Photo/Illutration A bowl of ramen noodles (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Located in the basement of a multitenant building about five minutes on foot from Tokyo’s JR Mitaka Station, “Chuka Soba Mitaka” is a small ramen shop that can seat only 10.

Like all eating and drinking establishments around the nation, it was hit hard by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The greatest blow was being unable to serve liquor when Tokyo came under a COVID-19 state of emergency in spring and again in summer.

Because the shop is a ramen izakaya (a hybrid of a ramen restaurant and a casual watering hole), many of its evening patrons enjoy beer, with their total orders averaging seven cases a day.

But the declaration of the state of emergency eliminated those orders, not to mention caused a significant drop in the number of customers.

“I’m a third-generation owner here,” said Shigemitsu Hashimoto, 40. “I’ve been managing this place for 12 years, but that was the first time I saw our sales diminished by half.”

But the regulars came to the rescue. Some ordered soft drinks or non-alcoholic beer instead of the usual. One person refused to take the change after paying each bill, saying, “I wouldn’t know what to do if you went out of business.”

And there is no end to the patrons who buy gift-boxed ramen noodles on their way out.

“I have been deeply touched by the chain reaction of kindness people are keeping up during the pandemic,” Hashimoto said.

His ramen features thick, hand-made noodles and simple shoyu-based soup. I became a regular when I was a student living nearby. After I started working and was stationed away from Tokyo, I continued to drop in whenever I returned to the capital.

On my latest visit, I asked Hashimoto to show me the letters he has received from his fans around the nation.

One letter read, “Your shop is like my emotional anchor amid this prolonged pandemic.” It was handwritten, which added to the warmth of the message.

There were 1,700 pandemic-related bankruptcies during 2021, double the preceding year’s level. By category, eating and drinking establishments topped the list.

The soaring prices of materials, such as wheat and cooking oils, are aggravating the situation while our fears about the Omicron variant continue to grow.

On a recent cold night, I ordered my usual ramen topped with egg. I savored the pleasure of being able to keep enjoying the same taste I have loved since my student days.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 27

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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