Nara Beyond the Deer: The Hometown Chains Nara's Regulars Grew Up On — Tenri Ramen Rivalries and All
鹿と大仏だけじゃない奈良——地元民が育った県産チェーンと天理ラーメン抗争
By Rakutaro · Tokyo, Japan
A rundown of 13 restaurant chains born in Nara filled the comment section with the layer no guidebook has: the two rival Tenri stamina-ramen empires, Saika and Tenri Stamina Ramen, were founded by brothers (26 likes on the reveal); Dango-no-Sho kinako dango is the souvenir one commenter's family would "fight over" (18 likes); and the famous "Dotonbori" ramen chain Kamukura is, Japanese commenters insist, really a Nara brand. Between 40-year-old memories of slurping Saika in a parked car at the pool-side yatai and a four-way kakinoha-zushi brand war, this is the half of Nara that day-trippers never see.
“Fun fact: the founders of Saika Ramen and Tenri Stamina Ramen are actually brothers. And their eldest brother ran Oji Ramen — all three serve ramen topped with napa cabbage stir-fried in doubanjiang, which is a fun detail.”
彩華ラーメン・天理スタミナラーメンの創業者は、実は兄弟だったりします。あと、この二人の長兄が王寺ラーメンを営んでおり何れも「白菜を豆板醤で炒めたものをトッピング」したラーメンを提供しているところもおもしろいですね。
Places named in this article
- Saika Ramen (main shop)Tenri
One half of the brother-founded Tenri ramen rivalry. One commenter's pro move: eat it at the yatai-style stalls, where the stamina ramen "is on another level" (8 likes).
- Tenri Stamina Ramen (main shop)Tenri
The other half of the rivalry — same napa-cabbage style, milder per its partisans; also runs yatai stalls.
- Dango-no-Sho (Bojo main shop)Kashihara (Bojo Station)
Kinako dango, the gift one commenter's family would "fight over" (18 likes). Shops at Yagi and Bojo stations only, per the comments, and Ogiya in Kashiba "was opened by someone who trained there."
- Tonkatsu Marukatsu (Nara main shop)Nara city (Kotoden-cho)
The tonkatsu shop that built a line in a location where two predecessors died (2 likes) — regulars flag the katsudon, curry and seasonal fried oysters.
- Kakinoha-zushi Hirasou (Nara shop)Naramachi, near Sarusawa Pond
The kakinoha-zushi brand commenters associate with Kintetsu station stands (15 likes) — this is its sit-down shop in the old town.
- Kakinoha-zushi Honpo Tanaka (Nara main shop)Higashimuki arcade, by Kintetsu Nara Station
One of the "twin peaks" of kakinoha-zushi in the comments' brand war — its Nara flagship sits at the arcade entrance.
- Izasa (Todaiji Yumekaze Hiroba shop)Todaiji approach, Nara Park
The dissenting pick in the brand war — "I am ride-or-die for Izasa" (3 likes) — with a shop and restaurant right by the Todaiji approach.
Named in the source comments. Where a note gives a price, opening status or rule, we checked it against the linked source on the date shown — everything else is what the comments said. All of it can change; check the map listing before you go.
FAQ
- What is Tenri ramen?
- Nara's own ramen style, born in Tenri: a punchy soy broth loaded with napa cabbage stir-fried in doubanjiang. The two rival chains, Saika and Tenri Stamina Ramen, were founded by brothers (26 likes), and one Japanese viewer's pro move (8 likes) is to eat it at the yatai stalls both chains still run, where you can bring your own drinks.
- What food is Nara actually known for, besides feeding the deer?
- The comment section's short list: Tenri stamina ramen; kakinoha-zushi, pressed sushi wrapped in a persimmon leaf, which sets off a four-brand argument between Tanaka, Yamato, Hirasou and Izasa; and kinako dango from Dango-no-Sho, the souvenir one commenter's family would "fight over" (18 likes).
- Where can I try kakinoha-zushi near Kintetsu Nara Station?
- Easily — per a commenter (15 likes), Hirasou is the brand sold at Kintetsu station stands, and the major brands all keep shops near the station: Tanaka at the entrance of the Higashimuki arcade, Hirasou in Naramachi, and Izasa by the Todaiji approach.
- Is Kamukura ramen from Osaka or Nara?
- Both, per the comments: it really did start as a tiny counter in Dotonbori, but when the chain expanded it built its factory in Nara and has been a Nara brand since, which is why Japanese viewers here claim it for Nara despite the "Dotonbori" branding.
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What Japanese visitors said — picked from the top 60 of 76 comments
Most people only know Nara as a tourist image, but it's genuinely a great place to live.
奈良は観光イメージしかない人がほとんどだと思うが 本当に住みやすい
I'm team Saika — but both chains have yatai (street-stall) locations, and stamina ramen eaten at the stall, where you can bring your own drinks, is on another level!
