Nagahama Route

Birthplace ramen and the market

Nagahama sits in the Chuo ward of Fukuoka, along the port near Hakata Bay, where the fresh-fish section of the city's central wholesale market stands. The Nagahama ramen born here spread with thin noodles, a kaedama refill of noodles alone, and the speed to serve at once, so the market's workers could eat quickly on a short break. The broth is tonkotsu, but many keep topping up the pot as they go, a lightness within the cloud. You can specify the firmness of the noodles, barikata or harigane, and there is pleasure in ordering it plain first, then changing the firmness with a refill. This quarter, where market and ramen sit side by side, wears a face of morning and midday unlike the night stalls of Nakasu.

Eating from morning to midday

To begin the day, the diners inside the fish-market hall suit well. Shops open from early morning serve the day's catch at modest prices, grilled-fish sets, sashimi, and hand-pressed sushi, warming you with miso soup and rice. Genkai squid is prepared live, its clear flesh eaten with soy and wasabi, the legs later fried or grilled to order. In winter fugu appears at the market, tasted cheaply enough as fried pieces or in a soup. On foot, take an aji fry, wrapped in paper and eaten hot from the oil. And to close, or to open, a bowl of Nagahama ramen; order the refill too, and one loop of the market morning settles just right.

How to walk this route

The start is a walk toward the port from Akasaka on the airport subway line, or a bus from Tenjin to the fish market. The market is also a workplace, so keep to the edge clear of the aisles and deliveries, and ask before taking photos. The hall's diners mostly run early morning to midday and close, so if breakfast or sushi is your aim, earlier is better. Some Nagahama ramen shops and stalls open from morning to late night, easy on timing. Fugu and squid change with the season and the day's landing, so following the board or the owner's word leaves you seldom wrong. Cash is safest, and a little small cash brings ease. Return to Akasaka or Tenjin, and you can continue on to the Nakasu or Yanagibashi routes.