Sankaku magazine volume two transports us into the busy world of ramen
Sankaku is not your average print magazine. Created by Sugai Toshiyuki (Managing Director) and David Wang (Editor-in-Chief), sankaku aims to explore a theme per volume – stories that began in the heart of Japan with first volume ‘Tokyo’. Their first adventure in print saw a special collector’s edition released, as well as a print and tote bag to accompany. 2023’s volume two ‘Ramen’, their latest edition, the team – who saw Florentyna Leow join as Editorial Director, decided to take this a step further by expanding into the world of ceramics with a special bowl. The team asked Stacy Tan – known as YABAI YABAI, to design it for the issue. The bowl itself was produced by Maruhiro, a brand of Hasamiyaki pottery and is a stunning addition to the already impressive print editions of the magazine.
Sankaku likes to go the extra mile with the special products made for the release of each issue and ‘Ramen’ is no different. The collector’s edition even includes vacuum-sealed ‘Real Instant NoodlesTM’ as part of the cover, with only 50 out of the 150 available online. The production quality is a real treat, and there’s an additional set which includes a packet of ramen. There’s no doubt that sankaku has brought together the best of the subject and printing methods to create a showcase for their latest volume. The cover of the regular softback edition – if we can even collectively name it “regular” – has a vector illustration of noodles by Stanley Sun, foil-stamped in gold. The minimal white background sits around it, giving the noodles space to breathe, yet confined to a simple square. The name sankaku sits in the top left, with ‘02’ positioned in the top right respectively, both foiled in the same way.
Their mission, amongst others, is to provide “uncommon narratives” about their subjects, they note on the back cover, with ramen being their current focus. The stories and perspectives presented transport us into the hustle and bustle of the noodle making world, but also gives us an idea of the true scale of the operation. In ‘Unravelling Ramen’ by Claire Williamson, we find out the history behind the humble noodle, from its origins in China to present day Japan. World War II saw noodles sustain the population during the famine, as Claire notes. “We had no rice, or couldn’t afford rice, so we had to eat noodles – and also as a dish that sustained a generation through hard times.” From providing a much needed sustenance for people during hard times, the importance of noodles has evolved to such a global level that we learn that “more than 100 billion servings of instant noodles are consumed annually across the globe.” This figure is incomprehensible in terms of scale and as we continue to read the stories tucked away in the volume, we start to understand the true scale.
‘Halal, is it ramen you’re looking for?’ hosts a vibrant illustration in its opening pages, setting the scene to teleport us into the neon-laden streets of Tokyo. The digital drawing by Swede Julia Hansson sets the tone for the piece. An almost-black background frames the illustration, which shows an almost typical envision of the busy signage that adorns the restaurants, shops and venues on the streets of Japan’s capital. It’s set at night time and a person at the end of the street stands against a harsh shadow of themselves. Moving into the written piece by Kirsty Bouwers, we ask if that person is looking for the Halal ramen that is asked rhetorically in the name. “There are 53,169 restaurants that sell ramen listed on Tabelog, Japan’s main online restaurant guide,” Kirsty writes. They dive into the sometimes technical world of ensuring the Halal ramen is legitimately halal, speaking for the ingredients and the importance of them for Muslims. “You can quickly understand how carefully reading ingredient lists has become a survival strategy for some.” Kirsty dives into the figures in relation to the local population of Muslims and the Muslim inbound tourists, with “halal-certified ramen and wagyu options” becoming options for over 31 million tourists in 2019 alone, according to the data of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).
"It’s another ode to the human touch, tenacity and bravery through design and how automation can be left aside for a brief moment to withhold craftsmanship values that are an indelible part of Japanese culture."
Stuart Williams, Owner of Overleaf
We meet Frank Striegl, a tour operator on the streets of Japan exclusively showcasing the tasty world of ramen to customers. “You get six mini-bowls from 12 choices, so there’s a lot of variety,” he tells David and Florentyna. We’re told that Frank began his ramen journey back in 2015, with his blog ‘5 AM Ramen’, but since 2019, Frank has become one of the few ramen tour operators in Tokyo. “60 to 200 tours a month with a team of three guides,” the duo note in the intro, showcasing the breadth of the customer base for this type of tour. The question and answer format for this piece adds to the personal touch that the tours offer, and speaks to Frank’s character as a people-person. “I also setup an instant ramen e-commerce business during the pandemic,” the tour operator notes. This passion for the food and the business surrounding it is evident in the interview. Further mention of conversations on the tours that include clarifying “what is ramen? What exactly is it made of?” he adds as “very important.” The dialogue between eater and guide is an interesting one – especially as experience plays a huge part in distinguishing the good restaurants from the not-so-good and the best flavour worlds to try. “People don’t know that it’s only about 100 years old. Its roots are Chinese, like many other dishes in Japan and other parts of Asia.”
But to understand the work that goes into the core ingredient behind this relatively young dish, we travel to Asakusa for a journey to a noodle making factory. The photo essay that winds its way across the centre of the volume holds an intimate narrative into the day-to-day working of the factory and the people who run it. ‘The masked man and the reluctant heir’, the name of the piece, is written by Florentyna with all photos by Sugai Toshiyuki. It takes a few pages before reaching the first paragraph of words, with photographic spreads inviting us into the factory floor. Wooden boxes are piled high in Kaikarou – over the heads of the workers, waiting for the noodles to be added for shipping. “The factory itself was a flurry of activity. Various noodle-related contraptions occupied most of the room, with just enough space between them for workers to weave their way around each other.” Florentyna sets the scene which is equal parts intimate as fascinating. “The heady, nutty, toasty fragrance of wheat flour enveloped us; we breathed fresh noodle air.” There is an air of lightheartedness and vibrancy to this statement, as the noodle-eaters among us can relate, whilst newcomers may want to follow the scent to find out more.
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To discover how Kaikarou breathes, we must understand how the beating heart of the operation takes on the great task of producing some of Japan’s best noodles. Pictured on page 71, Ryõsuke Sakagami is the “third generation of his family” to run the business; helping produce “6 tonnes of noodles for 800-odd shops across Japan every single day of the year.” With 20 workers, Sakagami relies of “human labour” rather than upgrading to the latest technology. “There’s no more space, and there’s not enough money,” we discover. Workers are shown crafting each part of the nurtured, honed process of noodle-making, including Karasu, a masked pro-wrestler who is well-known in the wrestling circuit. He’s also responsible for the creation of the company’s “first tsukemen noodles” without any formal training. The allure of Kaikarou’s operation is that it’s steeped in history, amongst many elements, making it a special piece of the ramen ecosystem in Japan.
The human-made approach continues in sankaku through the interviews with the makers of the special edition ceramic bowl and the factory who made it – Maruhiro, with another intimate photo series showing the process and studio during the making of the product. It’s another ode to the human touch, tenacity and bravery through design and how automation can be left aside for a brief moment to withhold craftsmanship values that are an indelible part of Japanese culture. Just ask the approximately “150 swordsmiths” still left in Japan, according to the website ‘Deeper Japan’. This pairs with the publication in its physicality too – adding flourishes and high production values and concepts to test the theme’s relationship with print. Sankaku’s passion for storytelling is evident in its deep appreciation for the subject and its surroundings, achieving a comprehensive and thoughtful insight into ramen with a varied set of written and photographic pieces. There is something for everyone – entry level and the advanced foodies, but also highlights the cultural, historical and situational ecosystems that enables ramen to remain a huge player in the food industry.
Where to buy
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Sankaku – Official Website
Correct at time of writing.
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