Fukuoka Ramen Shop Feature | Top 10 Recommendations

Fukuoka is nationally renowned as the holy land of tonkotsu ramen, attracting numerous ramen enthusiasts from across the country. The combination of rich pork bone broth and thin noodles has evolved into diverse styles including Hakata ramen, Kurume ramen, and Nagahama ramen, with each shop offering its own unique character. 

This article carefully selects and introduces 10 noteworthy ramen shops in Fukuoka. From beloved local establishments with long histories to cutting-edge popular newcomers, this lineup offers a variety of flavors to experience. Please use this as a reference when visiting Fukuoka for travel or business. 

Table of Contents 

1. Why You Should Eat Ramen in Fukuoka 

2. 10 Must-Visit Ramen Shops in Fukuoka 

2-1. Ichiran Main Store
2-2. Ippudo Daimyo Main Store
2-3. Hakata Issou Hakata Station East Main Store
2-4. Hakata Ikkousha Main Store
2-5. Ganso Nagahamaya
2-6. ShinShin (Hakata Ramen ShinShin Tenjin Main Store)
2-7. Hacchan Ramen
2-8. Hakata Genki Ippai!!
2-9. Fukuchan Ramen Takuma Main Store
2-10. Hakata Daruma Main Store 

3. You can enjoy ramen even at the baseball stadium in Fukuoka!

Summary 

1. Why You Should Eat Ramen in Fukuoka 

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Fukuoka attracts attention from ramen enthusiasts nationwide as the birthplace of the famous tonkotsu ramen. 

The characteristic of Fukuoka ramen is the combination of rich pork bone broth and straight thin noodles, offering a flavorful taste and the texture of quickly-cooked noodles. The soup's flavor varies from shop to shop, ranging from rich and heavy to light and refreshing, making it easy to find a bowl that suits your personal taste. 

Additionally, Fukuoka has a deeply rooted yatai (food stall) culture in areas like Nakasu and Tenjin, where slurping a bowl of ramen while feeling the night breeze is part of the authentic experience. At these yatai, even tourists can easily experience authentic local flavors. 

Fukuoka ramen includes three styles known as the "Big Three Ramen." Kurume ramen features thick, cloudy white soup and thicker noodles, and is considered the origin of tonkotsu ramen. On the other hand, Nagahama ramen is characterized by thin noodles and lighter soup, and is known as the style that created the kaedama (extra noodle) culture. Hakata ramen represents the classic style with milky white rich soup and straight thin noodles, considered the flagship of Fukuoka ramen. 

Fukuoka serves as the holy land of tonkotsu ramen, where diverse flavors and food culture converge. For ramen lovers, you'll feel the profound depth that cannot be fully experienced in just one visit. 

2. 10 Must-Visit Ramen Shops in Fukuoka 

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Here we introduce 10 particularly noteworthy popular shops in Fukuoka. Check out each shop's unique appeal and use this as a reference for your visit destinations. 

2-1. Ichiran Main Store 

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"Ichiran Main Store" is a world-renowned establishment specializing in natural tonkotsu ramen. The menu has consistently focused solely on "tonkotsu ramen" since its founding, with the exquisite harmony of red secret sauce, soup, and noodles concentrated in each bowl. 

The soup uses a unique method to remove the distinctive odor of pork bones, achieving a mellow and deep umami flavor. The specially crafted fresh noodles, managed by skilled artisans, represent Ichiran's unique taste that thoroughly pursues compatibility with the soup. 

One of Ichiran's attractions is the flavor concentration counter where you can enjoy your meal without worrying about your surroundings. Open 24 hours, you can enjoy the perfect bowl whenever you visit. 

2-2. Ippudo Daimyo Main Store 

5月もすでに3分の1が経過しましたね😦💨

一度しかない2025年5月。悔いの残らないようにいろいろなラーメン食べていきましょう🥢

今週末もよろしくお願いします🍜 pic.twitter.com/5HmxuBg7tN

— 【公式】博多一風堂🍜 (@IPPUDO_JP) May 10, 2025

"Ippudo Daimyo Main Store" is the origin point of the popular ramen chain Ippudo, which has locations nationwide, and is the founding location from 1985. The main shop offers exclusive menu items called "Main Store Shiromaru" and "Main Store Akamaru" that differ from other locations, where you can taste bowls that recreate the original recipes from the founding days. 

