may change over time, the concept remains constant: maintaining a rotating selection of eight top-tier ramen shops that represent the city’s highest standards.

Well-known categories and representative shops include:

• Legendary Origins: Aoba (founded in 1947, original Asahikawa style), Baikoken (internationally awarded)

• Rich & Bold: Ittosya, Tenhou

• Balanced & Smooth: Ishida, Santouka

• Distinctive Styles: Saijo (famous for shio ramen with wakame seaweed), Mukaiyama

Beyond ramen, the village also offers a Ramen Shrine, a popular photo spot and symbolic place where long ramen noodles are believed to represent lasting relationships. A souvenir shop sells boxed ramen sets from every restaurant, making it easy to bring the experience home.

Asahikawa Ramen Village is located within the Asahikawa Powers complex, a large shopping and lifestyle area. Surrounded by department stores, drugstores, and major apparel retailers such as Uniqlo, visitors can comfortably explore the area while waiting if ramen queues are long.

• Train: Take the JR Sekihoku Line and get off at Minami-Nagayama Station, then walk approximately 10 minutes

• Bus: From Asahikawa Station, board buses at Bus Stop No. 18. Take Asahikawa Denki Kido Bus routes 6, 66, or 71, and get off at Nagayama 10-jo 4-chome

• Car: Free large parking area available within the Asahikawa Powers complex

• Order Mini-Ramen portions to sample multiple shops in one visit

• The best time to visit is around 11:00 AM (before noon) to avoid long lines and ensure full menu availability

• Dress warmly in winter, as temperatures and wind chill in this area can be severe

Admission Fee:

• Free entry
  (Ramen prices typically range from 800–1,200 yen per bowl)

Opening Time:

• Generally 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
  (Opening hours may vary by shop; some may close earlier if soup sells out)