Another ramen year is in the books, and what a trip around the sun it was. Plenty of big-name shops had a successful year, as did super-specialised joints pioneering new trends. Above all, there were so many exciting new openings that just keeping track of them all felt daunting – not to mention finding the time to actually try their enticing offerings.
As we scoured the streets of the capital doing just that, telling ourselves that the constant movement ought to cancel out the damage from all the cholesterol bombs we were ingesting, we noticed a few clear trends. Spices are on the upswing, as are all manner of fancy toppings. On the other hand, classics like the Yokohama ie-kei style and seafood-based tsukemen soups are going perhaps stronger than ever before, as are elevated takes on orthodox chuka soba.
But enough with the big picture – we know you’re really only here for the recs, so here they are: 20 shops that made a difference in Tokyo’s ramen scene in 2025.
Reviews by Menchuck
RECOMMENDED: The best of Tokyo in 2025
AloJapan.com