There is toilet paper hidden behind the notice on the wall of Yilan's toilet. This idea was the president's idea.

▲ Hidden behind this notice board is toilet paper — an idea thought up by Ichiran’s president, Yoshitomi Yoshitomi.(Photo provided by Ippudo Ramen, the same below)

Reporter Huang Shiyuan / Taipei Report

If you’ve been to the restroom of Ichiran Ramen, you’ll definitely be impressed by the overwhelming number of toilet paper holders on the wall, as if they’re afraid you might run out of paper. However, a Japanese netizen posted a photo on Twitter, and it turned out that behind the notice posted on the restroom wall, there was actually a stack of toilet paper hidden. This photo became a hot topic online, and this highly creative “secret weapon” for toilet paper was the idea of Ichiran Ramen’s current president, Yoshitomi Yoshitomi.

You must be wondering why there are so many toilet paper holders in the restroom of Ichiran Ramen. Ichiran explains that President Yoshitomi wants customers to not only enjoy a delicious bowl of ramen but also experience Ichiran’s unique hospitality even in the restroom — making them smile even while using the toilet, feeling cared for and relaxed.


▲% Family Shop branches, including the Taipei flagship store, place plenty of toilet paper. The photo above shows the toilet paper holder in the Taipei flagship store’s restroom.


Ichiran Ramen has been placing many toilet paper roll holders in its restrooms since 2009. As of now, about 90% of its stores in Japan and overseas have this service. The remaining 10% without it are mostly located in department stores, where restrooms are considered public areas and therefore do not have this setup.As for the notice posted behind the toilet that hides toilet paper, Ippudo Ramen says this was an idea thought up by the current Ippudo president, Yoshitomi Yoshitomi. Starting from October 2016 at the Ippudo headquarters flagship store, it has been set up in almost 90% of shops, with the exception of those in malls.

Is the secret weapon of Ichiran Ramen's toilet paper the only one? Ichiran Ramen stated that currently, the only secret weapon announced is the hidden toilet paper, but to make customers more comfortable, Ichiran will continue to come up with more secret features.


▲%In this Japanese ramen shop, each bowl of noodles comes with a secret message. After finishing the noodles, customers often find a final surprise (Japan. You’ll find a small note in the bottom of the bowl at this ramen shop in Japan.) /strong>