Namajapan’s Top 10 Ramen in Japan To Eat Before You Die

Due to the nature of me eating over 100 bowls of ramen each year here in Japan and running a ramen Youtube channel, a ramen podcast and this website, I am often asked what is your favorite ramen? What is your favorite ramen shop?

And I am always struggling with this question, as I wrote in my guide on how to find the best ramen in Japan. It is a very personal question and what I like, might not make sense for you at all. So I recommend everyone out there to check my guide and make use of all the tools available to find the ramen in Japan that is best for you.

However, of course I do have some favorites and places I would pick for my top 10 ramen for one reason or the other. Either because I love their ramen, I keep going back or because I had a great and memorable experience when I went. So let me list them out for you, mainly so I have a list that I can send out to people who ask me the above question.

Please note: Those are not THE BEST RAMEN SHOPS IN JAPAN, but simply my personal favorites.

The below list is in no particular order, last updated January 2025.

Ganso Stamina Manten Ramen Suzuki / 元祖スタミナ満点ラーメン すず鬼

Stamina Ramen Suzuki is my answer if you tell me I can only eat ramen at one ramen shop for the rest of my life. This bowl is so outrageously good, both in the spicy and non-spicy version. I personally prefer the non-spicy version, as I feel the spicy one covers up a lot of the deliciousness. The bowl itself is a mix of Jiro style ramen, Ariran style ramen and Kataoka-shiki. I also like to describe it as goulash meets Jiro style ramen. Heavy, rich, salty, garlicky, oniony, there is so much going on. It’s a must try for every ramen head and not difficult to access in Mitaka.

Ganso Stamina Manten Ramen Suzuki / 元祖スタミナ満点ラーメン すず鬼
Google Maps Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/7MXnxPsqXf4qnqfJ6

Rikido / らぁめん りきどう

My favorite ramen experience of 2023 and easily in my top 10 shops ever. Their tsukemen, if ordered correctly, comes with 3 different types of noodles, all with their own flavor and texture experience. They are what draw in the people and then Rikido hits them over the head with a fantastic dipping soup and incredible chashu. The only downside is the location in Gifu city, which I am not sure I will ever go to again.

Ramen Rikido / らぁめん りきどう
Google Maps Link: https://goo.gl/maps/jJtaXke932K1PeCaA

Chukasoba Tomita / 中華蕎麦 とみ田

My first visit to Tomita was a bit of a “meet your hero” moment. After having watched the movie “Ramen Heads” probably way too many times, it was such a great experience to actually see Tomita-san prepare ramen for me behind the counter. When I went, you still had to show up early in the morning to secure a seat, nowadays they take reservations via Omakase.in. If you don’t know anything about Tomita, there is so much information out there, it does not make sense for me to write any more about their fantastic tsukemen. One thing to note: They changed their recipe after remodeling their shop, but their old recipe can still be tried at the Tomita Menban location next to Tokyo station. Which is also a good recommendation if you don’t want to go through the reservation hassle, but still try some Tomita greatness.

Chukasoba Tomita / 中華蕎麦 とみ田
Google Maps Link: https://goo.gl/maps/UJoBiyGaJHNLaoKv7

Tsuta / 蔦

Tsuta gained fame and notoriety when they were the first ramen shop in Japan to receive a Michelin star. It catapulted Yuki Onishi into the spotlight in- and outside of the ramen world. Whatever you may think of the Michelin guide and stars for ramen shops, I personally liked the creativity of Onishi-san. All the bowls at Tsuta took you on a flavor journey, with no bite tasting the same as the previous one. Unfortunately, Onishi-san has since passed away. The ramen shop Tsuta lives on however, so you can still go and try a piece of ramen history which I think changed the game when it comes to high end ramen.

Tsuta / 蔦
Google Maps Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/MQTkDf5mBMnVqufh7

Hakata Nagahama Ramen Tanaka Shoten / 博多長浜らーめん 田中商店

I have a bit of a controversial opinion when it comes to Hakata style or Nagahama style ramen. Yes, their home is on Kyushu, Japan’s Southernmost island. However I think Tanaka Shoten does it better in Tokyo than all the tonkotsu ramen shops I have tried in Kyushu. If you agree with this or not, it is not a stretch to say that Tanaka Shoten is the gold standard for Hakata Nagahama style tonkotsu ramen.

