How tonkotsu ramen reached Sapporo and where Men-Eiji stands today

Ramen arrived in Japan from China in the early twentieth century and quickly branched into regional dialects, each defined by its broth, noodles, and toppings. While Tokyo favoured shoyu and Hakata became synonymous with rich pork-bone tonkotsu, the northern island of Hokkaido followed its own path. Cold winters, dairy culture, and a wave of post-war migration from across Japan reshaped what a bowl of ramen could be in Sapporo.

Among the newer voices shaping Sapporo's ramen conversation is MEN-EIJI, a brand built around gyokai-tonkotsu, a broth that fuses seafood and pork bones. Founded by Jun Furukawa, the restaurant operates two locations in Hiragishi and has earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its distinctive approach. Understanding how Men-Eiji emerged requires looking back at the long, sometimes surprising journey of tonkotsu ramen from Kyushu to Hokkaido.

The birth of tonkotsu and its journey north

Tonkotsu ramen is widely traced to Kurume, a city in Fukuoka Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, where a stall called Nankin Senryo began serving a cloudy, pork-bone broth in 1937. The technique involves simmering pork bones at a rolling boil for many hours, extracting collagen, marrow, and fat to create an opaque, creamy liquid. From Kurume, the style spread across Kyushu and into the rest of Japan through migrating workers, returning soldiers, and ambitious shop owners.

By the 1960s and 1970s, tonkotsu shops had opened in Tokyo, Osaka, and other mainland hubs. Hokkaido, separated by water and harsh winter weather, developed somewhat independently. Sapporo's signature became miso ramen, introduced in the 1950s at restaurants such as Aji no Sanpei, where fermented soybean paste was added to a clear or pork-bone base to provide warmth against the city's brutal winters. Miso was hearty, savoury, and forgiving in the cold, qualities that helped it dominate the local market for decades.

The arrival of tonkotsu in Sapporo was therefore slower and less uniform than in southern Japan. Some shops adopted Hakata-style noodles and broth, while others blended tonkotsu foundations with miso or soy seasoning, creating hybrid bowls unique to the island. Men-Eiji belongs to this second tradition, taking the body of tonkotsu but treating it as a starting point rather than a final destination.

Sapporo's ramen identity and the regional map

Sapporo's ramen scene is often described as a triangle of styles: miso, shoyu, and shio. Miso remains the most iconic, tied to the city's image of steaming bowls after a long day on the ski slopes or in Susukino's nightlife district. Shoyu ramen arrived with cooks from Tokyo and the Kanto region, while shio offered a lighter counterpoint for warmer months or diners seeking clarity. Tonkotsu existed on the margins, more common in late-night settings than as a daytime staple.

Outside Sapporo, the broader Hokkaido map includes Asahikawa's shoyu ramen, known for its thin noodles and a clear, oil-skimmed broth, and Hakodate's salt-based variant with a focus on seafood stock. These regional differences reflect local ingredients and water profiles. Asahikawa's hard water suits straight noodles particularly well, and Hakodate's port history brings a marine influence that aligns naturally with Men-Eiji's gyokai thinking.

Style Region in Hokkaido Broth base Signature trait
Miso Sapporo Pork or chicken, miso paste Rich, warming, fermented depth
Shoyu Asahikawa Soy sauce, pork or chicken Clear, thin noodles, subtle aroma
Shio Hakodate Salt, seafood or chicken Light, briny, delicate
Gyokai-tonkotsu Sapporo (Men-Eiji) Pork bones and seafood Creamy, layered, oceanic umami

The gyokai-tonkotsu row belongs to Men-Eiji's approach, which takes the collagen-rich body of traditional tonkotsu and adds dried sardines, scallops, and other seafood to deepen the umami. It is a style still rare in Sapporo, where most shops focus on miso or soy-based broths. That rarity is part of what draws international attention to the brand.

