Ramen spending crown goes to Yamagata for 4th straight year in 2025

Yamagata, a city in northeastern Japan, topped the country's rankings for household spending on ramen for the fourth straight year in 2025, government data showed Friday.Yamagata's spending on ramen -- the widely popular Japanese noodle dish -- totaled 25,102 yen ($160) for the year, marking the highest amount since records began in 2000, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.At Yamagata City Hall, ramen shop owners and other citizens gathered to watch the announcement, cheering as they cracked open a celebratory paper ball to commemorate the achievement.Ko Sagae,…READ FULL ARTICLE