HACHI

Aizuwakamatsu is a city smack in the middle of Fukushima Prefecture, north of Tokyo. Historically a trade town for the many local shogunates that seemed to be at constant war, it is now relatively unknown to the average tourist. Sometimes this is the exact kind of town for some eager ramen hunting and the unique bowl of clear soup might be just what the samurai ordered.

HACHI is descended from Tokyo-based Kazuya (かづ屋), which is from the Tantantei school (たんたん亭). Many top shops are part of this lineage, like Yakumo (八雲), Kuromatsu (くろ松), and Hayashimaru (はやしまる). These shops are all classic shinasoba, which makes HACHI a bit of a surprise. To me, it looks more like Tsukiya (豚そば月や) or Rairai (来来), which are both new-school clear tonkotsu shops. But that’s not the case. HACHI’s soup is made with domestic pork, domestic chicken, and domestic vegetables. Almost everything is sourced from within Japan.

Sorry for all the name-dropping there. Some ramen nerds geek out about shop lineage and history.

The soup was very, very light. A chill bowl. And a very Instagramable bowl with that perfect noodle fold. This is the biggest connection to Kazuya (かづ屋) I think. The noodles were cooked soft, almost mushy.

As of writing (August, 2023) the brick and mortar shop seems to be closed. Hachi has shifted to selling ramen kits online.

If you tried to visit their shop in Aizuwakamatsu, be sure to check out the local sights. Sazae Temple (会津さざえ堂) is, to put it bluntly, super rad.

The all-wooden structure is essentially a spiral staircase, but those going up and those doing down won’t see each other. It’s hard to describe, but when you climb and descend the narrow passage, you’ll probably say to yourself, “Well that was neat!”

This Buddhist temple was built in 1796 and made a National Important Cultural Property in 1995. Oh, and it’s in the Michelin Guide. Don’t let that last one keep you away. To be honest, this is a great part of Japan for a road trip. You aren’t far from the Bandai Mountains and countless quality hot springs. There’s also a ton of ramen in nearby Kitakata, Shirakawa, and Fukushima cities.

The local samurai can probably point you in the right direction.

Official Twitter here.

Official IG here.

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HACHI in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture

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HACHI in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture

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麺や 麦ゑ紋 (Mugiemon in Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo)

MENクライ (Men Kurai in Hamamtsucho, Tokyo)

Vegan Ramen at Soranoiro

麺や麦ゑ紋 (Mugiemon in Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo)