"Prices have been rising over the years, but the last three years or so have been unbelievable," said Tetsuya Kaneko, 44, who last year raised his price by 50 yen to 1,000 yen for a standard bowl at Mendokoro Isshou in western Tokyo. "I think everyone in the industry is struggling."
As of July, 49 ramen shops filed for bankruptcy, on pace to set a record for most closures in a single year, according to Teikoku Databank, a corporate research company based in Tokyo.
But as Japan experiences inflation after decades of falling or stagnant prices, one of the country's favorite cheap meals is taking a hit. Ramen shops are closing at a record pace this year, as owners face the dilemma of raising their prices beyond the '1,000-yen wall' to cope with rising costs or shutting down.
Even on a humid 95-degree day, aficionados queued outside ramen shops at lunch time for a steaming bowl, illustrating the enduring popularity of ramen despite the industry's struggles.
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