Komazawa Olympic Park is hosting a ramen festival with over a dozen booths serving Japanese noodles from different prefectures. You can go for a simple shoyu (soy sauce) or shio (salt) ramen, or a bowl with rich tonkotsu pork broth, or one topped generously with beef. Be warned though: some stalls are expected to have up to two hours wait time, as they are exclusive to the festival or have won the Ramen Grand Prix in recent years.
The event is split into three parts, each with a different set of vendors. The ramen restaurants that are participating in the first part (October 23 to 26) include Katsuryu from Ibaraki prefecture with its rich paitan (cloudy white chicken broth) ramen topped with uni, and Kumamoto Ramen Kokutei from Kumamoto prefecture, whose signature tonkotsu ramen is a voluminous bowl topped with seared pork belly.
The second part (October 27 to 30) features Hokkaido prefecture's Maruesu Shokudo with its Hokkaido-style miso-based bowl made with chicken and pork broth, and Hakushin from Gifu prefecture with its umami-rich miso broth made from dried shrimp.
Lastly, the third part (October 31 to 3) features Oita prefecture's Hakuryu with its rich tonkotsu (pork-based) soup, as well as Honda Shoten from Fukuoka Prefecture, serving up authentic Kurume-style tonkotsu ramen – said to be the original birthplace of the dish.
In short, you’ll find every kind of ramen that your heart desires at Tokyo Ramen Festa. Admission is free while a bowl of noodles costs ¥1,100. Meal tickets can be purchased at Seven Eleven outlets nationwide in advance or at the venue. We highly recommend purchasing tickets earlier rather than later, as it can run out towards the end of the day.
The festival runs from 10.30am to 8.30pm, with the exception of October 23 and October 27 when it opens at noon, and November 3, when it closes at 6pm.
