Homemade Ramen 青麦

Innovative Bunkyo ramen shop and noodle laboratory from master Tomoharu Shono near Korakuen Station, famous for its 'Double Soup' ramen built on lamb and pork bones paired with firm in-house noodles.

Ten-seat 24-hour ramen shack on the 2nd floor of a Golden Gai shanty, famous for sugoi niboshi ramen — a pungent broth boiled 12 hours from 20-plus types of dried fish — that helped kick off Japan's niboshi-ramen boom.

Quiet 10-seat Nakano ramen shop from former Motsuke chef Tomoya Okada, serving additive-free chuka soba and a customizably spicy sesame tantanmen with house-made noodles.

Tiny nine-seat Ota ramen counter from the Chuka Soba Waka group, serving MSG-free chicken-and-pork soup with house-made noodles and earning Tokyo Top 100 ramen honors.