Takadanobaba and Waseda are a student district crowded with ramen shops, and Ramen Yamaguchi in Nishi-Waseda builds its menu around one specialty: chicken shoyu ramen. Since opening in January 2013, the shop has specialized in its signature tori soba (chicken noodle soup), holding a Michelin Bib Gourmand listing for six consecutive years from 2015 and appearing in Tabelog's "Ramen Tokyo Hyakumeiten" (top 100) selections from 2022 through 2024.
What kind of shop is it?
Owner Hiroshi Yamaguchi came to ramen from an unusual direction: he worked for a chemical manufacturer in Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima, before winning the amateur division of the "Ramen Tryout" ramen contest. The prize was a one-year stint at Tachikawa's Ramen Square, where he ran a shop called Menya Nyami; after the contract ended he managed a ramen shop in Fuchu, then went independent in Nishi-Waseda, on the edge of Takadanobaba, in January 2013. The soup has been built purely on chicken since the shop opened — no vegetables or pork-based ingredients — and the official site lists three breeds behind its umami: Aizu jidori, Sansui jidori and Kibi chicken.
On September 16, 2022, the shop reworked everything at once — noodles, soup, tare and toppings — doubling the Aizu chicken in the broth, layering in Rausu kombu dashi and blending the tare from three soy sauces. A second shop, Ramen Yamaguchi Ratsushiki, opened in Toyocho in September 2015.
What to order
First-timers should go for the signature tori soba (¥1,220, with two slices of pork chashu). The "special" version (¥1,620) adds a seasoned egg, chicken wontons and four slices of chashu, and a shio (salt) take on the same soup is offered at the same prices. For dipping noodles there is tori tsukesoba (¥1,350); the official site notes the thin noodles rule out atsumori (warmed noodles), though large portions are available.
Sides center on the roast pork rice bowl (¥500, mini ¥260), and a set pairing tori soba with the mini bowl costs ¥1,480. All prices include tax and are as of July 2026. The shop also runs an official online store if you want to try the ramen at home.
Tips for your visit
The shop is a 5-minute walk from Nishi-Waseda Station on the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line, or 10 minutes on foot from JR Takadanobaba Station. It serves straight through the day, 11:00–21:30 with no afternoon break, which makes off-peak visits easy — but the official site warns it may close early on any given day once sold out, so don't cut it too close to closing time.
It is open year-round except the New Year holidays. Temporary schedule changes are announced on the official website and X account (@ramen_yamaguchi), so check before making a special trip.