At last, “650 yen” has been released! Cup Ramen Industry Research: The New Battleground is “High-Priced” and “Famous Restaurant Collaborations

The keywords are “collaboration with famous restaurants” and “high price range

The hottest cup ramen in Reiwa 2025 is a luxury product that cannot be bought with a single coin.

About four years ago, a product that shook the cup ramen industry was born. Ichiran, a popular tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen chain with 88 outlets in Japan and abroad, teamed up with Acecook, which has introduced numerous hit products such as “Wakame Ramen” to the world, to create “Ichiran Tonkotsu” (537 yen).

At the time, the “300-yen barrier” had become a common phrase in the industry. It was an unspoken understanding among the companies that consumers could only spend a maximum of 300 yen for a cup of ramen, and that products over that amount were unlikely to sell.

Ichiran Tonkotsu, however, was priced well above that barrier and contained no ingredients. Despite this, Ichiran Tonkotsu became a huge hit, selling out at various retail outlets. Ichiro Yamato, an instant noodle hunter who operates the instant ramen specialty restaurant Yakantei, looks back on the “Ichiran shock.

Ichiran’s success created a new trend in product development. Prior to that, there had been many cup ramen products sold in collaboration with famous restaurants, but they were all manufacturer-driven products. In other words, the manufacturer went to the ramen restaurant and proposed the collaboration to develop the product. In the case of Ichiran Tonkotsu, however, Ichiran took the lead in development, and Acecook was in charge of manufacturing.

Following this new age trend, a new product was introduced in September of last year that had an even greater impact on the industry than “Ichiran Tonkotsu”. The product, “Sumire All Stars,” was created by Yamadai, a mid-sized manufacturer that sells the “Sokomen” series, in collaboration with Nobuyoshi Muranaka, owner of the popular miso ramen restaurant “Sumire.

Mr. Muranaka was so impressed with the quality of Yamadai’s cup ramen that he offered to replicate our noodles and soup. This is truly a ramen shop-led product, priced at a whopping 650 yen. But it is definitely worth the price. Sumire All Stars” is a non-fried thick noodle product, but instead of steaming the noodles before drying them, they are boiled and dried just as they are at the restaurant.

The soup is also excellent, and it is no exaggeration to say that it is almost identical to that of the restaurant. The roasted miso flavor unique to Sumire and the oil used to keep the soup cold are well represented. It also comes with retort chashu pork and menma, making it no longer feel like a cup of ramen but more like a takeout product from a ramen restaurant. Rather, it is inexpensive at 650 yen. It is so popular that even at my own restaurant, it sells out immediately upon arrival.

There is no doubt that the keywords for the future of the industry in 2013 will be “collaboration with famous ramen stores” and “high price range,” as exemplified by “Ichiran Tonkotsu” and “Sumire All Stars. It is difficult for each company to survive by simply continuing to sell its standard products in a haphazard manner.