What Ramen Nagi does

Ramen Nagi (ラーメン凪), operated by Nagi Spirits Japan Co., Ltd. (株式会社凪スピリッツジャパン), is a private Japanese ramen restaurant chain founded in September 2004 by Ikuta Satoshi and incorporated in August 2006. Headquartered in Tokyo's Ginza district, the company serves retail consumers across approximately 56 company-operated locations spanning seven markets: 8 domestic stores in Japan, 41 in the Philippines, 4 in Taiwan, 3 across China/Hong Kong/Singapore, and 5 in the United States.

The company's product portfolio centers on proprietary niboshi (dried sardine) ramen, with the signature 'Sugoi Niboshi Ramen' and a tonkotsu line called 'BUTAO' offered in four colored broth variants (Yellow, Red, Black, and Green Kings). The technical foundation is a proprietary blending system using 20+ sardine varieties, with monthly procurement exceeding 5 tons of dried sardines to support broth production. The chain operates a captive noodle manufacturing subsidiary (Shinjuku Daraku Seimen), enabling vertical integration of a critical input and ensuring consistency across geographies.

The business model is primarily company-owned dine-in operations with auxiliary revenue channels including e-commerce and Uber Eats delivery. The founder remains the controlling owner; no external funding rounds have been disclosed. Group headcount stands at approximately 220 employees. Disclosed revenue reached 1.4 billion yen (~$13M USD at June 2020 exchange rates) as of fiscal year ending June 2020.

Name

Ramen Nagi

Legal name

株式会社凪スピリッツジャパン

Website

https://n-nagi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Multi-brand Japanese ramen restaurant chain operating 56+ company-owned locations globally across seven countries, specializing in proprietary niboshi (dried sardine) broth recipes and vertically integrated in-house noodle production for retail consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Japanese Ramen Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Animal Slaughtering and Processing (3116)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)

akta.pro primary industry

Noodle Manufacturing (instant, ramen, rice noodles) (AFAKABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sous-Vide & Cook-Chill Prepared Meat & Seafood Meals (AFANAFAF)

Keywords

• Japanese ramen restaurant
• Niboshi dried sardine broth
• Tonkotsu pork bone ramen
• Handcrafted noodle manufacturing
• Ramen e-commerce

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Operations (Dine-in): Revenue from company-owned and operated ramen restaurant locations serving sit-down customers. Includes the 'Sugoi Niboshi Ramen' and 'Butao' (tonkotsu) brands. Multiple price-point bowls ranging from standard to premium offerings. Some locations operate 24 hours.
2. E-commerce / Mail-order Products: Online shop selling noodle products, dried sardine merchandise, and other food products for home delivery. Customers purchase through the company's e-commerce site (nagi-niboshi.shop-pro.jp).
3. Delivery Services: Delivery orders through Uber Eats and other platforms, strengthened during the COVID-19 pandemic to reach customers at home.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ramen Nagi operates a chain of company-owned ramen restaurants specializing in two signature product lines: the Sugoi Niboshi Ramen built on a proprietary dried sardine broth (20+ varieties, monthly procurement exceeding 5 tons) and the BUTAO Tonkotsu King line featuring 20-hour simmered pork bone broth. Supporting businesses include in-house handcrafted noodle manufacturing, mail-order e-commerce sales of noodles and niboshi products, and third-party delivery via Uber Eats. The company operates approximately 52 stores globally with dine-in as the primary revenue channel.

Product overview

Ramen Nagi operates a multi-brand ramen restaurant chain offering two primary product lines: the signature すごい煮干ラーメン (Sugoi Niboshi Ramen) featuring ultra-rich broth made from 20+ varieties of dried sardines sourced from across Japan (monthly procurement exceeding 5 tons), and the 豚王 BUTAO (Tonkotsu King) line featuring 20-hour simmered pork bone broth with proprietary handcrafted noodles. The company also offers tsukemen (dipping noodles), various regional variants (Yellow/Red/Black/Green Kings), and an e-commerce platform for mail-order ramen products. Ramen Nagi also functions as a niboshi product development company and noodle manufacturer, with operations spanning domestic restaurants, overseas expansion (Philippines, Taiwan, USA), and food/ingredient consulting services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• First restaurant in the world to serve a different ramen every day for 365 days a year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Marugen Ramen: Regional Japanese ramen operator with overseas expansion. Comparable product category and international growth ambitions but smaller scale than the major chains.
• Yume Wo Katare: Boutique ramen shop with cult following and a few international locations. Comparable as a ramen operator with strong founder-driven identity and creative menu positioning.

Direct peers

• Santouka: Hokkaido-origin tonkotsu ramen chain with locations across Japan and North America. Directly comparable in pork-bone broth specialization and franchise/international growth model.
• Ramen Jiro: Long-established Tokyo-based ramen chain specializing in heavy, vegetable-loaded Jiro-style bowls. Comparable Japanese ramen category peer with cult following and dense Tokyo footprint.
• Ippudo: Premium Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen chain spun out of Hajime-tonkotsu, with major global presence in the US, Asia, and Europe. Closely comparable in positioning, menu specialization, and international growth strategy.
• Afuri: Premium yuzu-shio ramen chain with locations across Japan and internationally. Comparable as a specialty ramen operator emphasizing proprietary broth recipes and modernized brand presentation.
• Tsuta Ramen: Michelin-starred shoyu ramen specialist in Tokyo with international locations. Comparable as a premium-positioned Japanese ramen operator targeting gourmet and international diners.
• Menya Musashi: Tokyo-based ramen chain with multiple sub-brands and overseas locations, including the US. Comparable Japanese ramen specialist with broad menu and international expansion.
• Ichiran Ramen: Japan-headquartered tonkotsu ramen chain with hundreds of locations globally, including a strong US presence. Directly comparable in product category (Japanese ramen), dine-in focused model, and overseas expansion playbook.
• Marukame Seimen: Sanuki udon chain with deep international footprint, including Hawaii and the US mainland. Comparable Japanese noodle restaurant operator with strong overseas expansion playbook and in-house noodle preparation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ramennagi_jp
• Facebookfacebook.com/ramennagi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ramen Nagi