there is ramen is a small shop in the Amanuma district, just north of Ogikubo Station, where the JR Chuo/Sobu Lines meet the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line. It opened in October 2022 and took a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide Tokyo 2024 edition, holding it through the 2026 edition — three consecutive years. The kitchen serves a clear-broth (tanrei) soy sauce ramen built on niboshi, or dried sardine, from a deliberately short menu.
What kind of shop it is
The owner previously worked on shops including Kamo to Negi in Okachimachi and Teuchi Oyadori Chuka Soba Ayakawa in Ebisu before going independent and opening this place on 16 October 2022. The shop's motto is a line his grandfather gave him as a boy: "Live a life in which a single bowl of ramen tastes good."
Seating is counter-only and the room is small. Service ends once the soup runs out, and the shop sometimes closes early. It was listed as a Bib Gourmand about a year after opening, and has also been named to Tabelog's "Ramen Hyakumeiten" (Top 100 Ramen) list.
What to order
The ticket machine centres on two bowls: chashu men, topped with sliced roast pork, and wonton men. As of October 2025, reports list the versions that come with an ajitama (seasoned soft-boiled egg) — ajitama chashu men at ¥1,430 and ajitama wonton men at ¥1,310 — with a large portion or a bowl of white rice at ¥150 each. Current prices for the bowls without the egg could not be confirmed from published information.
In the shop's early days (as of September 2023) the menu was broader, including a plain ramen at ¥890 and a chashu men without the egg at ¥1,200; both prices and line-up have since been revised. Please check the official X and Instagram for the current menu and prices.
Tips for visiting
Hours are listed as two sittings on weekdays, 11:00–16:00 and 18:00–21:30, with continuous service from 11:00 to 21:30 on weekends and holidays. You buy a shokken (meal ticket) from the machine at the entrance before sitting down.
Several articles report that the shop keeps no regular closing day, but service ends when the soup sells out, it may close early, and temporary closures are announced on the official X and Instagram accounts. Payment methods and whether an English menu is available could not be confirmed from official channels.
- Nearest station: Ogikubo (JR Chuo/Sobu Lines, Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line), about 3 min from the North Exit
- Buy a meal ticket from the machine before taking a seat
- Closes when the soup sells out; may close early