Hirai is a tsuke-soba (dipping noodle) and ramen specialist in Sakaemachi, Fuchu. Its signature is a soup simmered from pork, beef and chicken alone, with no seafood ingredients whatsoever ("100% animal-based"), served with house-made extra-thick noodles. Shortly after opening in May 2021 it took 1st place in the tsukemen category and 3rd overall in the newcomer awards at TRY (Tokyo Ramen of the Year); in the 24th edition (2023–2024) it placed 1st in tonkotsu and 5th in rich tsukemen in TRY's Meiten (established shops) division.

What kind of shop it is

The owner is Ryuichi Ueno. TRY's official shop profile says he trained for six years at a gatsuri-kei (hearty, high-volume) ramen shop and is a former sales representative for a noodle-machine manufacturer. The noodles here are made in-house. The shop has seven counter seats and four table seats (per TRY's official listing), and there is no parking.

In 2024 the owner announced his intention to leave Japan to pursue work in Europe (Toyo Keizai Online, 3 April 2024). The shop has continued to operate since then, and marked its fifth anniversary with special service in May 2026.

What to order

The representative menu items listed on TRY's official page are tsuke-soba at ¥1,200, chuka-soba at ¥1,000, and chashu tsuke-soba at ¥1,300 (as listed for the 24th edition, 2023–2024).

The dipping broth is made with pork knuckle, pig heads, beef bone, chicken carcass and chicken feet, finished without any seafood ingredients; Takumen.com's product description explains that the beef, pork and chicken are simmered in three separate stages. The noodles are extra-thick and straight, blended from Japanese wheat varieties including Ayahikari from Mie, Chikugoizumi from Kyushu and Haruyokoi from Hokkaido, and take 12–13 minutes to boil (per a March 2023 food-media article). The chashu is charcoal-grilled.

The tsuke-soba can sell out, after which service ends (per a September 2022 local-media article and a March 2023 food-media article). Note also that on Fridays it is reportedly not served, with only chuka-soba available (see below). If a visit is difficult, the "tsuke-soba" is also sold by mail order on Takumen.com for ¥1,281 including tax (as of July 2026).

Tips for visiting

Service is lunchtime only: 11:00–15:00 on weekdays and 11:00–17:00 on Saturdays and Sundays, closed Tuesdays. The shop closes once it sells out, so allow yourself time.

If you are coming for the signature tsuke-soba, avoid Friday. A September 2022 local-media article and a May 2026 visit report agree, four years apart, that preparation constraints leave Friday as chuka-soba only, with no tsuke-soba served. This is not something we could confirm as an official announcement, so check the official X account (@tyukasoba_hirai) before you go.

You buy a meal ticket from the vending machine first, then join the queue. Holding a place for a group that has not arrived, cutting in, and getting change before opening are all prohibited (per the September 2022 local-media article). On some days only limited-edition menu items are sold (as during the fifth-anniversary service in May 2026). Service announcements are posted on the official X account and Instagram.

The nearest station is Kokubunji (18 minutes on foot per the official site), and Kita-Fuchu Station on the JR Musashino Line is about 1.5 km away, so wear comfortable shoes. Queues do form: a March 2023 article reported roughly 15 people waiting around 12:45 on a weekday, with about a 45-minute wait to get in.

  • Lunch service only; closes when sold out
  • Fridays are reportedly chuka-soba only, with no tsuke-soba (two independent reports; confirm on the official X)
  • Buy a meal ticket first, then queue (no place-holding, no cutting in)
  • Tsuke-soba can sell out; some days are limited-menu only
  • Closed Tuesdays (the same premises run as "Chuka Soba Matsuo" on Tuesdays; some Tuesdays host limited-run service)
  • A 15–20 minute walk from the nearest stations