Five guides to your next bowl

Find your ramen.
Follow your taste.

Light broth, rich soy sauce, thick noodles.
Find a bowl that suits your taste while traveling in Japan.

5 basic articles and 4 in-depth articles about Tokyo and Chiba. Find your next drink according to your tastes and travel plans.

Learn more about light, tonkotsu, tori paitan, and miso →

Explanatory illustration. Actual dishes and presentation may vary depending on the store.

01
Types of ramen in Japan: find your favorite, from light broth to Iekei and Jiro-style ramen
Light, tonkotsu, Miso, Iekei, Jiro-style ramen, Seafood, Spicy, Tsukemen/Mazesoba. An introductory guide to finding the ramen you want to eat in Japan based on taste, aroma, noodles, and quantity.
02
What is Iekei ramen? Flavors and a simple guide to your first order
Discover Yokohama’s Iekei ramen through its pork-bone and soy-sauce broth, chicken oil, and thick noodles. Learn how noodle firmness, seasoning, and oil adjustments work, with a first-order example.
03
Iekei ramen in Chiba: visiting Sugitaya’s Chiba Yuko and Chiba Ekimae branches
Meet Sugitaya, Yoshimuraya’s first direct-lineage shop, and its two Chiba branches. Find officially listed opening hours, addresses, ticket-buying instructions, and tips for a first order.
04
What is the difference between Iekei and Jiro-style ramen? Compare by soup, noodles, ingredients, and ordering method
Compare Iekei and Jiro-style ramen through broth, noodles, toppings, portion sizes, and ordering. Look beyond “both are rich” to find the bowl that suits you.
05
Your first Jiro-style ramen: choosing a shop, portion size, and how to order
Learn what to check on your first visit: noodle portions, meal tickets, garlic, vegetables, and pork back fat. This guide uses Butayama’s official instructions as a specific example.

Four flavors in Tokyo and Chiba

Explore your favourite ramen in more depth

Assari, tonkotsu, tori paitan and miso: discover their flavours and a first order to try, with five restaurants for each style.

AI-generated image of ramen with noodles, pork belly, green onions, and menma in clear amber soup — This is an illustrative image.

Assari / chintan · 3 Tokyo restaurants / 2 Chiba restaurants

Assari ramen: light does not mean bland — 5 restaurants in Tokyo and Chiba

Clear broths offer many flavours. Explore shoyu and shio, ordering tips for beginners, and three restaurants in Tokyo plus two in Chiba.

An AI-generated image of tonkotsu ramen, which combines cloudy soup with thin noodles, chashu pork, green onions, and wood ear mushrooms. — This is an illustrative image.

Tonkotsu · 3 Tokyo restaurants / 2 Chiba restaurants

Tonkotsu ramen: cloudy broth, kaedama and 5 restaurants in Tokyo and Chiba

Tonkotsu refers to pork-bone broth, not a seasoning. Learn about aroma, noodle firmness and kaedama before choosing ICHIRAN, IPPUDO, Tanaka Shoten or another restaurant.

AI-generated image of tori paitan ramen with chicken, soft-boiled eggs, and green onions in a pale cloudy soup — This is an illustrative image.

Tori paitan · 3 Tokyo restaurants / 2 Chiba restaurants

Tori paitan ramen: how it differs from tonkotsu, with 5 restaurants in Tokyo and Chiba

Cloudy chicken broth differs from tonkotsu. This beginner’s guide explains tori paitan, from its pronunciation to potage-style versions with chicken and vegetables.

AI-generated image of miso ramen with brown soup, thick noodles, bean sprouts, minced meat, corn, and butter. — This is an illustrative image.

Miso · 3 Tokyo restaurants / 2 Chiba restaurants

Miso ramen: choose by aroma, pork back fat and spice at 5 Tokyo and Chiba restaurants

Miso ramen is not always spicy. Find a bowl to suit your taste at Oshima, Hanamichian, Kikanbo, Naritake or Tadokoro Shoten.

Types of ramen in Japan: find your favorite, from light broth to Iekei and Jiro-style ramen

What is Iekei ramen? Flavors and a simple guide to your first order

Iekei ramen in Chiba: visiting Sugitaya’s Chiba Yuko and Chiba Ekimae branches

What is the difference between Iekei and Jiro-style ramen? Compare by soup, noodles, ingredients, and ordering method

Your first Jiro-style ramen: choosing a shop, portion size, and how to order

Assari ramen: light does not mean bland — 5 restaurants in Tokyo and Chiba

Tonkotsu ramen: cloudy broth, kaedama and 5 restaurants in Tokyo and Chiba

Tori paitan ramen: how it differs from tonkotsu, with 5 restaurants in Tokyo and Chiba

Miso ramen: choose by aroma, pork back fat and spice at 5 Tokyo and Chiba restaurants