Morita Ya Book Nook

Morita-Ya Ramen Shop Book Nook : Build the Midnight Ramen Counter That Warms Everything

A red lantern swaying at the entrance. A fortune cat on the counter. A bowl of ramen steaming under warm amber light. A cat asleep on the outdoor barstool. The wooden sign reads もりたや  and the door is open.

There's a Japanese ramen shop on your shelf. You built it in 3 to 5 hours.

When I traveled to Japan, I was too tired to walk after visiting the sights, and the cold winter wind was still drilling into my bones, so I walked into the Morita Ramen Shop. The store is simple but quite warm. A bowl of hot ramen came to the table the soup base was thick, the ingredients sufficient  and then a cup of shochu, and cold and tired all ran away. The ramen was served by the shopkeeper himself, and it felt like home. After I returned, I put together the store and the bowl of ramen with blocks as a memento of that night. Every time I see it, it warms my heart.

Details of the Book Nook - Morita Ya Book :

• Material: Wood
• Difficulty level: 3/5 
• Assembly time: 3 to 5 hours
• Assembled Size : H:20.9cm × W:16cm × L:15.5cm
• Number of Pieces : 240 pieces.
• Recommended age: 14 and up (or 10+ with adult supervision)

Beginner-Friendly: Even if you’re new, you’ll enjoy every piece from the very first one.

The Japanese Ramen Shop: A Cultural Institution

The ramen-ya (ラーメン屋) is one of Japan's most democratic institutions. Unlike the kaiseki restaurant with its seasonal menus and reservation requirements, the ramen shop is open to everyone, at every hour, for a price that doesn't require calculation. You sit at the counter. You eat. You leave feeling better than when you arrived.

The culture of the ramen shop has its roots in the post-war period, when Chinese-style wheat noodles became a staple of Japanese urban food culture. By the 1980s and 1990s, regional styles had developed Sapporo's miso ramen, Hakata's tonkotsu, Tokyo's shoyu and the ramen shop had become a cultural institution as specific and as important as the French café or the British pub.

The quaint signboard sways lightly. The fragrant aroma wafted from the old alleys of the small town. The bone broth boils and the noodles swirl. The cat lies peacefully in the corner, guarding the four seasons. A small shop. Time is gentle, and Lamian Noodles is fragrant. 

The midnight canteen quality of the best ramen shops the way they exist specifically for the tired and the cold and the hungry is what the Morita-Ya kit captures and keeps permanently on your shelf.