At the edge of Nagoya’s old shopping district sits Misen, originator of Japan’s little known Taiwan-style ramen. A product of the area’s ethnically Taiwanese immigrants, stepping into Misen is like leaving Japan for an afternoon slurp. Bring on the beer, this is one greasy spoon that will remind you Asia is much more than an island nation of giant robots and Pocky!

Hot off the Tokaido Shinkansen, rameniac pays a visit to Japan’s shiny new ramen robots at Fa-Men. You’ve seen them on the news, now learn if assembly-line automation can truly build a better bowl than a cranky old dude with a towel around his head. Ladies and gentlemen, we are floating in a bowl of space-aged slurping. Now with official rameniac video!