Key Facts
• August 2025: Rising costs force some restaurants to stop serving cold noodles.
• Popular restaurant Bazoku in Tokyo offers handmade cold noodles with colorful toppings.
• Prices for Bazoku’s cold noodles rose from ¥950 in 2022 to ¥1,300 in 2025.
• Pork prices hit a record ¥948/kg in July 2025, the highest since 2000.
• Egg wholesale prices in Tokyo reached ¥328/kg in July 2025, exceeding the 2020–2024 average of ¥224/kg.
• Cold noodles require 10+ ingredients, compared to 4 for ramen, increasing preparation costs.
• Labor costs surged, with staff preparing 70–80 kg of ice daily for noodles.
• Restaurant Senrigan in Tokyo ceased cold noodle sales in 2025 due to costs exceeding ¥1,500 per dish.
• Despite demand, some restaurants find cold noodles unprofitable due to high costs and labor intensity.
Summary
Cold noodles, a beloved summer dish in Japan, face challenges as rising costs of ingredients and labor force some restaurants to discontinue the dish. Tokyo’s Bazoku continues to serve handmade cold noodles despite price hikes, while others, like Senrigan, have ceased sales due to unprofitability. Key factors include record-high pork and egg prices, labor-intensive preparation, and increased operational costs. The future of this seasonal favorite remains uncertain as businesses struggle to balance tradition and financial sustainability.
