By Futoshi Mori / Japan News Senior Writer

15:26 JST, July 3, 2025

It’s been about half a year, but let’s get back into this ramen series, starting with Hokkaido, the great northern land. When it comes to Hokkaido, it’s got to be miso ramen. Said to have been born in Sapporo about 70 years ago, miso ramen remains a representative dish of the prefecture to this day. In late June, I visited Sapporo’s historic “Ganso Sapporo Ramen Yokocho” (Original Sapporo Ramen Alley) and interviewed the owner of Teshikaga Ramen, a ramen chain shop popular with foreign tourists.

Ganso Sapporo Ramen Yokocho (Original Sapporo ramen alley), with over 70 years of history

Teshikaga Ramen in the Yokocho alley

Teshikaga Ramen signboard

A guide map of ramen shops in the Yokocho alley

The alley in the city’s Chuo Ward, lined with 17 ramen shops, has a history of over 70 years, beginning with its former name, “Koraku Ramen Meiten-gai.” I arrived at one of the shops, Teshikaga Ramen, at 3:30 p.m., after lunch hours had ended, and Teshikaga Ramen President Kenichi Sugawara greeted me with a smile.

“The reviews by visitors from other countries are extremely high, and since this alley is a tourist spot, 60% of our customers are from overseas,” said Sugawara, who operates nine Teshikaga Ramen shops mainly in Hokkaido.

Pork chashu that sticks out of the bowl

Glutinous and springy noodles typical of Hokkaido ramen

Miso soup with melted butter and spicy seasoning

Large pork chashu grilled over charcoal, then served

The shop’s most popular item, “Chashu miso with corn and butter” (¥1,330 — ¥1,480 from mid-July), came with a huge slice of pork belly chashu spread out across the bowl and hanging over the edge. Sugawara proudly said, “Our policy is ‘100% Hokkaido,” and the dish is true to that policy, featuring Akan pork, locally produced corn and butter, Hakodate makonbu seaweed and medium-thick........

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