私は彩華ラーメン派やけど 天スタもどちらも屋台在るし 屋台で持ち込んみオッケーなお酒を 飲みながら食べるスタミナラーメンが 格別に美味しい！
I used to go to the Saika yatai by the Tenri pool all the time. Hard to believe now, but staff would come take your order at the car window and you'd slurp your ramen in the driver's seat. The car reeked the next day (lol). That's 40 years ago now.
彩華は昔天理プールの屋台に良く行きました。今では考えられないんですが、店員が車に注文聞きに来て、車の中でラーメンすすってましたね。次の日車が臭い(笑)もう４０年前のお話です
Forty years ago we'd put the kid to bed and my wife and I would dash to the Saika stall beside Tenri University. Big rugby- and judo-club students would scoop mountains of grated garlic into their bowls with the butt end of their chopsticks. I still drop by the yatai-style Saika on the Tenri highway now and then.
40年前、子供を寝かしつけて女房と天理大学横の彩華屋台に走りました 大勢のラグビー部や柔道部のガタイの良い学生が割り箸の頭で おろしニンニクをごっそりすくいブチ込んでました 今でも時々 天理街道の屋台形式の彩華に行ってます
Hirasou kakinoha-zushi is the one I associate with Kintetsu station stands; Gojo's Tanaka I associate with the MBS radio jingle.
柿の葉寿司の平宗は近鉄の駅で売っているイメージ 五條たなかはMBSラジオCMのイメージ
People call Tanaka and Yamato the twin peaks of kakinoha-zushi, but I am ride-or-die for Izasa.
たなかとやまとが柿の葉寿司の双璧だと言われるが、 俺は断固としてゐざさ推し
Whenever someone brought Dango-no-Sho as a gift, we'd fight over it.
お土産にだんご庄を貰うと奪い合うように食ったもんです
I grew up on Dango-no-Sho — coins in my pocket, bike to the shop. Buy a couple of skewers and they'd hand them over in a little plastic bag, and I'd eat them on the swings at the park close by. The bookstore where I used to sneak-read is long gone now, but the Bojo area was like my backyard.
だんご庄は小さい頃からよく食べてて、小銭ポケットに入れて自転車で買いに行ったもんです 2本くらいだとビニール袋に入れて渡してくれて、すぐ近くにあった公園のブランコで食べてたな もう跡形もないけど本屋とかあってちょろっと立ち読みしたり、坊城付近は庭のようなもんでした
Dango-no-Sho only has shops at two stations, Yagi and Bojo — but Ogiya in Kashiba was opened by someone who trained there, so give that a try too.
だんご庄のだんごは八木と坊城の２駅のみですが、このだんご庄で修行後独立した扇屋も香芝市にありますので是非
Oh, they covered Marukatsu…!! The katsudon and curry are made with real care too, and there are seasonal limited menus to look forward to. The giant fried shrimp is great — and this time of year, the plump fried oysters are excellent!
おお、まるかつさんを採りあげてくれている…！！ かつ丼やカレーもこだわって作っていらっしゃいます。あとは季節ごとに限定メニューも出るので、そちらも楽しみなんですよね。 大えびフライも美味しいですが、この時期は大粒のかきフライも美味しいです！
Nobody came to Marukatsu at the start, seriously. And the location is genuinely awkward — a Mos Burger died there, then a ramen shop, then Marukatsu. A line-out-the-door shop in THAT spot. Respect.
まるかつ最初のころマジで人来なかったからな というかあの場所微妙なんだよなぁモスバーガーがつぶれた後にラーメン屋でそのあとにまるかつ そんな場所で行列店だもんなぁ立派だよ
It brands itself with "Dotonbori" in hiragana, but Kamukura started in Nara — so isn't it really a Nara chain?
平仮名でどうとんぼりアピールしてるけど神座奈良発祥なんで奈良のチェーン店じゃないのかな
It genuinely did start as one tiny counter-only shop in Dotonbori, but when they expanded they built the factory in Nara, and it's been a Nara brand ever since…
元は実際に、道頓堀の小さなカウンターだけの店舗だけだったが、店舗数を増やすのを機に、奈良県に工場作って以降、奈良ブランド化した模様…
There used to be Pocket Sushi and Gattsuri-tei too. The Muteppo ramen group is originally from Nara. And Tsukushi, the udon shop from Nako Foods.
昔は「ぽけっと寿司」や「がっつり亭」なんかも有りました。 「無鉄砲」グループももともとは奈良です。 ナコーフーズのうどんの「つくし」さんとかも有りました。
I had no idea Baby Face Planet's was from Nara.
ベビーフェイスプラネッツが奈良からだったのは知らなかったわ