そばの店ひらま (Hirama in Yamagata, Prefecture)

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そばの店ひらま

Ramen road trip! Hirama is way up in Yamagata Prefecture at a minor station. There’s also a 15-minute walk to get to the shop. Totally worth it though. Handmade noodles in a classic shoyu soup. Farmland ramen? Sure, I feel confident calling it that.

I only had two options when it came to the train. One got me there an hour early. The other got me there an hour late. Shops like this tend to get massive lines so early was the best choice.

I was in no rush so I walked the scenic way there. Beautiful part of Japan in the autumn.

First in line, but not the first ramen head to slurp this bowl.

Ramen in this region of Japan tends to be very similar. Light shoyu soup with springy handmade noodles. The noodles are massaged just before cooking to give a better texture. Best noodles in Japan? If you told me that I wouldn’t argue with your opinion. If you said the noodles from Sano City, Shirakawa, or Kitakata were the best, I wouldn’t argue either. All of these styles are geographically close to each other, but some of the farthest apart if you travel by train. Which style suits you the best?

Such a great bowl.

I urge people to take a ramen road trip if they can. I used the JR East Welcome Pass for this adventure. It’s a value ticket that lets you ride the trains north of Tokyo as much as you like for three days. Shinkansen bullet trains as well. Please check the site to see if it is still available. Likely it is not.

Onward into Yamagata, a prefecture with a massive ramen culture that no one seems to know about.

Gochisosama.

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