The Men-Eiji philosophy and Jun Furukawa's craft

Jun Furukawa trained in Tokyo before relocating to Sapporo, drawn by the city's independent food culture and the chance to develop a broth unlike anything already dominant there. He believed tonkotsu could speak to Hokkaido's seafood heritage if handled carefully. The result is gyokai-tonkotsu, where pork bones form the creamy backbone and a separate seafood stock, often built from kombu and katsuobushi, is layered in at the end to avoid overpowering the delicate marine notes.

The two Men-Eiji locations reflect slightly different expressions of this philosophy. MEN-EIJI Hiragishi BASE, the original shop, focuses on the classic gyokai-tonkotsu ramen and seasonal sides. Duck Ramen EIJI, a newer concept nearby, uses duck fat and duck-based dashi alongside the seafood-pork blend, creating a richer, gamier bowl that has become a destination dish for visitors to Sapporo. Both menus are available online, and diners can compare the two approaches before deciding which to try first.

Key elements of Men-Eiji's signature bowls

International pop-ups and a following in Australia

Men-Eiji's reputation has travelled well beyond Sapporo. The team has hosted pop-ups in cities including Melbourne and Sydney, where Japanese food has become deeply embedded in the everyday dining landscape. In Melbourne's CBD and areas like Fitzroy and Carlton, ramen shops sit alongside Italian espresso bars and Thai kitchens, reflecting the multicultural habits of Australian food lovers. Sydney's Chatswood and the CBD host similar scenes, often driven by second-generation Japanese-Australian communities and curious younger diners.

Australian diners tend to approach ramen with a relaxed, experimental attitude. Long lunches on weekends are common in cities like Adelaide and Hobart, and a steaming bowl of gyokai-tonkotsu fits naturally into that rhythm, particularly in cooler months. The country's strict biosecurity rules, administered by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, mean that imported Japanese ingredients must pass through rigorous inspection, which affects how pop-ups source their stocks. Men-Eiji has navigated this by collaborating with local Australian producers and bringing key aged bases in approved containers.

Australian ramen fans often seek out richer, more unusual broths rather than the lighter shio styles common in Sydney's earlier Japanese cafés. That demand helped Men-Eiji's gyokai-tonkotsu find an audience during visits to Brisbane's South Bank and Perth's Northbridge areas, where pop-up queues stretched around blocks. The brand's Michelin Bib Gourmand, awarded for its Sapporo flagship, has added credibility among Australian food media, which closely tracks international recognition when scheduling features and reviews.

Awards, collaborations, and what sets the broth apart

Recognition followed Men-Eiji as the gyokai-tonkotsu style gained attention. The Michelin Bib Gourmand for MEN-EIJI Hiragishi BASE placed the restaurant alongside other high-quality, good-value establishments in the guide. In Japan, a Bib Gourmand signals a kitchen offering excellent food at moderate prices, a benchmark that international visitors, including Australians planning Hokkaido trips, often use when choosing where to eat. The distinction has helped Men-Eiji appear on curated ramen itineraries shared across travel blogs and food publications.

Collaborations have further shaped the brand. Jun Furukawa has worked with other Sapporo chefs on limited menus, including a miso-gyokai hybrid that appeared briefly at Hiragishi and drew long lines on weekend evenings. He has also consulted with brewery partners to develop a craft beer pairing that complements the broth's richness, and has participated in charity events supporting Hokkaido's fishing communities. Each project reinforces a simple idea: gyokai-tonkotsu is not a static recipe but a living approach that can absorb influences from the island's farms, coasts, and kitchens.

Distinctive qualities that separate Men-Eiji's gyokai-tonkotsu

For anyone planning a trip to Sapporo, a bowl at MEN-EIJI Hiragishi BASE or Duck Ramen EIJI offers a window into how tonkotsu ramen has evolved far beyond its Kyushu origins. Reservations and group enquiries can be arranged through the contact page, where the team also handles requests for international pop-ups and press collaborations. Whether you are walking in from a Tokyo flight, mapping out a Hokkaido winter itinerary, or an Australian ramen enthusiast building a wish list of bowls to try before visiting Japan, Men-Eiji stands as a reminder that Sapporo's ramen map still has room to grow.