"Eki soba" (station-side soba noodle shops) are places where you can get a quick, satisfying meal right at the station. For travelers, they've long been a part of the food culture, perfect for a simple bite before a journey. In recent years, however, these shops have become a rare sight in Hokkaido. Let's explore why eki soba shops have dwindled in Hokkaido.

The Past and Present of Eki Soba at JR Sapporo Station

An eki soba shop on the platform of JR Sapporo Station. They also sell ekiben (station bento boxes). (Image: Sapporo Eki Tateuri Shokai)

For both Hokkaido residents and tourists, the most visible eki soba shops are on the platforms of JR Sapporo Station. As of December 2023, there are two shops remaining. One is on platforms 5 and 6, where the Rapid Airport train for New Chitose Airport departs, and the other is on platforms 7 and 8, mainly for trains heading towards Iwamizawa and Asahikawa.

JR Sapporo Station is Hokkaido's largest, a mammoth station with about 77,000 passengers per day. While there are only two eki soba shops now, they once existed on every platform.

The most popular item at the JR Sapporo Station platform soba shop: "Kake Soba" (simple hot soba in broth). (Image: Sapporo Eki Tateuri Shokai)

When comparing JR Sapporo Station's passenger numbers with those in the Tokyo metropolitan area, the vast difference in population scale becomes starkly clear. It doesn't come close to Japan's busiest station, Shinjuku Station (approx. 602,000/day), and is more comparable in size to Oimachi Station (approx. 77,000) or Ogikubo Station (approx. 76,000), which are bypassed by limited express trains. For further context, Hokkaido's second busiest station is New Chitose Airport Station with about 14,000 passengers, making the comparison even more pronounced.
*Passenger numbers do not include subways or private railway lines (from JR 2022 data).

Naturally, the customers of eki soba are people who use the station. Shops on the platforms, in particular, cater exclusively to those getting on and off trains. Without a high volume of train users, it's difficult to attract customers. Looking at the passenger numbers, one might conclude that the eki soba business itself faces a challenging environment in Hokkaido.

The eki soba shop in the waiting room of JR Shintoku Station. A specialty of Shintoku, a town famous for its soba.

Still, looking across Hokkaido, eki soba shops can still be found in the waiting rooms of stations like JR Furano and JR Shintoku. In the past, they were also at Abashiri, Nayoro, and Engaru stations, and the one at Otoineppu Station was nationally famous. All of these are stations with fewer than 10,000 passengers a day, suggesting that passenger volume isn't the only factor.