Taste the Flavors of a Nagahama Yatai: Enjoy Fukuoka’s Famous Tonkotsu Ramen at Nagahama No.1

Founded in 1971, Nagahama No.1 traces its roots to the yatai “Shoryuken,” which once operated in Nagahama, Fukuoka.
The first owner changed the name to No.1, driven by the desire to become the best in the area.
The current representative, Mr. Tanemura, used to be one of the customers who frequented the yatai, but at age 35 he quit his salaried job and began training at the yatai.
After striking out on his own, he expanded into storefront branches starting with the Gion Branch, followed by the Tenjin Branch and the DEITOS Branch.
As times changed, the business shifted from yatai operations to storefront branches, and today it operates multiple locations in Fukuoka City, as well as branches in Tokyo and Hong Kong.
While operating 10 locations including sister shops and franchise branches, it continues to preserve the original flavors from the time it was founded.

The biggest feature of Nagahama No.1 is that it does not use a central kitchen and instead prepares its soup at each branch.
Rather than mass production, each branch finishes the soup with care, creating flavors that are fresh and distinctive.
The soup is made from pork bones and genkotsu (pork knuckle bones) that have been carefully prepared.
By simmering them slowly for as long as 20 hours, the result is a rich soup with no off flavors and a deep, layered savoriness.

The noodles are ultra-thin, measuring 1.5 mm in diameter, and you can choose the firmness to match your preference.
Despite being thin, they have a satisfying bite, and they pair perfectly with the tonkotsu soup.
They are designed to cling well to the soup, so even if you order kaedama (extra noodles), the soup does not become diluted, allowing you to enjoy it deliciously to the very end.
This attention to detail is one reason it has gained so many fans.

For those who cannot decide what to choose, here are four recommended menu picks at Nagahama No.1 that you should start with.

Nagahama No.1 is loved both in Japan and overseas.
From here, we will introduce three branches in Fukuoka City where you can enjoy the popular menu items introduced above.
All of them are close to stations.
Their convenient locations are part of the appeal.

A dream that began with a small yatai has grown into a renowned shop loved by many people: Nagahama No.1.
The founder’s passion has been passed down to this day, and it is carried on in every bowl made with a carefully maintained method.
The commitment to preparing soup carefully at each branch is proof that, even as a chain, it values the appeal of each individual shop.
Be sure to taste the popular flavors that have spread from Kyushu and Fukuoka to Tokyo, and further to Hong Kong.