Japan’s Jiro-style ramen has a devoted following. Originating with the famous Ramen Jiro chain, the style is known for enormous portions, thick, wavy noodles, rich pork-and-soy-sauce broth, and generous piles of bean sprouts, garlic, and pork back fat. For anyone craving a seriously filling meal, its appeal is easy to understand.
Recently, a Japanese X user shared that a junior colleague who used to say, “I feel unwell if I don’t eat Jiro-style ramen four times a week” and “Jiro-style ramen is a nutritionally complete food” had suddenly died, reportedly from ischemic heart disease. The loss left the user devastated, and the post sparked a wider discussion about ramen and the health risks associated with eating it too frequently.
Posting under the name “火鍋チャンネル跡地” (@hinabe_ch), the user wrote that their junior colleague had died unexpectedly over the weekend. They recalled the colleague’s remarks about needing Jiro-style ramen four times a week and considering it a nutritionally complete food, and expressed their shock at the sudden loss.
The user said they were taking over work the colleague had previously consulted them about while staying in contact with the bereaved family. They described the colleague as an accomplished person who was far more athletic than they were, adding that they might struggle to pull themselves together that week.
Responding to messages of sympathy, the user said they had previously warned the colleague against overeating and now felt a lingering sense of regret. When another user asked about the cause of death, they replied that it appeared to have been a heart attack related to ischemic heart disease, and that the colleague had not been found until some time afterward.
There is no basis to conclude from the post alone that frequently eating Jiro-style ramen caused the colleague’s death. Nevertheless, the account prompted some users to recall other cases involving well-known ramen enthusiasts.
One user shared an older blog post about a ramen critic who died of bile duct cancer, titled “Why Did a Ramen Critic Who Ate 600 Bowls a Year Succumb to Bile Duct Cancer?” They cited it as a reason to reconsider the possible health implications of consuming large quantities of the same food over many years. The individual case itself, however, does not establish that ramen caused the critic’s cancer.
Other users mentioned prominent figures in the ramen industry, critics, and longtime enthusiasts who had died relatively young or experienced health problems, suggesting that their experiences should encourage greater attention to eating habits.
(Made in Abyss creator Akihito Tsukushi, also known for his love of ramen, has reportedly experienced blood pressure problems and previously required hospitalization.)
A user who works at a Jiro-style ramen shop said they eat it around four times a week for taste-testing and staff meals. They described the amount of fat as striking: beyond the fat already in the pork broth, there is oil added to the soup and additional fat poured over the vegetables. Finishing the broth, they noted, could mean consuming a substantial quantity of fat.
The discussion on X reflects broader concerns about diets high in fat and sodium, particularly when large portions are consumed frequently over a long period. However, the deceased colleague’s medical history, overall health, and other factors that may have contributed to their death have not been independently established. A direct connection between their death and Jiro-style ramen therefore cannot be confirmed.
Meals high in sodium and saturated fat can contribute to cardiovascular risk when they are a regular part of an unbalanced diet. For most people, the more useful takeaway is to consider portion sizes, frequency, and overall nutritional balance, rather than simply labeling a particular food as healthy or unhealthy, and to adjust eating habits to their individual health needs.
via： X@hinabe_ch