Hakata Nagahama Ramen Tanaka Shoten / 博多長浜らーめん 田中商店
Google Maps Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/y9ye7uxWzKX6NpxYA

Ramen Break Beats

Ramen Break Beats has been making waves in the ramen world basically since opening in 2022. I went to Break Beats 4 times within their first year of opening, something completely out of the ordinary for me, as I rarely do repeat visits of ramen shops. In my book, Ramen Break Beats has the best shio ramen in Japan, which should be your pick if you go to Break Beats for the firs time. While I still went when you could just show up at the ramen shop, these days you need a reservation from Tablecheck. If you don’t want to go through the trouble or you did no manage to score a reservation, you could go to Jazzy Beats in Nakameguro instead, which nowadays also serves the Break Beats shio and shoyu ramen, in a slightly simplified version. Still very good though.

Ramen Break Beats
Google Maps Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/BFUdibdR6ojapoPJ9

Mizoguchiya Higashijujoten / ミゾグチヤ 東十条店

Wild card time! My absolute favorite and surprise of the year 2024 was the Nepalmen at a ramen shop called Mizoguchiya. The main shop of Mizoguchiya is on the outskirts of Nagoya, where you, dear reader, will probably not go to. Instead, you should go to Higashi-Jujo in the North of Tokyo. Mizoguchiya serves one of the most outrageously flavorful bowls in Tokyo. They combined Nepal style curry with Jiro style ramen. The soup is heavily spiced with masala, the sprouts are mixed with achar pickles, fermented butter is an almost required topping for the extra richness and aroma. A very good Jiro bowl builds the base for this irresistible bowl. If you like curry in any shape or form, this ramen bowl is a must try.

Mizoguchiya Higashijujoten / ミゾグチヤ　東十条店
Google Maps Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/mez4AqwU6JiAvBvj7

Sumire / すみれ

Sumire is a legendary miso ramen shop from Sapporo and my personal favorite of the Sapporo miso ramen shops. Although there is a shop in Yokohama that gets you most of the way, I implore you to visit the main shop in Sapporo when you have the chance. It is a truly transformative experience and it was one of the main experiences that made me fall in love with ramen, after getting hooked on their Sumire instant ramen first. I have had many great miso ramen since then, but none of them have touched me on a deeply emotional level like Sumire has.

Sumire / すみれ
Google Maps Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/gDkbwSrNFKJi145H6

NIBOSHIMANIA

I am a big fan of niboshi ramen and have published many videos about niboshi ramen on my YouTube channel, even though they rarely do well, as dried fish ramen is not really a crowd pleaser in most of the world. And I truly believe that one bowl of ramen at Niboshimania can convince anyone that this is a fantastic style of ramen that should be beloved by more people. Especially the Nibopresso, with it's rich and creamy, very condensed niboshi aroma, is a bowl you simply have to try. Even if you are not into ramen, it’s such a wild flavor experience, it warrants to way to Kamata station.

NIBOSHIMANIA
Google Maps Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/uRi8B9MxEfCEtFDk8

Niigata Sanpotei Tokyo Nakameguroten / 新潟三宝亭 東京ラボ中目黒店

Niigata Sanpotei is a bit of an oversight by many ramen nerds in Tokyo, I don’t see much discussion about it, even though it deserves to be mentioned, especially when it comes to spicy ramen. Niigata Sanpotei serves two main bowls worth mentioning: A “mabomen” mapotofu style ramen and so called “Sanra Tanmen” hot and sour style ramen. Both can be ordered in different spice levels, up to very challenging for even the most hardened chili eaters. It’s hard to say if the mabomen or sanra tanmen are better, I basiclly alternate between the two when I go, which I do multiple times per year. The paiko topping, crunchy breaded deep fried pork cutlet, is a lovely addition if you are feeling a bit hungry. Last but not least, there is just so much stuff on the counter to make the bowl your own. I personally keep adding numbing peppers throughout my meal, upping the intensity until the end.

Niigata Sanpotei Tokyo Nakameguroten / 新潟三宝亭 東京ラボ中目黒店
Google Maps Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ozHdMP5xMtdBaUbW6