Machida Shoten Honten is the flagship main branch of one of Japan's biggest iekei ramen chains, standing in Machida, western Tokyo — the town where the brand was born. Just a two-minute walk from Machida Station on the Odakyu Line, it serves rich pork-bone soy sauce ramen every day until 3 a.m.

The story behind the shop

Machida Shoten began in January 2008, when founder Sho Tagawa opened an iekei ramen shop in Machida, Tokyo as a one-man business. The company was incorporated in December 2009 and grew rapidly: it listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers market in October 2018, moved up to the TSE First Section in September 2020, and reorganized as the holding company GIFT HOLDINGS in March 2022. Its directly run domestic shops reached 100 in September 2020, with overseas branches in Singapore and the United States (per the company's official history).

Iekei is a ramen style born in Yokohama: a rich pork-bone and soy sauce broth with medium-thick noodles, typically topped with spinach and nori seaweed. Machida Shoten, whose official tagline describes its soup as 'koku-maro' (rich yet mellow), is widely known as the chain that turned iekei into a nationwide phenomenon. The Honten (main branch) carries the name of the brand's birthplace, making it a natural destination if you want to visit where it all started.

What to order

The baseline is the plain Ramen at ¥880 on the official menu, with variations adding a marinated egg, extra chashu pork, or green onions. All prices here are from the official website (as of July 2026), and the company itself notes that menus and prices can differ by store — so the in-store display takes precedence.

At iekei shops it is common to customize your bowl — noodle firmness, richness of the broth, and the amount of oil — so feel free to ask when ordering. The main branch also offers takeout (including frozen ramen) and delivery via services such as Uber Eats and Demae-can.

  • Ramen — ¥880
  • Ajitama (marinated egg) Ramen — ¥1,000
  • Negi (green onion) Ramen — ¥1,060
  • Chashu-men (extra pork) — ¥1,160
  • MAX Ramen — ¥1,160

Tips for your visit

The shop is right by Machida Station: two minutes on foot from the East Exit (Odakyu Line) or seven minutes from the South Exit (JR Yokohama Line). From Shinjuku, the Odakyu Line rapid express takes roughly 30–40 minutes, so it is a bit of a trip from central Tokyo — but the shop itself is easy to find once you arrive. It is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. (official store page, as of July 2026), which makes it a solid late-night option.

The interior is compact, with 20 seats in total (8 counter seats and 12 table seats), and there is no parking lot. The official page lists cash and transit IC cards (such as Suica) as accepted payment methods; no other cashless options are listed, so having cash on hand is the safe bet. A kids' menu and a children's corner are also listed, so families are welcome. Hours can change without notice — check the official website and social media before you go.