Five-time Tokyo Ramen Show Champion: Rich Black Soy Sauce Ramen That Ramen Lovers Must Try

▲ RAMEN IROHA’s black soy sauce ramen.

Text and photos by Badou Yao

Are you a fan of Japanese ramen? If so, you’ve probably heard of popular brands like Ichiran, Ippudo, and Kagetsu Arashi. But have you ever heard ofRAMEN IROHA (RAMEN IROHA) from Toyama Prefecture, Japan? This ramen shop has won the Tokyo Ramen Show five times (a four-peat from 2009 to 2012 and again in 2014), and its signature “Toyama BLACK (Toyama Burakku)” black soy sauce ramen has captivated countless ramen enthusiasts.

Black soy sauce ramen is a specialty of Toyama Prefecture. One theory suggests it originated during the post-war reconstruction after a major air raid in Toyama. Workers, who were sweating profusely, needed to replenish their salt intake, so they began eating ramen with a dark soy sauce-based broth for lunch. The RAMEN IROHA in Toyama, which has won the Tokyo Ramen Show five times, claimed the championship for four consecutive years from 2009 to 2011 with its black soy sauce ramen “Toyama BLACK.” In 2012, it won with another signature dish, “White Shrimp Shio Ramen,” and in 2014, it took the top spot again with the black soy sauce ramen “Dashi Seafood Black Meat-Rich Ramen.”


▲ Although the broth looks pitch black, it’s not overly salty.

In addition to using its signature black soy sauce, RAMEN IROHA’s broth is also made with chicken bones and seafood, giving it layers of flavor despite its dark appearance. Aside from the black soy sauce ramen, the shop also offers other varieties, such as White Shrimp Shio Ramen, which uses a white broth—a stark contrast to the “black” version.

Currently, RAMEN IROHA has only a few locations in Japan: the original store and CiC store in Toyama Prefecture, a branch at Kyoto Station’s Ramen Street in Kyoto Isetan Department Store, and one each in Tokyo and Kanagawa. Overseas, it has outlets in Hong Kong and Wuhan, China. It remains to be seen whether it will open a store in Taiwan—Badou Yao is looking forward to it expanding to Taiwan.

Shoten Main Store
Address: 1555-1 B8, Etchū, Sakai City, Toyama Prefecture

CiC Store
Address: B1F, CiC, 1-2-3 Shin-Tomicho, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture

Kyoto Ebisu Building Store
Address: 901, 10F Kyoto Ramen Street, Ebisu Building, 901 Tatsumicho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City

Ebina Bina World Store Address: 1-18-1 Chuo, Ebina City, Kanagawa Prefecture (1F, Bina World 0 Bldg)

Hong Kong Store
Address: 7, Kaiun Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Wuhan Kosaka Store
Address: 3-23-18 Kosaka, Shinagawa, Tokyo

Yi Hao Ramen Wuhan Store
Address: Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China


▲ RAMEN IROHA CiC Store.


▲ Popular “Toyama BLACK” ramen is priced at 980 yen.