Let's talk about the charm of the long-selling Butamen!
Hello, this is Toraneko.
Thank you so much for coming to visit my blog today, despite your busy schedule.
It's getting a little chilly outside, isn't it? On days like this, I feel like my heart shrinks a bit, and I suddenly feel lonely... At times like that, there is a magical food that I secretly reach for.
It is "Butamen," which is always waiting for me in the corner of candy stores and convenience stores, just as it always has been.
You might be surprised and say, "Wait, Toraneko-san, Butamen?" While pancakes at stylish cafes and sparkling afternoon teas are wonderful, for me right now, I feel like the place where I can most "forgive myself" is inside that little cup.
Today, I would like to share with you my own perspective on the charm of Butamen.
I want to be by its side precisely because it is "not perfect"
The world is overflowing with delicious things. Tonkotsu soup that famous restaurants have simmered for hours, or carefully crafted homemade noodles. Of course, those are truly wonderful.
But... don't you sometimes get tired of that "perfection"?
I do.
I stretch myself to be someone worthy of a sparkling world, but then I feel unsteady on my feet. At times like that, when I smell that cheap, "candy-store-like" aroma of Butamen, the tension in my shoulders suddenly fades away.
"Toraneko-chan, you don't have to try so hard."
I feel like that cute little pig character is saying that to me from beyond the steam. Perhaps Butamen is my own personal "sanctuary."
My own "three-minute" meditation time
I'm not very good at cooking... I spend my days feeling like I'm being chased by something, so at first, even the three minutes it takes to boil water made me feel restless and uneasy.
But lately, I've started to think this way.
"These three minutes are an important ritual for me to return to being myself."
The time spent waiting while using a 10-yen coin as a weight on the lid (don't you find yourself doing this too?) and just sitting still.
Little by little, the area around the cup starts to warm up. As that warmth travels from my fingertips, I can feel even my chilled heart slowly melting.
The version of myself that is so impatient I almost open it after just a minute.
"No, you have to hold out a little longer."
Butamen gently accepts even that kind of dialogue with my slightly flawed self.
Infinite possibilities spreading in a "small world"
I think the charm of Butamen also lies in that small size.
With regular cup ramen, you need a bit of motivation, like 'Alright, I'm going to eat this!' But with Butamen, you can pick it up with the feeling of 'Let me indulge myself just a little bit.'
The curly noodles are packed tightly into that small cup.
Before I slurp the first bite, I always gently gaze at the soup.
When I find the tiny sesame seeds floating in the cloudy pork bone soup, I feel like, 'Oh, we met again today,' and it feels a bit like a class reunion.
And the amazing thing about Butamen is the breadth of its "blank space."
Sometimes, I gently place a slice of melting cheese from the fridge on top.
Watching the cheese melt from the heat makes me feel like I'm doing something very luxurious, and I start to think, 'Maybe I'm surprisingly creative...?' and I gain a little bit of confidence.
Eating it as is is the right way. But it forgives you no matter what you do to it.
That kind of depth is what Butamen has.
A "secret sense of guilt" I can't tell anyone
I want you to keep this a secret between us, but...
In the middle of the night, when I can't sleep at all, feel somehow lonely, and there's nothing when I open the fridge.
Eating the Butamen I kept in stock secretly in the kitchen is my secret pleasure.
The sound of slurping noodles in the silence of the night.
If someone saw me, they might laugh and say, 'Toraneko, what are you doing in the middle of the night?'
But that small sense of guilt that I'm "doing something I shouldn't" helps distract me from the loneliness.
When I drink the soup down to the very last drop, I strangely find myself thinking, 'Alright, I'll try to smile just a little bit more tomorrow than I did today.'
Isn't it wonderful that a snack costing just over 100 yen can light a lamp in my heart?
Conclusion: It's okay to be just who you are
Butamen might not have fancy ingredients, and it might not be particularly healthy.
But it's there, just as it is—unadorned and unpretentious.
I think that actually takes a tremendous amount of courage.
I want to be like Butamen, too.
Not someone who overwhelms others with flashy words, but someone people remember in a quiet moment and think, 'Oh, reading that person's blog made me feel a little better.'
…Well, maybe that's still too big a goal for me to reach just yet.
I got a little too greedy there. I'm sorry.
If you are feeling lost or losing confidence in yourself today, please try picking up a Butamen.
When you wrap both hands around that warm cup, you're sure to meet the 'gentle self' sleeping inside you.
Butamen, the snack, is more than just food.
I believe it is a 'talisman' that gently embraces us when we feel like we haven't quite grown up yet.
Thank you so much for reading until the end today.
My writing is clumsy, and there may have been parts that were hard to read…
If you'd like, 'Which flavor of Butamen do you like?'
I would be so happy if you could tell me in the comments. For me, the classic 'Tonkotsu' is definitely the most comforting.
Well then, I look forward to seeing you in the next article.
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