The pork bone soup, simmered for 12 hours without any unpleasant odor, pairs well with Hakata-style thin noodles, spreading a flavor that is both nostalgic and innovative. "Main Store Shiromaru," which balances richness with a clean aftertaste, is a bowl that represents both the origin and perfection. "Main Store Akamaru," where rich fragrant oil and spicy miso add depth to the flavor, is a popular menu item that embodies innovation. 

2-3. Hakata Issou Hakata Station East Main Store 

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"Hakata Issou Hakata Station East Main Store," which opened in 2012, is a notable establishment where young artisans brought fresh innovation to Hakata ramen. 

The soup, simmered in three large pots until the bones break down, is rich yet without unpleasant odor, and is called "pork bone cappuccino" due to its appearance with creamy foam. Using local Fukuoka ingredients, the flat thin noodles perfectly intertwine with the soup. 

The sauce blends Fukuoka Prefecture-produced soy sauce with seafood umami, creating a deep, complex flavor. The simple yet calculated chashu and Itoshima-produced green onions also serve as excellent supporting ingredients that highlight the quality of the materials. This rich yet refreshingly drinkable bowl is truly an unforgettable taste. 

2-4. Hakata Ikkousha Main Store 

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"Hakata Ikkousha Main Store" is the main shop of the original foam-style tonkotsu ramen with 50 locations worldwide. 

Using their unique "aged re-simmering method," they extract the umami and sweetness of bones to the maximum, with air-infused fat foam gently floating on the soup surface. The sauce uses a secret proprietary blend, and the noodles are flat thin noodles jointly developed with Seimenya Keishi, offering a chewy texture and wheat aroma. The carefully prepared low-temperature cooked chashu and seafood-flavored sauce intertwine exquisitely, creating a bowl that truly showcases artisan craftsmanship. 

This is a renowned shop that those who wish to "eat authentic Hakata tonkotsu ramen" should definitely visit. 

2-5. Ganso Nagahamaya 

【HASH＃FUKUOKA】東京在住ライターの【福岡プチ移住ブログ Day18】ベタナマ、ナマタマ！謎の暗号を受信するラーメン秘密基地、元祖長浜屋 http://t.co/zjDzmHduXV #福岡 #博多 #hakata pic.twitter.com/7RCz23ebuo

— 福岡市広報戦略室 (@Fukuokacity_pr) July 29, 2015

The long-established shop where you can taste the origin of Nagahama ramen, one of the Fukuoka Big Three Ramen, is "Ganso Nagahamaya." Characterized by light pork bone soup, ultra-thin straight noodles, and salty chashu, its lightness makes it suitable for daily consumption. The amazing speed of service within one minute, customizable noodle firmness, oil amount, and green onion quantity are packed with reasons why it has been beloved by locals for many years. 

The signature "kaedama" (extra noodles) is of course available, and the popular "replacement meat" allows you to add more salty chashu. The generous portion of noodles provides satisfaction in one bowl, and the price is reasonable. For those who want to experience a simple, unpretentious "authentic bowl" in the lively shop atmosphere, this is highly recommended. 

2-6. ShinShin (Hakata Ramen ShinShin Tenjin Main Store) 

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"ShinShin Tenjin Main Store" is a popular shop that serves "Hakata Pure-hearted Ramen," a new evolution of Hakata ramen born from yatai culture. 

The soup, made by simmering pork bones with Saga Prefecture-produced Arita chicken bones and local Kyushu aromatic vegetables in groundwater, has no unpleasant odor and features a mellow, gentle flavor so smooth you can drink it all. The thin noodles that perfectly complement the soup and the sweet, melt-in-your-mouth chashu are masterpieces carefully simmered in secret sauce. The commitment to ingredients and balance shines through, as they describe ramen as a "full course meal served in a bowl." 

