Finally tried Japan’s must-eat “Ippudo Ramen” – half of the queue was Taiwanese

▲Ichiran Ramen is super popular in Taiwan.

Photos & Text by Jeff Loves Travel

Taiwanese people love traveling to Japan and are even more fond of Japanese food, especially sushi and ramen. Those who love Japan know that Ichiran Ramen is dubbed by netizens as a "must-eat" ramen shop in Japan, and many make it a pilgrimage destination when visiting. This time, Jeff happened to have the chance to go to Tokyo, so how could he miss such a rare opportunity? After browsing through some drugstores, he decided to head to the 24-hour Ichiran Ramen Ueno Station branch.

By the time Jeff arrived, it was almost 11 PM, yet there were already over ten people waiting in line outside. If you include those inside, there must have been at least twenty people. Although the line was a bit long, since he was already there, it would be a pity not to try it, and considering the likely high turnover rate, Jeff decided to wait. As he moved along the queue, he noticed that quite a few people in line were from Taiwan—about half, he estimated. Ichiran truly is a must-try ramen spot for Taiwanese visitors to Japan.


▲Ichiran allows you to customize the flavor to your liking.

As most bloggers have written, Ichiran lets you adjust the flavor, noodle firmness, and more. Jeff chose the regular flavor, light soup, half a slice of garlic, thin green onions, and 1/2 of the special sauce (which is a bit spicy), with noodles on the firmer side. Perhaps because he chose the regular flavor, compared to ramen from Hokkaido, Ichiran’s broth wasn’t actually very salty, and Jeff was able to finish the soup along with the noodles.

The biggest feature of Ichiran Ramen’s interior design is that each person gets their own individual space to enjoy their ramen in peace.


▲Buy meal tickets from the vending machine.


▲There are still many people queuing even late at night.


▲Meal finished.