Complaining about Taiwan’s ramen being too expensive, a Japanese man sells 100-yuan ramen in Taiwan—and even offers free refills

Takao Nozaki is from Tokyo, Japan. He came to Taiwan at the end of 2007 to pursue a Ph.D. On the suggestion of his juniors and seniors, he started a business almost by accident in 2012, launching the affordable ramen brand Mr. Ramen, with each bowl priced at 110 New Taiwan dollars—affordable on an hourly Taiwanese part-time wage. On weekends, the shop sells up to 600 bowls a day, with monthly revenue approaching 2 million New Taiwan dollars.

In fact, he suffered from domestic violence and school bullying since childhood. To fight against social discrimination and injustice, Takao Nozaki worked as a journalist and even ran for a Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly seat. After several twists and turns in life, he finally found a new beginning and a sense of belonging after getting married and settling down in Taiwan.

Text and photos / Mirror Weekly

“いらっしゃいませ, welcome!” During lunchtime, Takao Nozaki, the owner of Mr. Ramen, greets customers in a thick accent mixed with Japanese and Chinese. “You can get extra noodles—it’s free.” A group of young students listens, understanding only bits and pieces. After some miming and gestures, the group bursts into laughter and starts taking photos of their freshly served ramen with their phones.

▲ The signature offering of Mr. Ramen is affordable Japanese-style ramen that costs just an hour’s worth of part-time wages. (110 NT$/bowl)

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