When 2025 became 2026, Yasumasa Ito decided 34 years was long enough and it was time to shut down Tampopo, the venerable Japanese noodle and donburi bowl bodega in the Lesley Building in Porter Square. Cambridge Day posted an appreciation piece highlighting our favorite dishes, and lauding Ito for maintaining high quality over the years.
That story led to this story: around Memorial Day, the Day received an email from Kotaro Moria, who lives in Kanazawa — also known as “Little Kyoto” — in Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture. Moria told us he appreciated our story, and it was a reason why he was coming to Boston to help Ito through the last 30 days of Tampopo’s existence.
Moria studied at Fisher College 16 years ago and worked for Ito while he was here. He now runs an IT and web design firm in Japan.
“I knew Tampopo was closing,” Morita said. “Another staff member asked me to make a website so customers could send messages to Ito-san. While I was working on it, I saw a recent photo of him. He looked thinner than I remembered, and I thought that this was hard on him, and I felt like I should go help. A few days later he took me up on it.”
Extended stay
Ito originally came to America to learn English, then stayed to study Aikido. To support himself in those early days Ito toiled in various Japanese restaurants including Genji, the sushi Mecca of Newbury Street in the ’80s and ’90s (now the home of Sonsie). When the Sears in Porter Square closed in the mid-1980s, the building was taken over by Lesley University, which created a food court. Ito was one of an influx of Japanese proprietors that organically settled in and created “Little Tokyo”—a hub of Japanese street food vendors. Most of these have left or closed; when Tampopo shuts down in
June, only two of the seven bodega stalls will remain occupied.
Ito named his eatery after the hit 1985 noodle Western film that chronicled a ramen restaurant’s rise from obscurity to a roadside destination. The title, which translates to “dandelion,” is the name of the widow and noodle shop owner played by Nobuko Miyamoto, who gets her kitchen groove on with the aid of two truckers who were passing through. Forty-plus years later, the film stands up today, as does Ito’s udon and donburi. ironically, Ito’s Tampopo does not serve ramen.When Ito arrived, the booth next door was Sapporo Ramen, which, after 33 years in the Lesley Building, departed in 2024 for the revamped CanalSide food court at the CambridgeSide Galleria.
In the early days of Tampopo, Ito graced the cover of Boston Magazine as a mover and a shaker to make note of., Ito mostly recalls his loyal and kind customer base. “Really nice people,” he says, but early, the hive of Japanese eateries had some cultural awkwardness to work through. “Cambridge has very educated people,” Ito said with a smile. “In those days, chopsticks weren’t popular, and we only had chopsticks. A customer would ask for a fork and knife, and another customer would say, ‘This is a Japanese restaurant. Why aren’t you using chopsticks?’ I was so glad.”
Since the announcement of the closure, people have been flocking by in droves for one last donburi bowl and to wish Ito the best. “It’s been crazy,” he said. The eatery only has four tables, and a prominently positioned sign asks patrons to share them.
“Now everyday is busy,” Ito says. “We have no (empty) chairs.”
To capture the memories and fond farewells, Morita made a special interactive site where customers and fans can connect and interact with Ito. Ito says that will likely happen more once the shop closes and he can catch his breath.
Watching Ito and Morita work in tandem is like a ballet. They gracefully bob and duck around each other in the narrow confines of the small gallery-style kitchen. There’sa father-and-son-like aura to their interaction, culminating in the food that is prepared with pride and care.
There are 20-plus days of Tampopo to go, and the shrimp tempura udon is a great savory treat even during these early days of summer. Stop in for the food and pay your respects to the skilled preparer of your meal before he sets off the rising sun and a next chapter that will include continuing aikido, traveling and spending time with his grandchildren.
For What it's Worth 
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