Naruto Columns
09/14/2023
What Are the Naruto so Beloved by Naruto from NARUTO? Learning Some Amazing Things at Japan's Number One "Naruto Village"
Let's talk about "naruto". They're fish cakes which can also serve as a ramen topping, seen in the world of NARUTO on the ramen served at the Ichiraku ramen stand.
Case in point, take a look at Naruto chowing down on some naruto in the panel above. Look, I get this is confusing, but do your best to work out which "naruto" I'm talking about from the context.
In Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie, Naruto asserts that ramen without naruto isn't ramen at all. I've eaten plenty of ramen in my time, and quite frankly never cared whether it has naruto in it or not, so I'm wondering what would drive Naruto to be so adamant about naruto?
What's the difference between naruto and kamaboko (also a kind of fish cake)? Maybe they're actually the same thing? As I was thinking about it, my passion for naruto grew closer to Naruto's.
The naruto that I just finished eating was made by a company called Kane-Kyuu, in Yaizu, Shizuoka prefecture. I figure, if I ask them "What is naruto?" I can get some hints about Naruto's naruto obsession. After the thought popped into my head, I quickly found myself bound for Shizuoka.
Contents
I can't quite Naruto Run my way there, so I made use of the train lines instead for a two-hour journey from Tokyo. My destination: Kane-Kyuu's HQ in Yaizu.
For this article I talked to Ryosuke Suzuki, President and CEO of Kane-Kyuu Co., Ltd., as well as Yujiro Ueda, Director of the Yaizu Kamaboko Commercial and Industrial Cooperative, who as the top figure of the naruto cooperative, could be called something like "Hokage of the Naruto Village".
As an aside, Yujiro is a dyed-in-the-noodles NARUTO fan and owns every volume of the manga. His favorite scene is apparently the one where Jiraiya decides to name the protagonist of his novel "Tales of a Gutsy Ninja" after the naruto on his ramen. Not surprising coming from the Hokage of Naruto Village.
As an aside, Yujiro is a dyed-in-the-noodles NARUTO fan and owns every volume of the manga. His favorite scene is apparently the one where Jiraiya decides to name the protagonist of his novel "Tales of a Gutsy Ninja" after the naruto on his ramen. Not surprising coming from the Hokage of Naruto Village.
It's that naruto that Naruto gets his name from. In a sense, without naruto, there could be no NARUTO.
It seems my knowledge about naruto and my passion for NARUTO are both going to be tested today. How nerve-wracking!
First off, we need to all be on the same page about what naruto is: a kind of fish cake made from kneaded fish paste. In most places, it's eaten just like that in New Year's meals or as a ramen topping, but in Yaizu it's sometimes also simmered in oden or other soups.
"Unlike kamaboko, broth soaks into it really easily", says Ryosuke. Naruto is made to readily absorb broth, which makes it delicious even when hot. That's probably the biggest difference compared to kamaboko.
Actually, I don't think many people know how naruto is made in the first place, so let me explain while showing some pictures from the factory.
Actually, I don't think many people know how naruto is made in the first place, so let me explain while showing some pictures from the factory.
"Surimi (fish paste)" is the raw ingredient for naruto. This surimi is a blend of three types of fish, including Alaska Pollock and Golden Threadfin Bream. Of course, you can make it with only one type of fish, but blending is where the magic happens. And by magic, I obviously mean elasticity and stickiness. Each company has its own clever tricks for making that magic.
Starch, seasonings, eggs, and food coloring are added to the surimi and mixed into a dough. This dough is theoretically rolled up to make the uzumaki, but apparently since 50-60 years ago it's all done via machinery, and I was told "It's not rolled anymore".
So how is the uzumaki pattern made? Turns out, a mold is used.
The dough is passed through this mold to make the classic naruto shape.
Each of these molds is made-to-order and differs from factory to factory—in other words, every single mold is completely unique. Apparently, the people who make naruto can tell which factory any given naruto comes from just by looking at the pattern. Some stick closer to the "の (no)" character, while others add a more unique twist.
After hearing that, I wondered if perhaps I could find out where NARUTO's naruto was made, so I asked Yujiro and Ryosuke to take a look.
After hearing that, I wondered if perhaps I could find out where NARUTO's naruto was made, so I asked Yujiro and Ryosuke to take a look.
Yujiro commented that it's "rare for the 'no' to extend so far".
Our "Hokage" had an interesting take. Since machine-made naruto apparently has the "no" more centered, he said "this could be homemade naruto".
Our "Hokage" had an interesting take. Since machine-made naruto apparently has the "no" more centered, he said "this could be homemade naruto".
Ryosuke steps in to offer an alternate perspective: "The pattern could have been distorted after absorbing the soup". By the way, Yujiro told me the jaggedness of the outside is "a way to prevent swelling and loss of shape when heated". I'm seeing Ichiraku's ramen in a whole new light!
However, Yujiro could confirm that the characteristic uzumaki pattern "wasn't made at our factories". For example, the uzumaki on Kane-Kyuu's naruto is thicker towards the center and thinner on the outside.
However, Yujiro could confirm that the characteristic uzumaki pattern "wasn't made at our factories". For example, the uzumaki on Kane-Kyuu's naruto is thicker towards the center and thinner on the outside.
