Following on from Mongolia and Paris, the Nagano earthen pot miso ramen restaurant ‘Takesan’ has opened a new branch in Nozawa Onsen.

In 2008, the president, Tetsuaki Takeda, who is from Nagano, opened the first branch in Higashiwada, Nagano City, with the aim of creating a local ramen dish for Nagano, and using Shinshu miso in abundance, he came up with the idea of an earthen pot miso ramen dish that would bring warmth to the deep snows of Nagano in winter.

In 2018, the 10th year since the company was founded, the second branch, “Takesan Obuse”, was opened on the grounds of the Kokuhei Miso Brewery in Obuse Town, Kamitakai County, Nagano Prefecture, and later became the flagship store.
From the time preparations were being made for the Obuse branch to open, new menu items were developed with an eye on the global market. The “Shinshu Miso Kura Ramen” was developed as a vegan-friendly ramen dish that uses no pork bones, no animal products, and no chemical seasonings, allowing the miso flavor to stand out more.

Takesan Obuse, Nagano Japan

Since the first store opened in 2008, Mr. Tetsuro Honma, a friend of President Takeda from his university days, has been in charge of all aspects of the store and logo design, and he also designed the entire building from scratch for the Obuse store.

The store design, which blends in with the historic town of Obuse, not only attracts customers, but also attracts overseas business owners who want to open franchises, leading to overseas franchises in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (2019, 2022), and Paris, France (2024).

Takesan Ulan Bator, Mongolia

2024: The first store in Higashiwada, Nagano City, was transferred to an employee who had become independent, and the store name was changed. For a time, there was only one store in Japan, called “Takesan”, but during the ski season, a store was opened in Nozawa Onsen, which is a popular destination for many overseas visitors, including those from Australia.

At the Nozawa Onsen store, they are not just trying to extend the concept of a Japanese ramen restaurant, but are also trying to incorporate the menu structure they have developed through their experience of competing in the global markets of Mongolia and France.