Ramen for men only?

I notice that whenever a camera crew goes into a ramen shop to film, ALL the customers are male. I thought maybe this was a setup, so one day when I went to Fukuoka for a holiday, my friend brought me to a ramen shop to try Hakata ramen. Before going in, he warned me that all the customers will be male. I thought he was just guessing but when I went in, I saw that what he said was true. And, so was all the tv shows I watched about men eating ramen.

Now I wonder why is this so. Why do Japanese women not eat ramen for lunch??? Heck care about the gender thing. If you feel like eating ramen, just go. Why bother about whether it is only a male thing? I am so surprised because in my country, there is no such thing as a gender-majority food. If you want to eat it, just eat it. who cares if only males/females patronize a certain eatery???

It's just a matter of preference.

I (female) find ramen a bit oily and heavy for mid-day meals, so I believe I've been to ramen shop for lunch only a few times ever so far in my life.

Also, some places have counter seats only, and not too comfortable. Women over lunch want to sit down good, enjoy eating and talking with their buddies, and enjoy coffee/tea afterward. But in ramen shops, it's more of a "quick eat (burp) and go" kind of style. Also there tend to be more males who are real "ramen fanatics" - who really care about the soup base and the flavoring and the thickness of the noodle, etc. It's just that less women go for that.

So... if one day I get the urge to eat ramen for lunch, I wouldn't care that there are mostly only males in the restaurant, but it just doesn't happen often at all.

This is mainly because ramen typically have a lot of calories. Especially Hakata ramen has more calories than other ramen. Japanese female don't want to eat such calories, because they are scared of putting on weight.

At least, my wife don't eat Hakata ramen because of the reason.

Come to Kurume, the birth place of Tonkotsu Ramen, aka, Hakata, Kyushu, Nagahama ramen, etc.
Some shops here have thinner broth to cater for women but not as good as full strength.
Don't try Kumamoto ramen or your heart will seize up from bone marrow broth.lol.
Try Chanpon (aka Nagasaki chanpon) which has a lot of vegetable and some meat/seafood. The broth is like thin broth ramen & non-greasy/strong. I prefer chanpon to ramen, if I need to choose.

I never knew this. It dosent stop us from going but it seems odd. Its like saying women wont go to a tea room or cake buffet because theres too much calories in sweet things. I see ramen ashavinf just as many calories as other savory foods.

Hakata ramen has more calories than Japanese traditional noodles, like Udon and Soba . Maybe to eat Hakata ramen is equivalent to eat both Udon and a cake in calories.

Nice to meet you.
Because the ramen is hot, and mucus comes out, I do not eat very much. None of the Japanese women thinks like that. But I like the udon. After all will not oil and heavy taste receive that it becomes the tendency that a lot of men eat?

I go to ramen bars alone. No big deal.

But there are girly ramen and men's ramen. I mean, ramen comes in all different sizes and shapes and calories and toppings.

A lot of ramen are thick noodles with lots of fat and few or no vegetables, while a lot of ramen are thin noodles in thin soup with a variety of vegetables.

If a male friend or family invites me to the former, I would go. But then, if it were all up to me, I would chose the latter.

And TV shows are all male?? What have you been watching? Have you ever watched Sunday Japon? They have a section where 3 ladies go out for ramen, and each week they go to a different ramen bar. Try the so-called Kyoto style ramen like Itoguruma. All you see are high school girls.

http://www.google.co.jp/search?aq=&hl=ja&rlz=1T4TSHJ_ja___JP509&q=%E3%...

Hi jpns,

Gee, I did not know Hakata ramen has a lot of calories. But I guess if you eat it during cool/cold season, the calories should keep one warm. I did noticed that Hakata ramen has a strong porky taste. Not that I mind since most of the soup base in my country taste porky. :p

This is weird. Cos when I was in Kansai, I ate ramen almost everyday and I saw a mixed gender ratio in ramen shops. The male ratio is higher though.

