October 1, 2025 — 5:00am
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Cody Mizuno is a pretty relaxed sort of guy. Even his name has a certain casualness to it.
Cody was born Shotaro Mizuno, named by his Japanese parents. During his university studies, however, he moved to the United States and decided he needed a local moniker that would be easier for English speakers to read and pronounce, so he chose Cody.
Cody Mizuno, ramen expert.
Now, he lives back in Japan, in Tokyo, but he’s ambivalent about the way he’s addressed. “I don’t mind,” he told me once, when I asked how I should refer to him in print. “Most English speakers call me Cody, but lately I think writers have been calling me Shotaro because it sounds more authentic.”
Then he shrugged, and went back to his noodles.
Cody is a ramen expert. The man knows his soup. He became obsessed with ramen a few years ago, in the way the Japanese tend to become obsessed with certain hobbies or interests, and now he dedicates a good portion of his life to eating ramen, and teaching ramen.
I met Cody through Ramen Guide Japan, his fledgling tour company in Tokyo. Cody amassed such a large following of fellow ramen heads on social media – particularly among English speakers, given that’s the language Cody posts in – that he was persuaded to begin taking tourists out on the ramen trail with him, explaining to foreigners the intricacies of the dish while leading them to places they may not normally discover.
Ramen is both simple and incredible complex in Japan.
And ramen is intricate, make no mistake. It may seem to an outsider like just noodles and soup, but that’s like describing a car as just an engine and some seats. Within those fixed parameters lies a whole world of nuance, one that is explored in an estimated 10,000-plus ramen restaurants in Tokyo alone.
It boggles the mind. Or at least, it boggles my mind.
As an aspiring ramen head, therefore, it’s a pleasure for me to spend time on one of Cody’s tours. I get to ask all the incredibly dorky questions I have about ramen, about its variations and intricacies, about the industry in Japan, about the people who make it and the culture that surrounds it, and Cody just answers me like I’m a normal person who’s asking about the provenance of seven types of soy sauce.
There are a mind-boggling 10,000 ramen joints in Tokyo.iStock
He has a way of sharing his enthusiasm for ramen that is approachable and easy-going. It doesn’t matter on his tours if this is the first bowl of ramen in your life or the 500th. You will learn something.
All of this is a roundabout way of saying that I like Cody, I really like his tours, and I’m very pleased I can acknowledge that he is doing something special, even if it is so low-key.
I’ve written about Ramen Guide Japan in the recent Traveller Awards for 2025, in the Dine & Drink section. I’ve been able to give Cody a shout-out beyond what I would normally write, to let people know that this one stands out among all the myriad travel experiences I’m lucky enough to have had recently.
And that’s what awards like these are about, really. They may seem a little indulgent at times, and certainly the process of going back over your recent travel experiences and deciding on the standouts does feel that way. Was that great hotel better than that great hotel? Was that three-star meal better than that one?
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But this has a higher purpose.
Every award winner, I can guarantee, is the object of passion for a Traveller writer. We get to visit and write about so many amazing hotels and restaurants, we get to experience so many tours, we meet people who are so innovative, so creative, we notice efforts big and small by the people who supply these many experiences.
But how often do we get to highlight them as a real standout, as a leader of the pack, to give credit where it’s due?
And so I’ve written about Cody and his Ramen Guide Japan tours. I’ve also written about the Shangri-La Singapore, a hotel that might just be the most family-friendly establishment I have ever stayed in. I’ve been able to talk up the adventures at Awasi Iguazu in Argentina, adventures no one else can offer. I’ve spoken about Saint Peter, Australian chef Josh Niland’s truly world-class fine diner that is also, amazingly, a high-end hotel.
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Ramen Guide Japan won’t win any major tourism awards, in Japan or elsewhere. It’s a tiny operation run by a guy who doesn’t even insist on what his name should be. It’s just one passionate person sharing his joy in noodles and soup.
But these are the memorable experiences for travellers, the hot tips we all look for when we visit a new place – and that’s what awards should be all about.
If you could give a particular travel experience an award, which one would it be? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Ben Groundwater is a Sydney-based travel writer, columnist, broadcaster, author and occasional tour guide with more than 25 years’ experience in media, and a lifetime of experience traversing the globe. He specialises in food and wine – writing about it, as well as consuming it – and at any given moment in time Ben is probably thinking about either ramen in Tokyo, pintxos in San Sebastian, or carbonara in Rome. Follow him on Instagram @bengroundwaterConnect via email.Traveller GuidesFrom our partners
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