Side menu items like "bite-sized gyoza" and "fried rice" are also popular, supported by everyone from locals to tourists. This is perfect for those who want to enjoy "gentle tonkotsu ramen" loved by people of all ages. 

2-7. Hacchan Ramen 

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"Hacchan Ramen" is a hidden gem established in 1968 that remains a long-standing shop while maintaining operations only at its main location. 

The soup, made by simmering large quantities of pork bones in a dedicated traditional pot with high heat for long periods, dissolving even the marrow, features outstanding thickness and fragrant aroma with deep flavor free of unpleasant odors. The ultra-thin flat noodles, unusual for Hakata, perfectly complement this rich soup. The ingredients are simply chashu and green onions, a composition that highlights the starring soup. 

Once you taste it, this is an addictive bowl that will make you want to visit even after the last train. 

2-8. Hakata Genki Ippai!!

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The shop called the "urban legend of Fukuoka's ramen world" with no signboard or shop curtain is "Hakata Genki Ippai!!." The pure white pork bone soup, clouded to a milky white, features a creamy mouthfeel emulsified to the extreme, and despite being rich, it has no greasy feeling and blends surprisingly smoothly on the tongue. The lightly colored sauce and collagen-rich soup have outstanding compatibility with the supple thin noodles. 

The signature "curry-flavored extra noodles" is spicy and mellow, with excellent compatibility with the ramen. This is truly a bowl for "soup devotees" that makes you want to quietly focus your heart on savoring this meticulously crafted bowl. 

2-9. Fukuchan Ramen Takuma Main Store 

(Source: Hot Pepper Gourmet) 

The long-established shop "Fukuchan Ramen Takuma Main Store," beloved by locals in Fukuoka for many years, is a popular shop with a retro exterior and homey atmosphere. The bowl featuring rich soup with solid pork bone flavor and medium-thin noodles maintains the unchanged taste since its founding. Adding free toppings of garlic or spicy nira (Chinese chives) allows you to enjoy even more complex flavors. 

With many counter seats, you can relax alone while watching the cooking process. The interior with television displays numerous celebrity autographs, demonstrating the shop's high popularity rooted in the local community. 

2-10. Hakata Daruma Main Store 

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"Hakata Daruma Main Store" is a renowned shop with a proud history since 1963, with rich pork bone soup prepared using traditional methods as its greatest appeal. By continuously simmering for over 12 hours in an iron traditional pot, they achieve mellow, deep, yet delicate umami. The house-made noodles with a unique blend of wheat "Mugi no Ibuki" allow you to taste the sweetness and aroma of wheat, beautifully integrating with the soup. The chashu is carefully simmered in special sauce, achieving melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. 

This bowl, where tradition since founding merges with evolution, is an essential destination for those seeking authentic tonkotsu ramen. 

3. You can enjoy ramen even at the baseball stadium in Fukuoka!

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At “Unari Gourmet Street” located in the outfield area of PayPay Dome, you’ll find the popular Fukuoka ramen shop Ramen Unari.
In addition to their rich and flavorful W soup ramen made from pork bone and seafood broth, you can also enjoy limited-edition “Player Collaboration Menus” created with Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks players!
There’s no better way to cheer on your favorite player than while enjoying a bowl of ramen they helped design.
Come and experience the best of Fukuoka—baseball and ramen in one place!

Summary 

Fukuoka ramen goes beyond mere dining, with regional culture and history breathing through every bowl. Even with pork bone soup alone, the range of flavors is extremely broad, from rich and heavy to light and refreshing, foam-style, and pure white soup, with each shop pouring their own unique innovations and passion. 

From yatai ramen and traditional techniques of long-established shops to modern evolutionary ramen, Fukuoka offers such variety that you cannot experience it all in a single trip. Whether you're a ramen enthusiast or visiting Fukuoka for the first time, please enjoy the authentic flavors. 

*Photographs provided by Fukuoka City.

*This article is based on information as of May 2025