After coming out of the mold, it's boiled, steamed, and then finished!
Watching naruto being finished up one after another is very satisfying. The way they all come out looking the same reminds me of the Shadow Doppelganger Jutsu.
Having just seen how they're made, I asked Ryosuke to let me try a fresh one.
It was really tasty. The texture is a lot springier than you'd get in a supermarket. After eating this, I can't think of naruto as a side character anymore. Freshly-made naruto clearly has a main-character-grade taste!
Now that we know the ins and outs of naruto-making, let's take a look at how the naruto market came to be!
At its heyday (sometime after WWII), about 90% of Japanese naruto was made in Yaizu. At the time, though, naruto was more of a side business to be produced during winter, when the city factories' main product—bonito flakes—could not be made.
At its heyday (sometime after WWII), about 90% of Japanese naruto was made in Yaizu. At the time, though, naruto was more of a side business to be produced during winter, when the city factories' main product—bonito flakes—could not be made.
Then the ramen boom came, and with it a surge in naruto demand. This meant more companies began focusing on naruto, and it grew from a side business to the star of the show. It could be argued that the story of naruto mirrors Naruto's, since our favorite ninja also has a rags-to-riches story, starting as the village outcast and ending up as the Hokage.
Speaking about naruto's success story, did you know that in the novel Naruto: Konoha's Story—The Perfect Day for a Wedding, which is set after the original series, naruto went from being Ichiraku's least popular topping to its most popular one? It looks like in both fiction and reality, naruto are made for greatness!
That being said, it also looks like they are quickly losing their spot as the king of ramen toppings, overshadowed by an ever-growing selection of alternatives. As a matter of fact, the number of naruto factories has decreased from over 100 at its post-war peak to just about 10 (as of 2023). Yujiro remarked that "kids these days might not even think to add naruto when drawing ramen".
Speaking about naruto's success story, did you know that in the novel Naruto: Konoha's Story—The Perfect Day for a Wedding, which is set after the original series, naruto went from being Ichiraku's least popular topping to its most popular one? It looks like in both fiction and reality, naruto are made for greatness!
That being said, it also looks like they are quickly losing their spot as the king of ramen toppings, overshadowed by an ever-growing selection of alternatives. As a matter of fact, the number of naruto factories has decreased from over 100 at its post-war peak to just about 10 (as of 2023). Yujiro remarked that "kids these days might not even think to add naruto when drawing ramen".
This time, I met some people devoted to making naruto even in the face of its falling popularity.
I don't know if I was able to show off their shinobi way—or rather their "naruto way"—to the extent it deserves. However, I do think I was able to show off some of the reasons Naruto is so enamored with naruto.
The idea of pushing straight forward through a mold, and an underdog story that takes one from a supporting character to a main protagonist. It's got a complex history that adds depth to the flavor of ramen. Of course, the flavor goes without saying, but I doubt there are many foods that let you feel the passion of the creators so clearly.
According to Naruto: Konoha's Story—The Perfect Day for a Wedding, after the Nine Tails' attack, Ichiraku's Teuchi was told by a regular customer not to let Naruto into the store, but he ignored the warning and endeavored to treat Naruto fairly. Teuchi even tells the complainant "If there's someone you don't like at my store, you don't need to come."
If Naruto knew about this, perhaps he'd be able to taste Teuchi's determination in his naruto whenever he ate ramen there?
The uzumaki pattern on naruto is also said to have the positive meaning of "being unending" or "eternity".
I hope that the NARUTO series, as well as the culture of naruto-making, can keep on going forever in the same way.
By the way, Yujiro says his favorite NARUTO character is Jiraiya, which doesn't really surprise me.
Apparently, it's because Jiraiya likes pervy things. I feel him on that one.
I don't know if I was able to show off their shinobi way—or rather their "naruto way"—to the extent it deserves. However, I do think I was able to show off some of the reasons Naruto is so enamored with naruto.
The idea of pushing straight forward through a mold, and an underdog story that takes one from a supporting character to a main protagonist. It's got a complex history that adds depth to the flavor of ramen. Of course, the flavor goes without saying, but I doubt there are many foods that let you feel the passion of the creators so clearly.
According to Naruto: Konoha's Story—The Perfect Day for a Wedding, after the Nine Tails' attack, Ichiraku's Teuchi was told by a regular customer not to let Naruto into the store, but he ignored the warning and endeavored to treat Naruto fairly. Teuchi even tells the complainant "If there's someone you don't like at my store, you don't need to come."
If Naruto knew about this, perhaps he'd be able to taste Teuchi's determination in his naruto whenever he ate ramen there?
The uzumaki pattern on naruto is also said to have the positive meaning of "being unending" or "eternity".
I hope that the NARUTO series, as well as the culture of naruto-making, can keep on going forever in the same way.
By the way, Yujiro says his favorite NARUTO character is Jiraiya, which doesn't really surprise me.
Apparently, it's because Jiraiya likes pervy things. I feel him on that one.
Photography: Kayo Sekiguchi
GIF Filming/Creation: Editorial Department
GIF Filming/Creation: Editorial Department
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