Ramen MAIKAGURA is a counter-only shop on Chitose-dori, about five minutes on foot from the north exit of Chitose-Funabashi Station on the Odakyu Odawara Line. Owner Taichi Ichijo trained for roughly seven years at Nakamuraya — a Kanagawa shop known for tanrei (clear, light) broths, on indefinite hiatus since 2022 — before opening in his home ward of Setagaya in February 2018. The house bowl is chicken paitan finished with white truffle oil: it placed first in the chicken paitan category of the TRY (Tokyo Ramen of the Year) Ramen Awards' Elite Shop Division for five consecutive editions, from the 22nd (2021–2022) through the 26th (2025–2026), which earned the shop Hall of Fame status.
What kind of shop it is
Ichijo joined Nakamuraya in 2010 and stayed until 2017, working at the main Ebina shop, managing a counter on the "Tsugaru Ramen Kaido" in Aomori, and spending time at the group's New York location. In 2017 he ran a limited-run stall on that same Aomori strip under the name "Maikagura," then opened his own shop in Setagaya on February 26, 2018 (Walkerplus).
In a message published on the Chitose-Funabashi shopping street association's official shop page, Ichijo writes that he now draws his stock "from chicken and water only," a return to his starting point. Toyo Suisan, which has produced instant-noodle collaborations with the shop, describes the signature bowl as a dense, creamy chicken paitan simmered from chicken and water alone, paired with smooth, springy house-made noodles.
The room is plain pale wood with counter seating only — TRY's official listing gives seven seats. Of the chicken paitan, which is made in limited daily quantities, the owner explains that the stark white soup comes from holding it at a hard boil for a long stretch.
What to order
The bowl to order is the chicken paitan scented with white truffle oil. It was reported at ¥1,350 as of October 2025; TRY's official shop listing shows ¥1,300.
TRY's official shop listing records that in 2024 the shop placed first in chicken paitan, fourth in clear-broth tsukemen, and 13th in shoyu within the Elite Shop Division. Shio tsukemen (¥1,480) and shoyu ramen with a seasoned egg (¥1,180) are both on the listed menu, and Ichijo describes the shoyu as "neo-classical" — a present-day reading of old-style chuka soba. Per TRY, the shop first appeared in the rankings in 2020 at second place in chicken paitan, taking the top spot the following year.
There is a version you can try at home: Toyo Suisan's cup noodle "Maruchan Ramen MAIKAGURA Kanshu Tori Paitan" went on sale nationwide on March 2, 2026 at ¥278 before tax. Per TRY, it was released to mark the shop's five straight category wins and is the fifth collaboration between the shop and the maker.
- Chicken paitan with white truffle oil — ¥1,350 (as of October 2025)
- Shio tsukemen — ¥1,480 (TRY official listing, 2025)
- Shoyu ramen with seasoned egg — ¥1,180 (TRY official listing, 2025)
Tips for visiting
The shop runs two services rather than staying open through the day: 11:30–15:00 and 18:00–20:00 (as of 2025). The evening service is short, so leave margin if you are coming after work. It closes Mondays; when Monday falls on a public holiday the shop opens and takes the following weekday off instead.
As the owner's own notice states, service may end when the soup runs out — meaning the doors can close before the posted finish time. If you want to be sure of a bowl, go early in a service.
With only a counter, expect to wait at busy times. For current hours, prices and any unscheduled closures, check the shop's official X account (@maikagurajapan).