The ramen in Nihon is so oishii!!! I witnessed my bf slurping on his ramen so I followed suit, well after the first ramen. Rapidly gone was the awkwardness! I do agree that slurping on ramen taste better cos it is even better when eaten hot!!!

In my hometown, the ramen don't taste half as nice as the ones in Japan and double the price. I will definitely go for more ramen when I return in Sept. :)

Oh and when in Rome, do what the Romans do. ;)

Apart from calories...
(Although they always talk about calory, weight and silhouette.)
Ladies think eating ramen is not refined, I think?
Actually, many old ramen shops look a bit dirty and oily.

Sometimes I hear that girls cry decisively "fashion is patience!" with a miniskirt in the winter.
I think that's that...

BTW, before I usually never see any ladies in "diners" like ramen or gyudon shops.
But recently, I often see them who eat alone there, because of recession?

more simple 3 reasons exist.

1)
Especialy "in lunch" times very short.
Ramen shop staff hopes "fast eat,fast out" all customers.
Women not good at eating fast,if do noise very louder XD
So slow eater not fit as Ramen shop styles.
Ramen shop kitchen everyday changing to battle field.
BC near area a lot of business competitors.
Also "eating fast(not enough chewing) make fat" as common knowledge XD

2)
Most Ramen shop build small space and simple layout tables/counter and seats tight.
Women dont like "sharing a table(ex 1vs3/unknown men)"
and "too close" neighbors style.
Women hope to as "relax" space anytime just not fit.

3)
High Cal(for diet) and smells not for good work/life stlyle after lunch corect.
But basically mixed soup kinds foods(also pasta/curry) jumped irregularly when sucking in if hard more damages.
So women really not hope clothes,hair and face make becoming soiled with soup oils.
Just loves "keep clean" whole day when outside.
Young women care too much about what others think of them usual and anytime.


Most women "loves" any kind noodles(Soba/Udon,hot/cold)
but thinking "not need" as lunch menu :D
Recent years "Tsuke-men(soup for dipping)" type lovers very hot.
http://youtu.be/QktA9Xfm4-A

Ramen in my opinion tastes better than udon and soba, so I'd personally choose ramen over both.

"Also "eating fast(not enough chewing) make fat" as common knowledge XD"

Not common knowledge to me. ^^. I must be doing something wrong as I'm an incredibly slow eater, even with my once a week Ramen and still overweight.

You must eat up your ramen in 5 minutes+ otherwise the noodle start absorbing the soup and swells up. DO NOT eat slow your ramen.

Women keep chatting during the lunch hour. Ramen places are not good for them. They move as a group in many cases.

We don't care no matter how odd it sounds to gaijin. Leave us alone.

I watched the youtube link that you posted.

Oh... Pineapple tsukemen kaaaa. It is not sold in my country. I would like to try it at least once. Mmm... Doesn't the soup taste tart???

I noticed that quite a few of you said japanese women consider ramen oily. I am surprised to hear this because to me, oily things mean fried food like tonkatsu, karaage, french fries, tempura, etc. At least where I am from, we don't think of ramen as being oily.

nana wrote;
to me, oily things mean fried food like tonkatsu, karaage, french fries, tempura, etc. At least where I am from, we don't think of ramen as being oily.

Then you haven't had authentic oily ramen. They're a lot fatty, in taste and nutrition, than tonkatsu, karaage, french fries or tempura. At least with tonkatsu, karaage, french fries or tempura, you don't drink the oil.

But as I wrote earlier, there are oily ramen and non-oily ramen.

Somebody said "When in Rome, do as the Roman do". Gee, I am afraid I can't slurp ramen loudly because I have been taught from young that it is very rude to slurp while you are eating. It is barbaric behaviour & only uncivilized people do that. I noticed that the Japanese in my country don't slurp their noodles loudly. I think it is because they are conscious of another country's culture.

I like to know in Japan, do the Japanese also slurp udon/soba/tsukemen or is slurping strictly reserved for ramen???

Slurping is done with all types of noodles. You are unlikely to offend anybody if you don't follow the local custom due to inhibitions, but you will miss out on some of the flavor by not slurping.