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When it comes to winter holidays, the biggest one for Japan is—you guessed it—New Years! However, there’s another beloved holiday in Japan and that holiday is Christmas.

If you’ve ever been to Japan in summer or watched a Japanese anime, you’ve probably seen people eating up a fluffy, cooling treat of Japanese shaved ice, or kakigori in Japanese. But what are these sweet piles of edible snow?

Japan is famous for its massive variety of noodles. Ramen, udon, soba, somen... The list goes on and on. Yet among Japan’s noodle varieties one stands out for its unique preparation method and strong flavor: Yakisoba!

While sushi is Japan’s most famous food, ramen is actually a close second that might overtake sushi in the future. The variety of ramen styles and flavors, the spread of cup ramen, and its spread from Japan to overseas are a few reasons why it’s gaining popularity.

In the world of ramen, most ramen enthusiasts will tell you that there are three major regional types of ramen. We’ve already talked about Sapporo ramen in our Hokkaido ramen guide and Hakata ramen in its own guide. Now, let’s talk about the third: Kitakata Ramen.

Whether it’s dairy, seafood, vegetables or melons, you can find plenty of delicious foods in Japan’s northernmost prefecture. This includes Hokkaido ramen, made from the area’s delicious wheat.