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Otaru is a port town about 30 minutes by train from Sapporo. Otaru, lauded as a city of history and romance, is one of Hokkaido's leading tourist destinations. Around the "Otaru Canal," which can be called Otaru's symbol, there are many historical buildings built in the Meiji era, attracting not only Japanese but also foreign tourists. While Otaru overflows with exotic charm and allows visitors to enjoy nostalgic scenery, there are actually popular ramen restaurants with long lines. For the ramen lovers among you, we introduce delicious Otaru ramen.

Giving Otaru.

From "Former Otaru Warehouse" overlooking the canal,
UNGAPLUS brings you "The Story of Otaru"
which has walked hand-in-hand with the Kitamae-bune ships,
introducing "Places to Visit in Otaru."

Please enjoy "Otaru."

See more Otaru gourmet food

Delicious Otaru Ramen - Otaru Sightseeing ①

Ramen Kyoya

The deliciousness of homemade noodles and additive-free ingredients, prepared with care.

"Ramen Kyoya" prides itself on the deliciousness of its homemade noodles and additive-free ingredients, prepared with meticulous care. They use no chemical seasonings whatsoever, producing noodles in-house to match each menu item, and simmering soups thoroughly to maximize the flavor of natural ingredients from Shiribeshi. The noodles are made only from "flour, water, and kansui" (alkaline water), with the ratio changed for each menu item and prepared in the optimal, freshly-made state. Ingredients are sourced from Hokkaido. The chashu (braised pork) uses savory pork thigh from Yoichi-cho's Kitajima Farm, slow-cooked in-house until tender. This is a popular ramen shop in Otaru, dedicated to every detail.

Delicious Otaru Ramen - Otaru Sightseeing ②

Natural Ramen Mahoro

"Mahoro," beloved by local Otaru citizens since its establishment.

Since its founding in 1997, "Mahoro" has been loved by local Otaru citizens as a handmade ramen shop that uses no chemical seasonings or commercial extracts, offering healthy and wholesome ramen. They offer two types of soup: a light chicken broth that utilizes Rishiri kelp and dried fish flakes, and a rich tonkotsu (pork bone) broth that is simmered slowly with aromatic vegetables to eliminate any unpleasant odors. The deliciousness of their natural ingredient-based soup will make you want to visit again and again. Their noodles are homemade, medium-thin, low-hydration, low-kansui (alkaline water) curly noodles. "Mahoro" was also the first in Otaru to offer "morning ramen."

Delicious Otaru Ramen - Otaru Sightseeing ③

Ramen Shodai

A restaurant representing Otaru ramen.

"Shodai" is a highly popular restaurant that has been serving the same flavor since its establishment in 1994, attracting not only tourists but also locals. When Otaru ramen is mentioned, "Shodai" is always the first name that comes to mind, representing Otaru. The restaurant, a renovated stone warehouse, has a charming atmosphere both from the outside and inside. The most popular dish is the soy sauce ramen. It's a mellow ramen with a strong seafood flavor and plenty of green onions, which is a nice touch. Of course, the salt and miso ramens are also exquisite. If you get the chance, the limited-to-30-bowls-a-day white tamari soy sauce ramen is a must-try.

Delicious Otaru Ramen - Otaru Sightseeing ④

Ramen Mikan

A very popular Otaru restaurant carrying on the "Sumire" flavor.

"Ramen Mikan," a very popular restaurant in Otaru, carries on the flavor of "Sumire," a nationally renowned ramen shop in Sapporo. With four menu items—miso, salt, soy sauce, and old-fashioned—the overwhelmingly most popular choice is the miso ramen. Its appearance clearly marks it as a Sumire-style ramen, with a delightful garlicky aroma and rich soup. For those who find rich flavors a bit too much, there's also "Old-fashioned Ramen (light soy sauce)." The restaurant's exterior has an inviting atmosphere for women, and many female solo diners frequent the place.

Delicious Otaru Ramen - Otaru Sightseeing ⑤

Ramen Tokaiya

A famous ramen shop founded by a former French chef.

"Ramen Tokaiya" (pronounced "Tokaiya"), established in 2003, is conveniently located about a 5-minute walk from Otaru Station. This famous ramen shop was founded by a chef who trained in France for over 10 years. The name "Tokaiya" (literally "House of Crossing Seas") was chosen because the owner crossed the sea to train. Their gentle and healthy flavor, free of preservatives, chemical seasonings, and lard, is popular even with women. The most popular item is the "Shoyu Ramen," featuring a triple soup of pork bones, chicken bones, and seafood, finished with white soy sauce for a clear broth. The interior is decorated in black, with jazz music playing, creating a bar-like atmosphere.

Delicious Otaru Ramen - Otaru Sightseeing ⑥

Ramen Nishiya

Enjoy your favorite soup and toppings.

"Ramen Nishiya" is a popular ramen shop where you can enjoy your favorite soup and toppings, from rich and hearty ramen for those who want to eat hot and filling, to old-fashioned ramen popular with seniors, all based on tonkotsu (pork bone) soup and chicken and seafood soup carefully prepared in-house every day. The most popular item is the "Rich Miso Ramen" with its deeply flavorful blended miso. It boasts a rich and nutritious vegetable-filled soup, a blend of country miso, hatcho miso, and red miso in unique proportions, with Hokkaido-grown onions, carrots, ginger, and garlic stir-fried for a long time and mixed in.

Delicious Otaru Ramen - Otaru Sightseeing ⑦

Appare-tei Temiya Branch

Proud of its "Kyushu-style soup + Sapporo-style sauce" flavor.

Appare-tei Temiya Branch boasts a flavor of "Kyushu-style soup + Sapporo-style sauce," perfected by the owner after visiting 2,000 ramen shops nationwide. With the desire to "deliver a taste that never disappoints," the first store opened in Temiya, Otaru, in May 1995. The light tonkotsu (pork bone) flavor quickly became popular, making it one of Otaru's specialties. Appare's ramen, a mix of Kyushu's tonkotsu and Hokkaido's flavors, has no characteristic tonkotsu odor, so you're sure to love it from the first bite.

Delicious Otaru Ramen - Otaru Sightseeing ⑧

Shinasoba Aiko

A restaurant where you can enjoy Shinasoba, rare in Otaru.

This is a restaurant where you can enjoy Shinasoba, which is rare in Otaru. The owner trained at a famous restaurant in Sendai for 30 years, and opened his own shop in Otaru in 2015 with the dream of opening a shop in his hometown. Their proud soy sauce flavor is a light taste created by simmering chicken bones and pork bones and finishing with light soy sauce ordered from Yamagata. It is also popular with seniors who prefer lighter flavors. They are also actively developing new menu items. "Asa-Ramen" (morning ramen), available from 6 AM, is also popular.

UNGAPLUS

Good fortune from Otaru, the shipping city...
May your luck also open up, supported by a flow that has been preserved without interruption.

In the Meiji period, Otaru flourished as the gateway to Hokkaido's development.
Kitamae-bune ships sailed the vast ocean with their pure white sails, bringing abundant goods and culture to this land through their往来 with Honshu.

From the "Former Otaru Warehouse Main Building," Hokkaido's first commercial warehouse built by Kitamae-bune shipowners Sozaemon Nishide and Shohachi Nishitani, UNGAPLUS delivers original products infused with the history and culture that still remain in Otaru, along with quality products from ports of call of the Kitamae-bune.

The story of Otaru, which walked hand-in-hand with the Kitamae-bune, begins here.

We await your visit with a selection of unique original items that also make delightful souvenirs.

More details about "UNGAPLUS" here